Fairy Tales, Folktales, and Fables

German 147 (Tr.)

 

 

Interim 2004                 M-F  1:30 -3:00 PM                            Room: RML 515

 

Instructor:   LaVern J. Rippley

                  rippleyl@stolaf.edu

                  Ext. 3233

                  office: 33 Old Main

                  office hours: after class

 

Course Description:

            Examines works stemming from the oral tradition, including chapbooks such as “Till Eulenspiegel” and “Faust,” 18th-century fables modeled on legends of antiquity, fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm during the 19th century, and writers of the “Kunstmärchen” during the romantic and modern periods, such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Herman Hesse.  Attention to literary aspects and historical contexts.  Provides a general introduction to the study of folklore and presents a broad spectrum of approaches to the interpretation of fairy tales, including psychoanalysis, sociology, structuralism and feminism.  Counts toward the German major. GE: HWC, ALS-L

 

 

Goals:

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to discuss several approaches to the study of fairy tales. In particular, students will be able to:

  • Explain the role of folktales, fables, and fairy tale texts in economic, social, and political contexts;
  • Identify the main structural components of German fairy tale narratives;
  • Explain the function of fairy tales in a child's psychological development and the means by which this function is fulfilled;
  • Explain the treatment of traditional gender roles in fairy tale narratives and judge the extent to which these narratives may reflect or influence the acculturation of men and women;
  • Explain the means by which fairy tale and folk motifs are transferred to other media, such as the visual arts and music.

 

Course Methodology:

The lecture/discussion format of this course reflects the notion that education should involve "active learning," in which students do more than just memorize and regurgitate what their instructors or textbooks tell them. For example, your instructors may analyze a fairy tale for you from a particular theoretical perspective as a way of illustrating how the theory works, but you actually learn the theory not from reading about it or listening to my analysis, but from applying it yourself. In other words, you learn most by doing, and what you read and what I tell you is intended primarily to prepare you to do your own thinking.

 

Required Texts:

  • The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, Pantheon Books
  • Course reader available from the instructor

 

 

Student Responsibilities:

1. Informed class discussion: Reading and writing assignments serve as preparation for your active participation in class and group discussions. Complete the assignments according to the class schedule, attend class, and participate in discussions. Hand in a question about or an insight into the reading every class session in the beginning of class.

 

2. Oral presentation: In the beginning of each class period a group of three students will give a mini-report (5-10 minutes) about some aspect of the reading or theme of the day. Students are free to decide what information they will give us from the Internet, the library, or some other reliable source. Make them fun! Do some show and tell!

 

3. Writing assignments: The writing done for this course is both critical and creative. Homework assignments will be collected on a regular basis and graded on how thoughtful, insightful, and creative they are. I will mark your responses on a check-plus, check, and check-minus basis. In addition, there will be several more formal writing assignments that will be graded by me and the grading assistants for this class. Some assignments can be found in the syllabus, while others will be announced in class.

 

4. Midterm examination: 1 hour, in essay-format

 

5. Final paper: Students write their own fairy tale together with an introduction that validates it as a product of our contemporary American age. In their discussion, they discuss the sociopolitical thrust of their tale, its intended audience and effect.

 

 

(6) There is a writing / observation assignment due every day.  These consist of a couple paragraphs, typed, with a title, your name [last name first, then full given names ] in a block at the uper left hand side of the page.  Your job is  to report what you perceive [hear, see -- mostly -- but smell, taste, feel too.  For there are folkloric elements in your environment that you have learned to shut out and exclude.  The first day of classes will orient you.  
Grading Policy:

Informed class discussion                      20%

Writing assignments, homework            30%

Oral presentations (groups of 3)            10%

Midterm examination                            20%

Final paper                                           20%

 

The instructor reserves the right to adjust your course grade based on regular attendance, participation in discussion, timely submission of written work, and improvement.

 

Academic Integrity

All the written work you submit must be your own in form and substance, as well as sufficiently and appropriately referenced. Representing another's work as your own is an infraction of the Code of Academic Integrity. Use your own words! Develop your own ideas!

 

Disability:

If you have a documented disability that will impact your work in this class, please contact me to discuss your needs. Additionally, you will need to register with Student Disability Services located in the Academic Support Center in Room 1 of the Old Main Annex. All such discussions will be confidential.

 

 

 

Course Outline and Reading Assignments:

 

Week One: Folktales, Chapbooks and Fables

 

Monday, 5                Intro to course, syllabus, class policy

                                 Questions and expectations for the course

                                 What is a folktale, a fable, a fairy tale, a literary fairy tale?

 

Tuesday, 6                Germany in the 16th century, Chapbooks

                                 prepare: excerpts from Till Eulenspiegel

 

Wednesday, 7           prepare: excerpts from Dr. Faustus

 

Thursday, 8               Germany in the 19th century, Fables

prepare: fables by Aesop, La Fontaine, Lessing, Gellert

 

Friday, 9                   The Grimms’ Animal Tales

                                 writing assignment: Write your own fable (1 p. max.).

prepare: “The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids” (KHM 5), "The Bremen Town Musicians" (KHM 27), “The Wolf and the Man” (KHM 72), “The Fox and the Cat” (KHM 75)

 

Week Two: The Bothers Grimm and the Literary Folk Tale

 

Monday, 12              The Brothers Grimm and their Tales

                                 writing assignment: What is your favorite fairy tale and why?

                                 in-class film: "Once Upon a Time"

prepare: Zipes, "Once There Were Two Brothers Named Grimm: A Reintroduction" (pp. 1-15)

 

Tuesday, 13              Issues of Translation, Approaches to Interpretation

                                 prepare: Tartar, "Fact and Fantasy: The Art of Reading Fairy Tales"

 

Wednesday, 14         Socio-Historical Approach, Versions of a tale

                                 prepare: “The Devil and His Grandmother“ (KHM 125), “The Glass

                                 Coffin” (KHM 163), Perrault, „Little Red-Cap“ (KHM 26), Gmelin,

                                 Wiemer, Ungerer

 

Thursday, 15             The Formalist and Structuralist Approach: Characteristics of a Classic Tale

                                 prepare: "Rapunzel" (KHM, 12), “Rumpelstiltskin” (KHM 55)

 

Friday, 16                 Psychoanalytical Approach: "Little Red Riding Hood"

                                 formal writing assignment: Analyze the structure of one tale.

                                 Bettelheim, "Little Red Cap," "Little Red-Cap" (KMH 26)

 

 

 

Week Three: The Grimms Continued

 

Monday, 19              Midterm (1 hour)

                                 The Religious Approach: "Hansel and Gretel"

                                 prepare: "Hänsel and Gretel" (KHM 15), Murphy, "Hansel and

                                 Gretel"

 

Tuesday, 20              The Gender Studies Approach and Women's Fairy Tales

                                 formal writing assignment: Discuss female representation in the

                                 fairy tales read so far.

prepare: Bottigheimer, "Paradigms for Powerlessness," "The Robber-Bridgegroom” (KHM 40)," The Six Swans" (KHM 49), "The Seven Ravens" (KHM 25), Bettina von Arnim, "The Queen's Son"

 

Wednesday, 21         The Media and Culture Studies Approach: "Snow-White"

in-class films: Disney's Snow-White and East German (DEFA) Snow White (dubbed English)

                                 prepare: “Little Snow-White” (KHM 53), Zipes, "Once Upon a Time

                                 beyond Disney"

 

Thursday, 22             formal writing assignment: Compare one aspect of the two films.

                                 media discussion

 

Friday, 23                 writing assignment: Rewrite a fairy tale from the perspective of one character.

                                 share fairy tales in class

                                 Detailed outline or first draft of final paper due.

 

 

 

Week  Four: Literary Fairy Tales

 

Monday, 26              formal writing assignment: React to Goethe’s “The Fairy Tale.”

                                 prepare: Goethe, "The Fairy Tale."

 

Tuesday, 27              Fairy Tales and Science-Fiction

                                 prepare: Hesse, "Strange News from another Star," Hermynia Zur Mühlen, "The Servant"

 

Wednesday, 28         wrap-up, class evaluation

                                 writing assignment: Look at favorite fairy tale paper and write about how your thoughts on the tale have changed through this course.

                                 What do fairy tales mean to you now? The future of fairy tales.

 

Thursday, 29             peer review of papers in class with grading assistants, bring two copies of your tale to class

 

Friday, 30                 final papers due at 5 PM in my P.O. box in Old Main

 

 

 

The syllabus is subject to change.