Homefun on Fairy Tales:

2.  Why is "Marchen" a better term than "fairy tale"?

3.  How does the type-index differ from the motif-index?

Although Grimm's household tales (fairy tales or marchen) were collected over 180 years ago, there is no question that they are still popular with children, and that children do not view marchen as old or odd. The tales, from those true to the original, to the many adaptations, still seem to play a significant role in the social development of children. If so, then they remain, like legends and myths, quite functional.  According to Steven Swann Jones (The Fairy Tale: The Magic Mirror of Imaginaton), "tales with young children as protagonists tend to focus on issues about relating to parents and on achieving recognition of social competence, ... tales with adolescent protagonists mostly concern themselves with sexual maturation and finding a mate, and ... tales with adult protagonists generally treat marital stress and other difficulties of adult daily life." Of course the psychologists, teachers, and literary analysts all differ as to the merits of the original tales (note Disney's conscious effort in changing fairy tale plot and character in order to present a particular message). Anyway, after you visit the fairy tale links I offered on the previous page, do the following analysis on any three tales. Note that the names of the tales often vary, i.e., Cinderella might well be called Ashenputtle. Anyway, your analysis should include the following questions, be comprehensive, and show some insight/critical thinking.

Name of tale:

Source of tale (where did you find it?   What is the URL?)
 

Observations on structure and style (structure and style address the way the content is presented):

Is the repetition of lines and/or actions used in the story? Where?

Does the storyline or plot move at a slow or fast pace? Is this good or bad?

Is the description brief, elaborate, over used?

Are the characters fully developed or thin stereotypes? (fully developed characters have a specific personality. Often less developed characters are simply presented as a "type" of character, i.e., "the evil step-mother" or the "wise old man.").

What, exactly, might cause a child to find the story interesting?

What "messages" are contained in the tale? (what does it say about good and evil, responsibility, beauty, childhood, initiation, fate, justice, social mobility, social position, problems of family life, desire,  etc.).

Did you enjoy it? Why?