The Brothers Grimm 's Fairy Tales

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.

Every girl has at one time wanted to be a princess. We held this belief because of the stories we were told as young girls. The stories we heard in which poor peasant girls could become princesses through perseverance, patience, beauty or wit. These stories were introduced to us under the guise of fairytales, which, for many of us are synonymous with the name Grimm, although several of our favorite fairytales are by other authors. Even if you don’t know the name Grimm, you know at least one story by the brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Rapunzel, and the list continues. The Grimm Brothers collected and wrote stories scattered throughout the rural countryside, recording them based on a general

Everything from music, to movies, and fairytales has been influenced by society. More specifically, society has influenced the Grimm Brothers fairy tales. The Grimm Brothers fairy tales would be considered dark and gruesome by today’s standards. Parents would not allow their own children near the stories, which caused society to give the tales a more PG feeling. The tales changed and became what we know them as today. Disney has played a major role in creating the innocent versions that today’s early generations have experienced. While they rarely admit it, societies, such as Disney, caused the original works of the Grimm Brothers to be overshadowed by their infantile adaptations.

Fairy tales are an entertaining and memorable way to teach valuable lessons to children. However, things have not always been this way with fairy tales. In the past, fairy tales could serve as an outlet for unpopular ideas and thoughts, or a way for people with little value in society to express themselves. Fairy tales were often tightly related to their author’s culture, possibly because it made the story more familiar. In Hans Christian Andersen’s “Den Lille Havfrue”, better known as “The Little Mermaid”, Andersen uses prominent mythological and cultural ties to display the struggles of a young girl who wants to see what the world offers, as opposed to staying at the bottom of the ocean and living a mermaid’s long, but soulless and definite life.

Life lessons stick with people throughout their life even if they're derived from children's stories. There are valuable lessons in three versions of Cinderella, a beloved fairy tale around the world. Grimm’s version of “Cinderella” published in 1812 was a very momentous tale among youngins in Germany. Korea's version of “Cinderella” published in 1990 was a widespread tale amount children in Korea. Disney’s depiction of “Cinderella” was a popular tale amount kids in America. In each variation of “Cinderella”- Grimm, Korea, and Disney one valuable theme stands out among all others.

Fairy tales possess the ability to last throughout the decades. The stories are passed down from generations and teach valuable lessons in extraordinary ways. In fact, most fairy tales began with oral storytelling. However, The Grimm Brothers made multiple editions of tales that they claimed as their own. With over 200 fairy tales, not all of their stories gained the same amount of popularity. Their more prominent stories, such as “Cinderella” and “Snow White,” create a sense of whimsy with talking animals and love. In contrast, “The Robber Bridegroom,” a lesser known fairy tale, focuses on dark ideas: cannibalism and murder. The Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale “The Robber Bridegroom” did not reach the same level of acclaim as other Grimm stories

In the novel, “Cinderella”, the brothers Grimm described the bird coming to aid Cinderella, so she may go to the ball. However, the fantasy aspect of something coming to your rescue does not always occur. The authors state, “Then the bird threw a gold and silver dress down to her, and slippers embroidered with silk and silver. She put on the dress with all speed, and went to the festival.” (Grimm and Grimm).The birds can be characterized as a type of fairy godmother that comes to assist Cinderella in overcoming her wicked stepmother and stepsisters. However, in today's society, not many people have the opportunity to get assistance in achieving a desire they wish to have. Many would argue that Cinderella could have just wished to have a better

The Grimm’s Fairy Tales are iconic throughout historic literature, providing entertainment and wonder to audiences of all ages and backgrounds for centuries. Some of the brother’s most popular, mainstream works include ‘Little Red Cape’ later referred to as ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ and ‘Cinderella’ so named because she slept in the cinder of the fire place. These works in particular were exploited by the Nazi campaign and used as propaganda and in turn brought forth the support of anti-Semitism in Germany. However both are timeless gems that even in contemporary times continue to intrigue, inspire and teach their loyal audience in a unique and engaging way irrespective of there once darker purpose- which hopefully will stay that way.

Not all folktales are fairy tales, but all fairy tales are folktales (Brewer). Fairy tales are a product of the folk (Bottigheimer). Fairy tales initially referred to tales about fairies, but the Grimms reconceptualized the genre (Bottigheimer). Fairy tales now mean “...magical tales, folktales… anecdotes, animal tales, jests, burlesques, and legends” (Bottigheimer). They represent the passage from youth to adulthood, which is a topic of continued interest young to old (Brewer). “Only since the eighteenth century in West Europe have fairy tales been...” meant for kids (Brewer). The things that draw people in are the fun stories with lessons and the encouragement of self-esteem and confidence (Brewer). Kids like fairy tales because they convey “...the idea that if we persist, if we keep our nerve and our wits about us, are kind to the apparently weak and unfortunate, we shall win through, shall grow up” (Brewer). They also have fantasy and daydreaming at heart (Brewer). A lot of adult literature that deals with serious topics such as death also include an underlying fairy tale story to make it more appealing and easier to deal with (Brewer). Some well-known fairy tales are Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Puss in Boots, The Golden Goose and Jack and the Beanstalk. According to Brewer, fairy tales usually have patterns. The hero or heroine suffers from a disadvantage called a lack. They face adversity, and adventure follows. Oftentimes, the protagonist commits a fault, but “...overcomes it by ingenuity, bravery, and industry.” The motivation of their driving force can be found in family drama, desires, or something symbolic. In the end, the protagonist almost always finds a mate. There is frequent gender-stereotyping in fairy tales as well. They are still recognizable even when altered, because although “...so variable in detail, the main lines are clear”

Fairy tales make an important part of cultural prophecy, because they contain wisdom which is passed from parents to their children. They contain basic moral and ethical guidelines for children. Images and symbols used in fairy tales can help to judge about cultural, ethical, social and moral values popular in the contemporary society. Changes and similarities, which can be found in the popular fairy tale Cinderella by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, version of 1812 and the Disney version of Cinderella (2015), can help to realize the changes in cultures and historical epochs.

Any good fairy tale may captivate a child’s (or adult’s) mind, but few could argue that, to be truly enchanting, a tale needs great illustrations. Two of the most influential fairy tale tellers in history were the German Grimm brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm. Both very intelligent scholars, they knew how to spin a tale in the most effective way possible. However, they had plenty of work just dealing with the tales’ text, so in the area of illustration, they let their younger brother Ludwig take over, beginning with the second edition of their fairy tales.

Fairy Tales have been around for generations and generations. Our parents have told us these stories and we will eventually pass them down to ours. In this time of age the most common fairytales are Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and The Beast and many more. Children idolize their favorite character and pretend to be them by mimicking everything they do in the stories. The character’s behavior is what is viewed as appropriate in society. These fairy tales show a girl and a boy fall in love and live “happily ever after”. The tales in many people’s eyes resemble a dream life that they would want to have of their own. However, have you ever really looked at what makes up a fairy tale? Many things are unrealistic but the

Over time these tales saw a change in audience, not only of different classes but also different ages. A faulty modern belief is that fairy tales were alwayse created for children but in the past these fairy tales although discriptivly employing more gruesome themes where for an adult audience. This is why many interpretations of modern fairy tales lead back to themes such as rape.

The origin of the fairy tale derives from oral tradition. These tales vary depending on the culture, time, and purpose of the teller, hence why there are multiple versions of a single tale. Every narrator reinvents the tale to meet their needs. The familiar themes, images, and symbols associated with the fairy tale tradition have been recycled by film makers and writers alike. This is because fairy tales are not only the most recognisable narrative worldwide, but they have a certain quality that captivates both the adult and child reader. While the narratives may not necessary contain fairies, they have a supernatural element to them, and often a moral message. In addition, they explore social concerns and identity formation without being

As we grow up, we hear fairy tales and we read them into our lives. Every word and every image is imprinted into our minds. The fairy tales we read are never abandoned. They grow with us and our dreams become molds of the many morals and happily ever afters fairy tales display. We tell children fairy tales when they go to sleep and they read them in school and we even have them watch Disney adaptions that reinforce them further. Generally, they were everywhere while we grew up and they continue to be present while children are growing up now. But what influence do these stories have? We casually expose our children to these tales, but in some cases they can have particularly, harmful personal effects on them, although there is nothing completely or visibly “bad” about them or about the characters in them. Before we divulge our youth to these stories, we should assess their substance and see what sort of effect they may be having on them. They have received so much scrutiny and have been studied by many. Recognizing fairy tales effects on the minds of children is vital in their development. This paper will focus on the underlying messages that the average person wouldn’t recognize in these everyday stories. There’s a modern distort with fairy tales because while they still are widely popular with the youth, they influence children’s self images, outlooks on reality and expectations for their futures, especially for young women.