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Compare the original Grimm tale with the MGM version. What is different in the film? What is similar? Why did the movie directors make those changes?

The first similarity between the two stories is in the opening characterization of the mother and father. The mother is explicated as a disdainful, narcissistic woman, who plots against her own children. Readers can sympathize with the father, because they can feel how painful it would be to have to lead your children into certain death. One difference that the MGM version delineates is some background on why the family is in poverty. The mother remarks to the father that “you better not let that baker fool you again!”. Hansel and Gretel and their father then venture into town, where the children learn a song and dance from the town entertainers. Another similarity between the two stories is Hansel’s nurturing demeanor. When Gretel grouses about her hunger, Hansel consoles her and tells her that God will help them. This also explains the christian motifs, because faith will overcome evil.

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Journeying into the forest is when another difference arises. In the Grimm’s book, Hansel and Gretel go into the forest twice, the first time Hansel has stones that leads him home. The final difference which I will explain is the resolution of the tale. In the MGM version, once the witch is defeated, Hansel and Gretel find a dozen or so other children trapped in Gingerbread Men and rescue them. The ending scene is Hansel and Gretel, their father, and the other children walking back out of the forest. The resolution of the Grimm’s book version tells that Gretel opened the cage for Hansel and then found pearls and jewels, so their family was now rich. The MGM version’s ending characterizes Hansel and Gretel as heroes, not only for themselves, but for the whole town.

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I believe that the movie directors added in the baker as an explanation of the families poverty, because we, as viewers, want to know who the villain and who the hero is. In the book, we do not know why the family is impoverished, and therefore the mother(witch) is the sole villain. When we hear the father return from town with great news that the baker has finally repaid, we rejoice because we have defeated a small villain. The movie directors also changed the number of journeys into the forest, because of the characterization of Hansel. In the book, Hansel can be characterized as overtly confident in his abilities to find his way out of the forest the second time, because he already did it a short time ago. Therefore in the film Hansel seems more heroic, because he is able to adapt and thrive in his unfortunate circumstances.

What is a Fairy Tale

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Märchen, or Fairy Tales, provide a profound statement on the culture and socioeconomic entities during an era. But first, it is important to delineate the difference between scholarly definitions of local legends, Saint’s legends, and Fairy Tales. Max Lüthi describes that the teller of a local legend probably did not orate a difference between the three, rather express his or her story as a Sage, a brief story. The story teller also “believed his tale and by no means wanted to characterize it as legendary in our sense”(Lüthi 35). The Saint’s legends definition stems from its latin root legenda, which means “that which is to be read”. It is disparate because it has not been passed down by the oral tradition, but rather inscribed, usually be clerics or literate workers of the church. Lastly, the Saint’s legends provide religious guidance and explicate miracles only divine powers could create. Fairy tales, on the other hand, have a core of magic and imagination. One of the themes of fairy tales is time and how it is manipulated. Lüthi remarks that “part of the power which [fairy tales] has to delight the reader derives from this triumph over time and the passage of time”(Lüthi 44). In the two previous tales objects are passed down from generation to generation, but in the fairy tales, objects are only used when they need to perform a specific job. Fairy tales detach people from the space-time continuum and propel them into another world, that can be incorruptible and wondrous. One of the biggest distinctions between fairy tales and the two legends is how it deals with magic/miracles. The quintessential example is when an animal begins speaking to a human. The fairy tale hero has a moment of anxiety, which vanishes within a couple seconds. Furthermore, there is usually no questioning of how or why that animal can speak, therefore the fairy tale “accepts miracles as if they were a matter of course”(Lüthi 46). Finally, the fairy tales stylistic characteristics are in consummate consonance. They exhibit precision and the desire to use every last second of the time limit.

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Introduction Post

I chose From Grimm to Disney as my First Year Seminar because of all the childhood memories I have associated with fairy tales, and my love of the German language. As a potential German major, I felt it necessary to become an expert on the Brothers Grimm and the culture of their era. I also chose this FYS class to obtain a better understanding of what fairy tales actually mean and why they are written in the first place. 

During this class I hope to become better acquainted with the structure and style of fairy tale writing. I also hope to comprehend why and how the Brothers Grimm wrote the stories they did. By the end of the semester I plan on accomplishing a deeper understanding of 19th and 20th century culture in Europe. Lastly I hope to procure a knowledge of Walt Disney and his era, because so many of his movies still play a vital role in everyday culture in America.

My favorite fairy tale is Rumpelstiltskin because of a project I had to do during my Psychology class. I analyzed the miller, the miller’s daughter, and Rumpelstiltskin using psychoanalytic, humanistic, and psychodynamic approaches. I love the story because I find it quite humorous. It starts from the beginning of the fairy tale, as the miller blatantly lies to the king, telling him that his daughter can spin straw into gold. I also enjoy the story because Rumpelstiltskin gets what he deserves. The end of the story is also funny because Rumpelstitskin is so frustrated that he rips himself in two. 

Word Count: 263

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                                                           https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumpelstiltskin

                                                                                                       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumpelstiltskin