The Grimm Brothers And Fairy Tales

Through the many years the Grimm brothers were alive, an array of children's literature was produced. Actually, the correct term would be reproduced. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were masters at reproducing and even changing early children's stories so that they had more meaning for the children of the time. More times than not, they censored out sexual meanings and added violence to children's stories that had already been told for centuries. By doing so, the brothers got an effect out of the story that would change it from a story with a subtle theme or moral, to a vivid story of lessons to be learned and consequences to be dealt with. There was one thing about their' writing that was always

The commonly used saying, “they lived happily ever after,” originates from early fairy tales. Fairy tales are stories that feature fanciful characters that convey a moral to teach children lessons and values that they will keep for the rest of their lives. The original story of “Cinderella” by the Grimm Brothers and the later Disney version Cinderella (1950) are both descriptions of a legendary fairy tale of a kind and gentle girl who overcomes the rancor of her stepmother and stepsisters and ultimately finds a happy ending. Although both stories have the same plot, the overall messages that they deliver are different.

A true hero in the eyes of Jacob and Wilhelm, their mother single handedly overcame opposition in their family, just as their sister did growing up with five brothers. (Grimm, 11) The sentiment of being abandoned as children unlocked a new territory of potential as their creative juices began to surge. "Child abandonment is a many-faceted concept within myth, folktale, and literature," and the Brothers Grimm explored this concept in great detail (Garry, 3). As they began to express themselves through literature, male figures, such as fathers, were often dismissed as the females stole the spotlight in their fairy tales. “Some modern psychologists have argued that [their] harsh family background influenced the ways the Brothers Grimm interpret and present their tales” (Grimm, 15). Without a prominent male figure growing up, they only had their mother to look up to and to idealize as the strong willed individual who never gave up despite all the privation send her way. The Brothers Grimm incorporate their own perspectives to generally recognized fairy tales, often adding a twist and a more callous feel to them. They first started their collection of fairy tales in 1806 by writing down those that they had previously heard from the females in their neighborhood while growing up. This serves as another female sway on their fairy tales that influences their stance on men vs. women in regards to

Have you ever had a dark and gloomy day? Imagine having that feeling every single day. The Grimm’s Cinderella was written in 1812. 1812 was one of the harshest years for America. An event that formed it was the war against Great Britain and the United States. Not only was there a war, but there was also a series of disastrous harvests. Taxes got higher, and more than twenty people who were involved with a Luddite Act were hung. In 1812, there was also the only assassination of a prime minister, who was shot dead in the House of Commons. The Grimm Brothers have put the dark times of 1812 into their stories. Some of their stories contain violence, child abuse, and wicked mothers. They came up with these types of stories after their father died, and when they struggled out of school. That gave them enough time to research and put together a collection of folk tales. Now you can see why the Grimm’s Cinderella was dark and gloomy. Although the plot stayed the same, over the years, the story did get lighter. Disney’s Cinderella came out in 1950. In 1950, learning information was not by fear, but by engaging happiness. Disney’s Cinderella transforms the Grimm’s Cinderella into a happier atmosphere. While some similarities between Disney’s Cinderella and Grimm’s Cinderella are noticeable, the differences are pronounced, especially when referring to the slippers, her father, and the ball.

In the article, Dreams of a Better Bourgeois Life: The Psycho-Social Origins of the Tales, Jack Zipes explains the psychosocial origins of the tales of the Brothers Grimm. Since there are very few publications of attempts to explain the psychosocial origins, there is an assumption “that the tales were genuine folk tales” (28). As Zipes describes, these fairy tales do not reflect the “ancient times and customs” (29). When the Grimm Brother’s collected these fairy tales they already had undergone changes. Also, the Grimm’s collection of fairy tales were rewrote to represent them because these tales closely related to their lives. The Grimm Brothers experienced loss and separation of family members, decline in social status, lack of basic needs

The story of Cinderella is well-known by most people, however, there are several versions of this beloved tale. There is the one told by the Grimm Brothers, depicting a world where moral choices can affect your life in extreme ways, but it is Walt Disney’s 1950 cartoon version of Cinderella that most children think of when the story is mentioned. This version leaves behind both the question of morality and the bloody punishments, allowing children to enjoy an eye-catching, G-rated film. Both of these versions use their respective mediums to emphasize what the creator deems to be most important: a lesson about piety and goodness in the Grimm tale and the entertainment factor in the Disney cartoon. These are each shown in different ways, according to the medium used.

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.

In 1812, the Grimm brothers released “Children’s and Household Tales.” The first book of a two-volume collection of 156 stories. Once the stories were published, the stories slowly rose with popularity when they came out with an English translation in 1823. Though the Grimm brothers traveled all over the country to gather stories, it wasn’t until many editions later the book became popular because of a peasant lady named Dorothea Viehmann. She became one of the most accurate and riveting sources the brothers encountered.

While I understand parental concerns regarding the “gruesome” content in some of the fairy tales, I believe that there are more reasons than not for parents to continue reading these fairy tales to their children: fairy tales teach kids different ways of handling different things; fairy tales build emotional flexibility in kids (this can help make them realize that even in the safest environment, bad things can happen - this also helps build immunity to sensitivity); fairy tales teach kids the elements of literature (setting, characters, etc); fairy tales help evolve children’s imagination; and most importantly, they teach kids important lessons. Parents might still think that some fairy tales are just too scary to read to their kids. However, parents must consider two things: 1) their children’s age and their level of development; your one/two/three year old would most likely not understand what was happening. 2) Fairy tales don’t have the rule of having to be read at night (which is when most of them are being read to children). If you think your child would lose sleep, then read the fairy tale some time during the day; your child would most probably forget all about it by his or her bedtime.

Fairytales have been told for thousands of years. Some of the most famous fairy tales were German in origin and were collected by the Grimm brothers. Jakob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm were scholars that spent most of their time together. In 1838, they began writing a German dictionary while they were working as librarians. In 1840 king Fredrich Wilhelm IV sent both brothers to the Royal Academy of Sciences. (Gioia) (pp.12-13) Following this the two brothers spent the rest of their lives teaching at the University of Berlin. The two brothers were also known for other projects such as, books about mythology, scholarly works on topics such as, linguistics and medieval studies. They also worked on compiling an ambitious German

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.

"The Brothers Grimm were academics best known for publishing collections of folk tales and fairy tales, which became massively popular." (Zipes p. 7) "Born in Hanau, Germany, a year apart, with Jacob Ludwig Karl Grimm born the oldest, on January 4, 1985, and Wilhelm Karl Grimm on February 24, 1786. Their family consisted of nine other siblings, six of which survived infancy, and their parents." (Zipes p. 9) Their early childhood was described as "idyllic" with them living in a beautiful countryside home while their father, Philip Wilhelm, was employed by the Prince of Hessen. However, when Jacob was eleven years and Wilhelm only ten, their father died, and their fortune dramatically declined to nothing. Their family was forced to move

Children fairy tales are some of the first books we’re introduced to growing up. Typically, the princess is saved by the heroic prince and they lived “happily ever after”. Some may think our life should be like a fairy tales while others don’t. These tales created gender roles in which appeared to be very important. In the Grimm Brothers fairy tale, “Hansel and Gretel”, the parents leave the children in the forest to starve due to not having enough money to buy food in order to sustain life. The children later find a house deep in the woods where an old, evil witch lures them in and tried to eat Hansel and Gretel. They eventually kill the witch and find their way home to their father with no stepmother to be found as she has died while the children were away. In the fairy tale, “Hansel and Gretel” gender and feminist criticism are highlighted throughout the tale by defining characteristics, consequences from their actions, and societal roles and expectations that were both prominent in German history and modern society.

Grimm Fairy Tales is a popular genre to children and society. The stories and remakes of the fairy tales are the basis of the original. Grimm Fairy tales include Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Ariel, Rapunzel and many others. The story usually includes a curse, a fairy or magic, a prince saving the princess and a moral. Fairy tales have a huge impact on pop culture and how children and young adults perceive reality and love.

Two best known German academics, linguists and authors who lived through the 19th century together specializing in folklore publishing and collections. They were intellectual overachievers of their day, that also studied medieval law. According to an article, “The Dark Side of the Grimm Fairy Tales,” written by Jesse Greenspan and published only 3 years ago on September 17th, “The first edition of “Grimm’s Fairy Tales” was scholarly in tone, with many footnotes and no illustrations. Only later, as children became their main audience, did they take out some of the more adult content. Their stories were then further sanitized as they were adapted by Walt Disney and others.” The Grimm Brothers main focus was on the gruesome scenes that were too inappropriate for people who were interested in their ideas on these fairy tales, majority children. The dark sides of graphic violence, child abuse, anti-semitism, incest and wicked mothers. When adapted by Walt Disney, their once gruesome scenes were rethought as the uplighting viewpoint for the most appropriate level when airing it to young age