Comparison of the Russian Folk Tale “The Wolf and the Goat” and the English Folk Tale “The Wolf and the Three Kittens”

Fairytales and fantasies have existed to tell children’s stories because of their ability to bring a child

Cinderella, Aschenputtel, Little Saddleslut, and Cenerentola. These are all examples of different versions of the same story. What is the appeal in adapting a story? Why or how is the meaning changed for adaptations? How have stories been adapted? What effects do the stories and adaptations have on people? There are numerous renditions of the same folktales, most differentiating due to the fact that they were each adapted to be based on their cultures. Certain cultures alter specific aspects of the story so that it can be more relatable to their society. However, these alterations can affect how people interpret the meaning or purpose of the story.

The other two tales being analyzed are The Algonquin Cinderella and Tam and Cam. These tales have more differences than similarities. Their similarity is within the magic. The magic is based off of the ideals of the time. In The Algonquin Cinderella, the magical aspect about it is her wonderment and innocence. In Tam and Cam it is within her religion, Buddhism. They are similar because they are social strengths based on the time and culture.

Authors make use of details or patterns, portions to some prior story to add depth and texture to the story, bring out a theme, lend irony to a statement, and to play with the reader’s deeply ingrained knowledge of fairy tales.

The central focus of this unit is to identify the elements of stories and how their themes may relate to each other in a variety of ways. Students will be guided in a variety of comparison and contrasting activities in order to gain understanding of main ideas, characters, and cultural themes across similar fairy tales from different cultures. This unit focuses on three different versions of Cinderella from different cultures. I chose to focus on the common elements of the fairy tales and the cultural differences because this was something the students were struggling with previously.

Fairy Tales are not just stories that parents tell to their children, but stories with hidden valuable messages which are mostly left on a side. In the article “An Introduction to Fairy Tales,” Maria Tatar clearly explains how people need fairy tales in their lives. Tatar also states how fairy tales have the ability to take the listener, especially children’s, into a journey in which they can play with their imagination so that they can discover their deepest fears and wishes. Personally I agree with the author, because of the fact that in an individual’s lives as they get older, they will try to define themselves, sometimes comparing their own life with a character from their favorite story or Fairy Tale.

Before the Brothers Grimm transcribed what is known today as one of the most recognized fairytales ever recorded, it was being passed down orally from generation to generation at every corner of the globe. Various versions of Cinderella’s myth can be found in almost every culture in the world, all very distinct with their own specific qualities, reflecting each society’s predominant interpretations of religious themes. For instance, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm’s works were known to promote their Prussian culture and language, such as “Aschenputtel”, their German version of Cinderella. Most of their adjustments were heavily influenced by the criticism of their fellow countrymen, their audience, and their Christian beliefs.

Fairy tales is the term also used to describe something adored with unusual happiness, like “fairy tale ending” a happing ending or “fairy tale romance”, though not all fairy tale as a happy ending. A fairy tales is a type of short story that consistently features European folkloric fantasy characters, such as dwarves, elves, fairies, giants, gnomes, goblins, mermaids, trolls, or witches, and usually magic or enchantments. Fairy Tale Fairy tales may be acclaimed from other folk narratives such as legends which generally involves belief in the veracity of the events described and explicitly moral tales, including beast fables. Fairy Tale." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 June 2014. Web. 13 Nov. 2014. According to Arthur Schlesinger, classical tales “tells children what they unconsciously know-that human nature is not innately good, that conflict is real, that life is harsh before it is happy-and thereby reassure them about their own fears and their own sense of self” (229). Fairy tales, according to the British illustrator Arthur Rackman have become “part of our everyday thought and expression, and help to shape our lives” (229). Fairy tales are mostly used in any story that is not only true, but could not possibly be true. Maria Tatar the author of numerous articles on fairy tales and also ten scholarly books wrote that “fairy tales are up close and personal, telling us about the quest of romance and riches, for power and privilege, and, and most important, for a way

It is interesting to see how some folktales are similar to each other even though they can be from a different region of the world. An example of this happening is the stories of Odysseus and Sinbad. Both of these folktales have much in common but on is from the Middle East while the other from Greece. The way their travels are similar, how their adventures are being told, and how their personalities are alike prove this concept. These tales were told as entertainment and educate people about growth and perseverance.

Since the beginning of time, humans have entertained each other with stories about legends, heroes, and gods. How a person presents a story is called the art of storytelling. Some stories have stood the test of time because of the way the story affected the reader. A story like The Grimm Tales has still been around because of the unique and spine-chilling storytelling. The tales has a different story for every person so the stories seem like new every time. In the books, The Things They Carried, Running With Scissors, and On The Road: The Original Scroll shows how the art of storytelling affects the book overall appearance. Storytelling will be different for every story but will on occasion revolve around the same methods. The art of storytelling involves written after the events of story, for therapeutic help, and told in a first person narrative.

A Critique of Maria Tatar’s “An Introduction to Fairy Tales” Maria Tatar, a folklorist from Harvard University, explains the importance of fairy tales in her essay, “An Introduction to Fairy Tales”. She believes that both the good and bad in fairy tales help shape young children’s future by allowing them to learn right from wrong. All throughout her essay she provides details with clear reasoning, to inform her reader why she believes fairy tales are sacred objects that teach life lessons and behavioral codes for young children. Tatar starts her first section of her essay off by referring to famous scholars’ opinion on fairy tales.

Fairy tales like Snow White and Cinderella both contain the struggle of good vs. evil. The struggle of good vs evil in these tales teaches us that good always prevails over evil. The fairy tales often times contain common elements that represent good and evil in the story. Both of these tales show the good and evil elements in similar forms. Both tales have the same outcomes where good prevails and they live happily ever after. These tales expose important concepts like good and bad for young readers. Tales such as these two can also teach young readers about good and bad things in life and ways of handling them.

There are certain similarities in two variants of the story. Main characters are the same and basic plot is repeated in two versions with slight differences. Cinderella is a classical story, which exists, in many different cultures and countries. It reflects the story of poor girls who suffers different privations but finds the way out from different situations and becomes happy. The story about Cinderella is a story of hope and many people are fond of this story. It does not lose its popularity with the flow of time and light changes in the plot and depiction of the characters only reflect cultural and historical differences. The story of Cinderella passes

Examine any two versions of a fairy-tale of your choice. Consider their intended audience, themes and motifs they have in common as well as distinguishing features of each version.

Fairy tales are something that everyone has read or seen, they all seem to have important lessons at the end of each one to teach young children some of the lessons they need for life. These fairy tales when we were younger all seemed innocent and something we all hoped that would happen to us. Little did we know as we got older that the fairy tales we all knew and loved when we were younger, weren't as innocent as they seemed.