Monthly Archives: April 2024

The terror you feel from reading “Where Are you Going, Where Have You Been?” is way different than the terror feeling of watching a scary movie. For me while reading “Where Are you Going, Where Have You Been? the feeling of terror I have gotten was pretty low and minimal. The story to me wasn’t very scary or suspenseful at all compared to a horror movie. It could be because I was reading words or so-called horror literature rather than watching a horror film. Where in a horror film I could visually witness horrifying scenes. Scenes that leave you stricken with gruesome images and nightmares inside your head for weeks at a time. Now with reading a horror story it requires your brain to think and try to create mental pictures that can make it a lot less scary for the reader. With watching a scary seeing the horror is way better than reading about it.

The fear you feel when reading Joyce Carol Oates “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is quite different, from the fear induced by a movie thanks to the medium itself. In Oates tale the fear is subtle and psychological woven through Connie’s thoughts and growing sense of unease. Readers are drawn into Connie’s emotions and uncertainties using their imagination to picture the slow building threat posed by Arnold Friend. This engagement is a mix of intellect and emotion relying on interpretations and the emotive power of language. On the hand horror films often rely on auditory cues to instill fear. Sudden shocks, sounds and unsettling visuals directly impact our senses triggering a physical response. Movies don’t leave much to the imagination; they show horror explicitly creating a sometimes overwhelming experience. So while literary fear emerges from, within us as we imagine the scenarios cinematic fear is a force that hits us head on with its intensity.

  I’m exploring some ideas for my research paper on how fairy tales have evolved and influenced cultural norms. One topic that really intrigues me is looking at how the depiction of heroines in fairy tales has changed over time. I find this fascinating as it reflects shifts in society especially related to gender roles and expectations. For my paper I’m considering analyzing stories like “Cinderella ” “Snow White,” and “The Little Mermaid.” These tales have all been altered significantly in their retellings to adapt to changing cultures and the evolving status of women in society. While I’m at the beginning stages of my research I’ve come across some resources in the BMCC library database. One article that grabbed my interest explores how classic fairy tales have been reinterpreted from a perspective in media. This might offer a framework, for my analysis. I aim to keep digging into articles that explore historical contexts and current adaptations.

The terror from reading “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is more psychological and built through your imagination. In a book, you’re filling in the blanks with your fears, which can be super intense. In a movie, the visuals and sounds are given to you, so it’s more of a direct, sensory scare. Plus in a story, you spend more time in the characters’ heads, which can make the suspense and fear more personal.

Prompt: How is the terror readers feel when reading “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” different from the terror of watching a terrifying movie? Be specific in your response. When you read a scary story, you bring it to life in your mind, imagining the scenes and feelings based on your own thoughts. This makes the fear feel more personal and real because you’re actively involved in creating it. On the other hand, when you watch a scary movie, the fear is presented to you through visuals and sounds. You’re more of a passive observer, experiencing the fear as it’s shown on screen. This can make the fear more intense and immediate, but it’s not as personal because you’re not actively imagining it. So, the fear you feel when reading is different from watching a movie because reading involves your own imagination while watching is more about what’s shown to you.

The difference between the short story “Where are you going, where have you been?” (Joyce Carol Oates)” and most typical horror movies is the way that the horror is built up. When you watch a movie, everything is in front of you. The scenes where the villain is terrorizing people, the gore, the backstories, everything can either be seen or heard. However when you read it, as in this short story, it is up to the readers imagination and interpretation of what is going on in order to really fully capture just how terrifying the situation the protagonist (or other side characters) are really experiencing, based on what is written. If you were to compare a simple horror movie like “a nightmare on elm street”, compared to the short story, the difference is that when you’re reading, there is so much more description, so much more important dialogue that really make up the whole situation, while something like a freddy krueger movie really just has the antagonist going around killing people in their dreams.

The experience of fear while reading “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” differs significantly from that of watching a terrifying movie. In a movie, the visual and auditory stimuli can evoke a more immediate and intense reaction compared to reading a story. In the other hand viewers are confronted with pictures images and sounds designed to provoke a more realistic sensation of situations terror. Reading requires mental visualization relying on the reader’s imagination to interpret the events described on text. This reliance on imagination can vary among readers potentially limiting the some aspects like fear or jump-scares. When we were reading the story I wasn’t to aware of the situations in the reading, while reading the story, I found myself less aware of the situations compared to when watching a movie, this can be an effect of English not been my first language.  

The terror of reading “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” are very different from the terror of watching a terrifying movie because when you’re ready a terrifying story all you really do is get goosebumps for real . When you’re watching a scary movie on the screen it is meant to make you jump at the screen spill your popcorn type of thing . You get scared & cover your eyes when watching a movie . Another thing is when you watch a scary movie depending on how scary it is it causes you to have sleepless nights that doesn’t happen when your reading a scary story . Being that a story can drag on for days you want have time to get scared the movie gets straight to the point so that you have enough time to actually get scared . Also when you tend to read scary books you tend to want to read more into the book when your watching a scary movie you stop to turn it off because it’s a horror that you can’t handle as much as you would if you were just reading a book .

When reading “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, the narrator puts in a lot of imagery and wording to describe scary situation like Arnold in the story. When you’re up to the part where Arnold starts being weird and creepy you get some type of chills for a bit and makes you want to read more to see what will happen next. When reading you are learning about the situation at your paste, taking time reading and processing what is actually happening and trying to imagine it. But, when watching a terror movie you are actually seeing what is happening. All of the loud creepy sounds, the gore scenes is what brings people actual fear when watching. You can’t process the situation at your paste but have to process it quickly and understand it quickly. Also, when watching scary movies you end up getting scary dreams but when reading it is less likely to happen because you are not actually seeing the situation happening.

For me, the difference between reading “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” and watching a horror movie lies in this: when we watch a horror movie, the scares are often due to external stimuli, like suddenly appearing characters or a quiet, slightly eerie whisper. These are the intense moments that horror movies present to the audience. However, when we read a horror novel, like “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, we rely on the author’s descriptions of creepy settings throughout the text and imagine if we were the protagonist, whether we would be intimidated in the same way. In the story, Connie, although not described as being physically harmed, can be imagined as despairing when she fails to resist and accepts her fate by stepping out of her house, which is unimaginable in its desperation. The story intentionally retains ambiguity and continuity at the end, allowing readers to imagine various outcomes, such as the sudden appearance of the girl’s family or a truly tragic fate for the girl. This leaves a profound impact on the reader.

I believe “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is not the same kind of horror as a scary movie because in the movies you are being shown the scary parts or scene but as your reading, you can imagine it in any way you want, so I feel like imagery plays a big role. Also, the language and symbolism can also be taken in variety of ways depending on the readers own thinking. The author of the story uses very deep language and imagery which invites readers to create a situation in their head while reading. Unlike movies, readers can choose the pace, allowing deeper involvement and more complex emotional experiences. This combination of language and imagery increases the fear by creating a more personal, specific, thought provoking, and terrifying experience unlike in the movies you aren’t able to control what you’re seeing and go along with the pace of the movie.  

There are various ways in which the one feels fear when reading “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is not the same as when viewing a scary movie. First of all, the written word enables a more in-depth examination of the thoughts and feelings of the character, drawing the reader into Connie’s vulnerability and dread as she confronts Arnold Friend. This psychological nuance deepens the sense of dread and strengthens the reader’s bond with the protagonist.Second, literature frequently leaves certain facts up to the reader’s perception in favor of suspense and imagination. Comparing this uncertainty to the explicit sights of a movie, it can evoke a more individualized and persistent feeling of discomfort. Furthermore, the reading’s rhythm permits pauses for contemplation and suspense in between sections, thus increasing the tension. However, films may rely onscares and visual elements to give viewers a short scare, but these effects wear off fast as the scene is over. All things considered, fear in literature affects the reader in a distinctive and long-lasting way by appealing to the mind and emotions in diverse ways.

The terror that you feel from reading “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is different than the terror being felt when watching a terrifying movie as reading a story requires you to use your imagination making it less scary, but watching a movie you can physically see what’s going on and the jump scares that are in the film makes the movie more terrifying than reading a scary book. Reading the book doesn’t give you the intensity that the movie gives. Both have their ways  into making it terrifying but I feel like the movies are more scarier than reading a book because you can hear and see everything that is actually is happening which is scarier than imagining it. You can imagine anything scary and compare that to physically watching it on a movie, it’s more scarier in the film because you see all the chaos and goriness that’s there.

The terror felt when reading “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is very different from the terror of watching a terrifying movie in the sense that when you’re watching a movie you can physically see whats going on and in a way that is more terrifying than read the story. For the story you have to use your imagination in order to “see” whats actually going on. You rely heavily on the details given to you in the story and so that can limit some people due to them not having much of an imagination.

In watching a terrifying movie, some actions can be responded to, like jumpscares and screaming. Movies are made for you to jump and get scared. Scary books are made for you just to be nervous about. You cannot be reading a scary book and jump from words, but you can jump from a pop-up of a clown or monster on your screen. Unlike books, movies have eerie music to go along with the story that gets your skin crawling. Books have descriptive words to have you imagine yourself in that scene to feel the fear. I think reading scary books is more imaginative and probably less scary. After watching a scary movie, I am sure everyone has had at least one nightmare about a character from that movie. Reading a book, you can only use your creativity and imagination to see characters. Knowing this in our minds may make the characters less scary in our heads to keep us from scaring ourselves.

I have decided to write my research paper on neglectful or abusive parents in fairy tales. I have found one source in the BMCC library and one source from Louisiana Tech University regarding the roles of these sorts of parents in specific stories. These fairy tales will include Snow White, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, Allerleirauh, and Rumpelstiltskin. I am also the proud owner of a beautiful “Grimm’s Complete Fairy Tales” book, so all stories discussed in the essay will be about those, labeled as my primary source. The secondary source from the BMCC library that I have chosen is called “The Rationalization of Abandonment and Abuse in Fairy Tales”, by Jack Zipes. He discusses how all the adults in “Hansel and Gretel” play their part to abuse and neglect the children. The article also delves into the social norms of 19thcentury Germany, and how it systematically allowed the reader to overlook the darkest parts of the story out of ignorance and societal conditioning. Even though this source is specifically about “Hansel and Gretel”, it is also relevant to the rest of the fairytales, since all these stories were adapted for that time period by the Brother’s Grimm. I decided to pull ideas from the other secondary source “Finding Our “Happily Ever After”: How Poor Fairy- Tale Parenting Breeds a Better Child, Chapter 2: BAD FAIRY TALE PARENTING BY STEREOTYPICALLY EVIL STEPMOTHERS AND ABUSIVE FATHERS”, by Brandie Crain, since I wanted to be able to add a few more examples of this theme in other fairy tales.

In my research paper, I will seek out the revelations in metaphors found in fairy tales. For example, in the story of the Three Little Pigs, it metaphorically illustrates that only through diligent self-improvement, identifying and rectifying one’s flaws can one withstand external threats when danger arises. Throughout the effort, any shortcuts or weaknesses due to laziness will collapse when faced with danger. I found many original versions of fairy tales in the BMCC library, and after reading these stories and relying on my own experience, I believe that each fairy tale has a life lesson that the author wants to convey. This is why they are recommended for children to read and understand their meanings

This fairy tale has a magical ability to captivate us with its timeless themes and enchanting about life, morality, and the human condition. Exploring fairy tales from different cultures like these Australian ones can offer a fresh perspective and introduce us to new characters and settings. Also, It’s always exciting to see how these tales evolve and resonate with us in the 21st century.

When it comes to the research paper, one thing I am really interested in is writing about the deeper message of each of the fairytales, along with the origins of it. By this I mean comparing the fairytale that as kids we all grew to watch/read, know, and love, to the grim brothers truly original dark fairytales that were more of a horror fantasy than anything else.

In my research paper I would like to explore how fairytales often can explore deep topics about life such as the absence of parental figures impacting the characters’ journeys like “Snow White” and “Hansel and Gretel”, going more messages about avarice, envy, gluttony, lust, pride, anger and sloth. Drawing from psychological perspectives, I would like to explore deeper into the significance of this recurring motif in fairytales. These selection reflect my personal connection to these stories from childhood, present and future. In this research  i have the opportunity to analyze them dipper. Through this research I aim to provide a comprehensive analysis of the psychological implications and explore the deep messages of fairytales.

The fairytales that I’m really thinking of using are Hansel & Gretal because of the message that it gives off to be honest  Another fairytale that I was planning on using is Little Red Riding Hood . I plan on using Hansel and Gretal as my primary source and little red riding hood as my secondary source . I’m using these two stories to show you hate things don’t always end up with the same outcome . Some things are meant to happen differently. While I was on the BMCC database I couldn’t find anything that really caught my eye . Which made it easier for me to choose these two fairytales because as a kid I would watch movies on them and read them a lot . But now that I’m an adult I could really go back and read and understand both with a different perspective and kind of break down the story more & get into deeper thought with them .

Some ideas I have come up with for my research paper is talking about how fairytales are outdated for todays society due to the way the world has changed over the last couple decades such as inclusivity in the modern world. Another idea that comes to mind is that fairytales target audience shouldn’t be children, they should be catered towards teens and young adolescents just for the fact that fairytales have certain messages and ideas that would not allow them to understand what the true meaning of the story means as well as some of the words they use could be scary to children. I will most likely be using snow white as an example for my research paper just because I was fully able to understand and I think it sets an example of both the ideas I have above. I haven’t found any articles on the BMCC library yet but that will be done soon.

Since I am such an avid lover of fairy tales, it has been hard to pinpoint exactly which topic I would like to discuss. While I am a human services major, I am considering writing about fairy tales and psychology. This would possibly include the blatant disrespect and emotional immaturity of the adults, the growth that the main characters must go through as a result, and if there are any callbacks to mental illness or specific human behaviors throughout these stories. I did find an interesting article called “Princes Charming are not all made equal. The social cognition of mating strategies in four classical fairy tales” by Lorenza Lucci Basili and Pier Luigi Sacco. In the article, they go over multiple fairy tales and use them as examples to explain something called the “Tie-Up Theory”. This is used to dissect how classic fairy tales depict male and female interactions beyond stereotypes. They emphasize individual traits that make partners fit together and how they tie into human behavior.

I think I would like my essay to be about comparing the same fairy tales but in different cultures and languages and see if there is a difference in the meaning behind the fairy tales or if they are generally the same. And where the original fairy tale came from. Like the snow-white fairy tale was not from Disney but from the Grimm brothers and the way they presented it was totally different with somewhat different meanings. I haven’t found any article yet but i have a general idea of what to look for when i do.

I’m thinking of contrasting certain fairytales with Beauty and the Beast for my research project. In contrast to other fairytales, Beauty and the Beast, in my opinion, had a unique ending in which the princess had to save the prince. In certain instances, the prince also manages to save Belle from her situation. I think the story also touches on a topic I can talk about, which is sincere love without regard to appearances. The whole point of the curse, which is that because the beast is horrific and a beast, he cannot find love the way he is, is that the only way the beast could become normal again was by discovering genuine love. This is an intriguing topic to discuss. The tale overturns the idea that he is a beast and will never find real love. Therefore, I think this tale was a little different from the others, such as Snow White or Cinderella, where the princes always fall in love at first sight. The beast in Beauty and the Beast is seen to be going through a character development as he does his best to win her affection and prove himself I have some trouble finding articles on the BMCC Library, I’m still trying to look for some.

So, for my research paper, I’m thinking about picking one fairy tale and comparing different versions of one story because i think It’s fascinating to see how the same tale can be told in so many different ways. My plan find the common themes that run through them, using analysis from secondary sources to back up my points. Right now, I’ve got my eye on Cinderella. Specifically, I’m looking at the version penned by the Grimm Brothers and to add a modern twist, I want to include a Cinderella movie from 2015 as one of my main sources. I’ve been searching the BMCC library database for articles to support my research, and I’m coming up short. Most of what I’m finding doesn’t quite align with the specific version of Cinderella I’ve chosen. It’s a bit frustrating, to be honest. So, I might need to rethink one of my primary sources and see if I can find something that fits better with my chosen angle.

Hello professor. So after doing some research online for my essay, I did find quite a few articles that interest me. I want to base my essay off of the irony that occurs in these fairy tales in regards to the alternative motive behind the scenes. For instance the snow white story was a really good one but also fairy tales that have mislead us or given us a false impression on what life is to be. A story that really stuck out to me was Cinderella. Just imagine how imprisoned she felt, from her perspective if it were real life, and to how we perceived that as a young children. Our minds were so innocent we did not know other wise, so these events were often over looked.. however, this could have unconsciously molded and or shaped our minds into the way we think or it could even give some type of validation of why we think the way we do. Many psychologists did say that out adulthood is based a lot of our childhood and experiences. 

Examining the ways in which fairy tales influence gender identity and reinforce or contradict gender norms would be a fascinating topic for my research paper. This topic is intriguing because it makes it possible to investigate how stories affect how we perceive gender norms and expectations from an early age.I may examine how fairy tales like Snow White and Cinderella represent conventional ideas of femininity and masculinity in my talk. To highlight alternate depictions of gender identity, I might also include stories like “The Princess and the Frog” or “The Twelve Dancing Princesses,” which challenge gender stereotypes.Through examining these stories, I can learn how literature both mirrors and shapes societal perceptions of gender, offering a complex and multidimensional perspective.I have found one article from the library that i will share in my research paper.That will explain more about the stories that I will choose and gender identity and I will try to find more articles.

My ideas for my research paper are either constructing gender identities in fairy tales or vigilante feminism. This topic interests me because it is something that has always bothered me since I could remember. I was the kind of child to ask why the prince saved her or why couldn’t the princess be the hero. Gender roles are very set in the world today and it is because of the way we are brought up and taught as kids. If the only stories we are reading are the ones where the women is getting saved then that is what we will expect. If we only read stories where women are stay-at-home mothers who do not get to have any fun… then that is what is to be expected. I have found two very great articles for my essay that I will be using to help prove my case. This is a topic that should be written about more!

I haven’t thought of any ideas at the moment, but looking a the essay 4 directions I’m thinking it will focus on the fact that there is only one parent figure instead of two. I feel like this topic interests me because I’m thinking about how things might be different if both parents were present instead of one since both parents have their ways to do things differently. I’m not sure which fairy tales I might include but I think I have something in mind. I haven’t found any useful articles on the BMCC library database or online just yet because I haven’t done my research yet, but I will look into that right now to have a better plan on what I’m going to write about. This essay is based on research so I need to start doing a lot of research to support the topic I’m thinking about writing.

An aspect that I want to talk about in my research paper is the elements of feminism and moral lessons. I want to discuss this topic because to morals lesson was and still is unclear for children. For example in my preteen years I learned that the fairy tale Jack and the bean stalk was basically about doing what your parents tell you to do or you might have negative experience or outcomes from your actions. I did not know that when I first heard the story around the age of five or six. I think it was just about a young boy taking a trip to a magical land with a giant. Another example of a moral lesson that was unclear but is the same moral lesson of Jack and The Bean Stalk is Little Red Riding Hood. I think this message was unclear due to so much attention being put onto the world of the fairytale instead of the lesson,

Some possible ideas I have about my paper is potentially writing about the fairy tale of Cinderella, and  the princess and the frog. The reason I chose these 2 fairy tales to specifically include and talk about is because there’s been many interpretations and adaptations to Cinderella so I would want to give my own opinion on it. And for princess and the frog I feel its quite the opposite even though there’s still lots of hidden meanings and interesting topics in that fairy tale as well. So far I havent found that many articles in the BMCC library data base that really relate to the topics I’m discussing

As a little girl and even a bit older, I’ve always loved fairy tales. It takes us on a magic carpet ride and makes us think wow I wish I was the princess, and the handsome prince will save me.  The princess always gets her man, and the endings are always happy, well at least the poems I have read. The original Grimm Brothers’ fairy tales aim to teach important morals about life, and I enjoy reading them. think I will be writing my research paper about how fairytales often show that parents are missing in stories like “Snow White” and “Hansel and Gretel”. This shows situations where parents are not there when they are really needed.  I want to explore the psychological reasons behind this in fairytales.  While I search for a good article to support my ideas on the BMCC database, I am also thinking about using another fairytale to strengthen my arguments.

I believe that for my research paper I would try to focus my thesis about how fairy tales often describe the absence of parent’s figures. Fairy tales like Snow White and Hansel and Gretel reflect how parents are absent in situations that they were most needed for.  I will try to drive my research on the psychology view of this topic to try to make a deeper analysis of fairy tales. I was looking for a good article to support my arguments. However, I haven’t found the right one yet. I’m going to do a little bit more research on the BMCC database to find an article that can support my thesis. I believe that as I mentioned before I would include Snow White in my paper. I’ll probably pick another one but I’m still thinking of which one. I would come up with another fairy tale to back up my points. 

Fairytales has always been a little girls dream. Since I was little every fairytale I had heard of and watched was about these princesses meeting their Prince Charming but always had an evil person trying to stop them. I remember fairy tails have always been sweet and heartwarming. This week we had read the original story of snow white. In what I remember snow white is this beautiful princess who had a step mother that had been jealous of her beauties, ends of poisoning her daughter and only can be revive by a kiss from a prince. Reading the original really surprised me, I was confused on how was this fairy tale made for kids. It made me rethink about all the original fairytales stories, most stories are very gruesome for children to be reading and hearing about. What really caught me off guard were reading that the evil stepmother thought she was eating parts of Snow White to get beauty into her. `

In this week’s reading, my attitude & view on fairytales have changed. This week’s reading of Snow White has brought back the magical story telling of this classic. The fairytales for this week has returned that joy & excitement that I have had when I was a kid hearing these classic fairytales. While reading “Little Snow White” by Brothers Grimm, it gave me a new view in the story of Snow White. In the reading, I was not aware of how Snow Whites stepmother was obsessed with beauty and herself. In the reading the stepmother created multiple attempts to kill snow white. However in the movie’s we know that Snow is just poisoned by an apple and then is awakened by a kiss from a prince. Also, from the reading “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” the ending was a dark and grim ending that I never knew. Snow White’s stepmother has cruel ending of having to dance in red hot iron shoes until she dies. A cruel but fitting ending for her stepmother so bent on her on fading beauty, that she will try to kill her stepdaughter. This weeks reading of fairytales have shown me that not all fairytales have happy endings.

After reading fairytales this week, my view on fairytales have completely changed. I always thought that fairytales were all nice, sweet, and with happy endings, like the ones you grow up with either reading or watching things on TV like Disney. After the reading, I began to look more and more for the origins of fairytales and found that many of them originally were more creepy horror stories that were told. A good amount of fairytales (and majority of cartoons that are for kids) originate from the Grimm stories. When I was a child and had seen/read snow white, I though of it very innocently. However reading it as an adult made me realize just how dark the “fairytale” really is, and how the message behind it can connect even into real life.

After reading fairytales this week i’d say that I think deeper below the surface when reading fairytales especially after we read Snow White and Hansel and Gretel. I feel like reading the analysis for these stories opened my eyes and made me realize most fairytales are gruesome or contains a child worst fear such as starvation and abandonment. I also think after reading these analysis that show the grim realities taught me another level of discernment when it comes to reading nonfictional books and fictional books. It’s made me appreciate the depth of these stories and the important messages they convey about human nature and the challenges we face, even from a young age.

my thoughts on fairytales after the reading this week have changed. before the reading in class and also in general I thought fairy tales were cute and innocent stories for children to look at. However, after doing some research on my own and also readings in class I found that these stories are a bit dark or at least have a darker origin and contain a lot of things that wouldn’t be ok if told and promoted in media now. for example when reading the snow white story it was mentioned that for revenge snow white and the prince made the evil queen dance with hot shoes on until she died.in terms of things being unacceptable by today’s standards in the story snow white also mentioned that the prince wanted to take snow white back with him despite not knowing her. noticing these things in the story made me think about how many other stories have weird or dark origins and how they have changed the stories to make them more marketable for today’s standards.

The Grimm Brothers’ “Snow White” gave me a valuable viewpoint on the fairytale. When I was younger, I read Snow White and saw the movie, so I saw it from a different angle. It used to seem like a sweet fairytale to me. Growing up, though, and rereading works by both familiar and new authors. It seems to provide a message, that much has been observed. For instance, the stepmother hurts Snow White because she is envious. It also demonstrated the gullibility of some people, as Snow White was one example. Despite the fact that she fell into the stepmother’s trap three times, she gained insight from it. It also demonstrates the father’s absence from it. The father is never mentioned in the fairytale or seen to be shielding her in any way. The prince was the only reason she felt safe and was able to flee. Overall, this helped me grasp deeper and various points of view.

after reading this weeks story’s I’ve had a shift in my perspective on fairytales, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Initially I saw the story as a tale of good versus evil influenced by what I’ve seen in media.. Upon inspection of the text and extra materials I discovered deeper layers of meaning. In “Snow White ” I now see the power dynamics and gender roles at play along with the complexity of characters such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Of being passive characters they serve as nuanced reflections of human nature and societal interactions. Themes like jealousy, vanity and the quest for power carry weight now offering insights into common human experiences. Furthermore exploring critiques and symbolic analyses has broadened my understanding of the story’s historical context. This has deepened my appreciation for its lasting relevance. Overall this weeks readings have expanded my admiration, for fairytales by showcasing their ability to convey themes and moral lessons through storytelling and symbolism.  

After reading Snow White and many fairytales my perspective of fairytales did change . I say this because when I was young I didn’t really know any better I thought fairytales were really supposed to be about getting the life you always wanted to live or being happy or getting the husband that you always wanted  . After reading Snow White again I realize that it just shows you how people become jealous & envy you because of who you are . Snow shots never asked to be prettier than her stepmother that’s just how she came out and what her mother prayed for basically . The evil stepmother just said wanted to be what she couldn’t be and she need up killing off Snow White so that she can feel like she had all the power and beauty . She may have wanted to have beauty but she will never have that because she wasn’t a great person which made her ugly in the inside and the outside .

Reading Anne Sexton’s “Snow White” challenged my view of fairytales. Unlike the happy cartoon, Sexton’s poem focuses on the Queen’s obsession with beauty, fueled by the magic mirror. The constant pressure to be “fairest” makes the Queen cruel, and Snow White’s innocence is described in a way that feels strange. This darkness made me view fairytales in a less childish light and it makes me wonder if fairytales, like maybe even “Bluebeard” where a wife disobeys and gets killed, are more about warnings and social norms than happily ever afters.

I think my attitude toward and about fairy tales have changed as a result of this week’s reading from playful, harmless and nostalgic to questioning, curious and deep in thought. For example, the snow-white fairytale that I think everyone saw at least once from Disney was nothing compared to the one we read in class by the Brothers Grimm. The one from Disney was very lighthearted and your ideal happily ever after. The beautiful princess finds her prince charming, and the little dwarfs were like her cute mini uncles or fairy godfathers. Now comparing that with how the Brothers Grimm portrayed the princess as very naive and what one might say a bit foolishly brainless. The prince was in some way her prince charming but fell in love with her looks instead of for who she is, and technically in the Disney movie he was the same but they kind of brushed over that part. The dwarfs in the story were kind of interesting, at first it seemed like they just found themself a free maid and then they seemed kind of caring like family but toward the end they threw me off when they were GIVING snow whites, what they thought at the time was a dead body to the prince. In the Disney snow white they were so much nicer. Now if you watch those Disney movies again you see how weird the whole concept is. When we were children, we were like snow white very naive, but as we grew older, we realized life is like the poison’s apple. It might seem very perfect and carving at first glance, but it can easily harm you with secret intent. Overall, my attitude about fairy tales have changed through this week’s reading to now looking into every detail. I […]

When I used to read fairy tales when I was younger, I thought it was stories about fantasy, magic, happiness, etc., after reading this weeks story’s gave me a different outlook of what fairy tales can be about. I learned that fairy tales can teach lessons to it readers. After reading “The Little Snow White,” I want to go reread all of my childhood favorite fairy tales to get a new perspective of them as an adult. I thought the fairy tale story of “Snow White” was basically about a princess with a evil step mother and sisters and navigating life through that, but in this week reading “The Little Snow White,” The fairy tale is actually about toxicity, coming of age, and jealousy. In the story the queen was becoming older and her beauty was not enhancing with age so she became jealous of Snow White who was young and her beauty was growing more and more everyday. Snow White ran away after the abuse from her evil stepmother and had to essential grow up due to being saved by the price. To me this can also be reality for some women due to Snow White having issues with her step mother that girls/young women face today with their mother/ step mothers.

Hello professor. After this week’s readings, my attitude towards fairy tales has dramatically changed. Thanks my childhood is ruined . lol. After reading ” the Little Snow White” by Brothers Grimm, it completely changed my perception of the whole story and of any other childhood stories that I have previously read.. I don’t generally like to alter my way of thinking or my reality when it comes to things like this because that it what starts trust issues. Now, whenever I read something I am going to question the fact if there is an alternative motive behind the whole thing. In the story “The Little Snow White”, the queen was mean and vulgar,  I can not imagine how this is ever and still is a children’s fairy tale book. What really stood apart from the story to me is the queen requesting a bodily organ of Snow White, but it doesn’t stop there. Her intention to engage in cannibalism was the icing on the cake for me .

My perspective on fairytales, has always been a simple story with imaginative charthat kids enjoy. In this week my opinions about fairy tail is changed after reading,especially the Snow White narrative, has undergone significant change after engaging with this week’s readings. Initially, I perceived it as a simplistic tale of good versus evil. However, through feminist analyses, I now understand it as a more intricate story highlighting societal pressures and power dynamics. The jealousy of the Evil Queen reflects deeper themes such as beauty standards and women’s challenges in patriarchal societies. Furthermore, exploring Snow White’s agency and resilience has shifted my view from seeing her as a passive victim to recognizing her inner strength. These readings have transformed fairytales like Snow White into complex narratives that shed light on societal norms, gender roles, and human resilience. They have deepened my appreciation for the richness and multifaceted nature of these classic tales.

Before i just to think fairytales are simple stories for kids with important messages for a good behavior. But after reading “Snow White,” my perspective changed slightly, I realized fairytales can have deeper meanings that can be useful for adults like the psychological topics of the stepmother’s actions. The focus on beauty in the story also highlights the message for society including me. the poisoned apple can be a reference of religion of Eve and the apple. One of the ending showed me that not all these stories have a happy ending as the slow death, this readings can contain darker themes and messages beyond just happily ending. These readings didn’t change a lot for me as I’ve noticed these deep messages throughout my life in various aspects like social behavior, personal reflection, movies, trends, and daily experiences. These readings serve as a clear reminder of the deep messages I’ve experienced before and present showing that such meaning can be found in each of us and our behaviors.

My attitudes about fairytales has changed as a result of this week’s readings because as far as I know every fairytale has a happy ending, but now reading the snow white stories it opened my eyes on how the story ended. The story ended by giving the queen a slow death making her dance until she died. Another thing is beauty, I didn’t really worry about this that much, but now that I’m older I feel like their making it seem like beauty is all that matters when that shouldn’t be the case. My attitude changed based on how the story ended compare to the child’s version because it’s supposed to be a fairytale for kids. I will start seeing fairytales in a different way because apparently some endings are different than the happy ending. My attitude towards fairytales won’t ever be the same as my thoughts about fairytales has changed.

“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” by Anne Sexton offers a unique and often darker perspective on fairy tales. It challenges the traditional portrayal of princesses and explores themes of power, gender, and identity. Sexton’s retelling adds depth and complexity to the story, prompting readers to question the traditional narratives and societal expectations that go with fairy tales. It changes my attitude by making me see these stories in a new light. Also, Sexton’s retelling invites me to see fairy tales as our own lives within them. It is fascinating how a different perspective can completely change our attitudes. Another way it can change attitudes is by challenging traditional gender roles and stereotypes. Many classic fairy tales depict princesses as passive and in need of rescue while princes are portrayed as strong and heroic. But modern retellings often subvert these stereotypes, presenting princesses as independent and capable of taking charge of their own destinies.

During my growth, I read through an entire book of fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm. When I was young, I would ponder whether I would make the same decisions as the protagonists in the fairy tales or have evil thoughts like the villains. This week, we read the original text of Snow White in class, and my feeling is that most of the story content is the same as the fairy tales I read when I was young, but the ending and the details in the story are not as harmonious as the Disney version of Snow White. In the original text, Snow White’s stepmother, out of jealousy, is eventually forced by the prince to wear red-hot shoes to death. I think when I was reading fairy tales as a child, I would never think about why the stepmother wanted to kill Snow White because of jealousy over beauty, but now that I think about it carefully, this story is after all from several centuries ago, in the context of that era, the expectations and goals for women were to marry into a noble family or to achieve a better life through their beauty, and the fairy tale itself was meant for children to watch and read, as a way of educating children that beauty is not the only way out, and the real world will not always end in harmony, and that evil people should be severely punished.

Growing up my idea and version of fairytales were the typical “happily ever after” endings. The fairytale Snow White that I recall from my childhood, was the queen giving Snow White the poisonous apple that sends her into a sleep like death that only can be broken by a kiss. The ending was also very different as well if not even more grim. The child friendly version ended with the prince saving her but instead the versions read today ended in a slow and painful death for the queen; this version she was sentenced to death by hot iron shoes and forced to “dance” until her death. I now see that fairytales are way more grim that what we have been conditioned to, the actuality of fairytales are very similar to that of myths or legends in a way. I only say this because stories like myths and legends are almost always grim, and you can compare this to the original “fairytales”. Lastly, I’ve also observed that Fairytales is very misleading as to what the story is about and how it ends.

The messages of fairy tales are a lot more complex than I previously thought. I absolutely love fairy tales, but this is more from a perspective of aesthetic. Delving into them from the perspective of lessons is not something I normally think to do. Good or famous fairy tales are also not one dimensional. They are layered with multiple meanings and target multiple audiences. For example, in relation to “Little Snow White”, I never connected that this was both a coming-of-age story and a cautionary tale. My only belief with this story was strictly toxic feminism. The evil queen was growing older, and her beauty was fading, so she took it out on Snow White who was growing more beautiful every day. We see this in everyday life with mothers, daughters, or across generations. After living with the seven dwarves and eating the poison apple, Snow White was saved by the prince. While this does feed into the “waiting for a man to save you” ideology, it does show our leading character entering a new stage of life, overcoming her conflict, and showing growth.

Before this week my attitude towards fairy tales was pretty simple. I used to think about fairytales as stories for children. However,  after we read “Snow White” which is a very famous fairy tale, my mind changed. I noticed that inside of what seems to be an innocent story for children, there are a lot of details that have a deeper meaning inside of them. For example, I realized that behind the stepmother’s behavior there are a lot of psychological details that I didn’t pay attention to in the past when I read this story for the first time. Another detail that I noticed from the Snow White story is the fact that the story itself is very focused on beauty, which to me, is not what we should teach to little girls. I would say that this has also religious reference inside with the “poison apple” that Snow White ate. To me, that is a direct reference to Eve from the Bible. I don’t know, maybe  not but that’s what I thought about the apple.

My attitude towards fairytales has change drastically due to this weeks readings. In the way that when you are a child you see the fantasy in the story and it gets your imagination going. As children we tend to be very naive so that also plays a part in not noticing the ideas that are presented  But now as an adult and reading “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” it opened my eyes to the ideas that it expresses such as waiting for a prince to save a woman from any danger, also the idea of beauty and how that is the only thing that matters. This story shows how people back then used to operate and I find it a terrible way to judge people.

After reading the article in activity 1 and “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, a idea I came across that I would of missed if I did not read the article was ideas about violence, irony and redemption. In the story “A Good Man is Hard to Find” a family is deciding to take a road trip to Florida, however the main protagonist the grandmother is against the idea of going to Florida because there’s a criminal on the loose known as the misfit. The grandmother portrays herself as this good Christian woman while still using racial slurs. In the story the grandmother consistently mentions the misfit. Talking about how the misfit would rob the dinner even if it was only 2 cents in the register. Ironically, the family ends up taking a detour from the route to Florida because of the grandmother. The family then which ends up in a violent car crash while navigating through the woods. Then ironically the misfits end up meeting the family at the worse time. The misfit starts having the family killed off one by one. While leaving the grandmother for last pleading for her life.

Flannery O’Connor’s own essays can shed light on her stories in a unique way. For example in her essay, she talks about grace and redemption which are key themes in “A Good Man Is Hard to Find.” Reading her essay might reveal how she uses these themes deliberately in the story to challenge readers’ perceptions.