Can you believe these fairy tales? They're more like B-rated horror movies! Maybe that's where the twisted authors of those movies got their ideas. However, it's the German, Indonesian, and Filipino versions that are perverse, while the American version makes Cinderella bend over like a wet noodle. If children nowadays read these tales, they'd threaten harry-karry at the thought of their fathers remarrying. For all the versions are driven by the jealousy displayed either by the biological mother or the stepmother. From
Yeh-hsien's magical fish, to the unorthodox attire in Donkeyskin and Catskin, the underlying message remains the same: goodness prevails over evil.
Literary Theory: Chapter 8
I found the most profound writing in Chapter 8, especially under the subtitle "Theory". This summation has clarified the purpose of theory, stating:
Theory, then, offers not a set of solutions but the prospect of further thought. It calls for
commitment to the work of reading, of challenging presuppositions, of questioning the
assumptions on which you proceed.
This goes back to Rule #1 - EVERYTHING IS SUSPECT.
Theory Toolbox: Chapter 7
Entitled "History," this chapter emphasized the fact that history is an inpretation of past facts. History is not an unbiased account of an event, as many would like to believe. It can be said that "history narrates the lives of the victorious and powerful from their prospective, whereas literature tends to side with the vanquished and powerless" (p. 105).
This has been an interesting week for readings, and look forward to watching the "G" rated version of Cinderella.
Hi Cathy, Good response to the readings. The various versions of Cinderella are rather wild. Disney always toned down his fairy tale adaptions. I wonder if he what he would produce if he were alive today. Maybe he would be a bit more like Tarantino or Stone. Good comments on the theory texts. I also liked Culler's final paragraph. dw
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