The Stories of Oscar Wilde: Fairy Tales Dripping with Figurative Language and Satiric Wit

Oscar Wilde’s fairy tales differ from other European tales because of their incredible artfulness. His stories are definitely more of Kunstmarchen, art tales, than the typical Volksmarchen, people tales. Wilde employs beautiful metaphors and imagery, quite unlike most of the other tales we have read (except for, as John noted, Angela Carter’s tales). For example, in “The Selfish Giant,” Wilde describes the decay of the garden as an extended personification of the seasons/weather. “The Snow covered up the grass with her great white cloak, and the Frost painted all the trees silver” (Wilde 332). There are similar extended metaphors and forms of imagery in all of Wilde’s stories. Furthermore, the main characters in Oscar Wilde’s fairy tales are not one-dimensional - they all change and develop or transform: the giant learns from his selfishness, the happy prince gives away all of his accessories, becoming dull and drab and eventually destroyed, and the Nightingale sacrifices herself, dying for the “lover.” This is quite unlike heroes in the stereotypical European fairy tales, like Snow White, who does not change much throughout her tale.

Native American Stories: Folktales Full of Spirituality and Free of Misogynism

This week we looked at both Jewish Folktales and traditional Native American tales. I found the Native American tales to be interesting; different from the traditional fairytales we have been reading in many ways. One element that was found in almost all the tales was the archetype/character of the Old Man. In the first story, “How Men and Women Got Together,” the Old Man is the god-figure. It is particularly unique because in that tale, the Old Man (god-figure) is human - he is a man capable of making mistakes because the premise of the story is that he regrets making the men and the women live apart. The Old Man (or sometimes, Old Woman, as in the case of “ The End of the World”) figure shows the respect for old-age in their culture as well as their spiritual elements (belief in god/gods).

Jenna Warren's Blogs: Blogs In An Actual Blog Format

This week we were partnered up and given the task to reflect on someone else’s blogs. So first I want to start out by apologizing profusely. I know my blogs are long, they are really long, but I stop myself; the English-nerd inside of me can’t help but writing an essay every time. So I’m very sorry, Jenna, and I hope that reading my blogs wasn’t too annoying.

Giving Kids Relatable Heroes: The Role of Tricksters

This week we looked children heroes - tricksters who made up for their lack of size and brawn with brains and deceptions. To me, these characters’ main purpose is to provide relatability to small children, showing them how even when things seem hopeless, they can make their situations better. The heroes in these stories are children, but they still have power, and this is something that kids can connect to. From a psychological prospect, the tales highlight the importance of leaving home, leaving a place of safety in order to flourish, succeed, and create an individual identity. They allow the children to project their frustrations with their parents onto “evil” parent figures, allowing them to vent this angry in a safe and healthy way (through stories). Furthermore, the fantastical settings of the tales prove a sense of escapism, giving children a glimpse of a potential wonderful future in their lives especially since according the Tatar, the tales were written/told during times of “harsh realities.”