Creative Title

2008-12-04T21:02:00.000-08:00

I had the most fascinating dream of my life, so far. Often my dreams are not so beautiful, and I know that I will not be able to explain it so well as it was, and it will sound rather stupid, but just know that I thought it was cool while I was dreaming it. Anyway I was at a restaurant, I believe it was Dairy queen. Not the Dairy queen here in Bozeman but the one in the town I am from. And there were these guys and they wanted to fight. I stopped them by standing in between them. The weaker of the two fighters was thankful and became my friend. The fiercer fighter took my move as a mortal affront, and vowed to kill me for it. Then, and this is the cool part, and I believe it was partly due to the books we just read, he turned into a polar bear and chased me. I was, it now seems really fast, because I was able to just get away, but I was getting tired. I was thinking if the clouds in the amazingly blue sky would turn into butterflies then they could hide me. Then they did. It was a wave a brilliant blue and gold and it washed over me, but the bear wasn't fooled and I had to jump into a river. I floated calmly along only vaguely worried about the bear, when there came a wall. The water rushed under it, but I could not pass, and I knew the bear would be there soon. And then he was there, stuck with me on this side of the wall, but I was no longer worried about him, and he was not worried about me, we just wondered about the wall. Then I woke up.

What about the Boys?

2008-12-04T20:52:00.000-08:00

What significance is there in reading simple fairytales? Fairytales have, of course, an element of entertainment. They add vibrant complexion to our gray lives; enchanting the imagination with whimsical wonderlands. These parodies of life also give resolutions. Through heroic characters we can fight dragons or out murderous husbands. But there is graver aspect to these tales. They also contain elements of didacticism. Hidden morals and undercurrents filled with lessons. This, didacticism, is an element of these stories that confuses me. The pragmatic aspect is not really the issue. There is no question that we should not stray from the path when strolling through the deep dark forest, or that you should always build your house out of something sturdier than straw, but what do they teach about relationships. The greatest and most important story in human history is that of the two lovers. There is no greater purpose and no scarier situation, than being in love. These fairy tales strive to teach young women how to land a man and not to fear marriage to a beast, but what are they teaching young men? Prince charming, the beast husband and the trickster, are the categories that boys are face with. These stories leave princes with as shallow an answer to the questions of love as they do for the princesses.

Prince charming, or "The Prince," as seen in Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Little Mermaid, and Princess and the Pea, or the stories of the damsel in distress is without a doubt the most romantic of the three motifs. And, I mean romantic in the gross sense of gushy over the top mush. "The Prince" who has no other name, is handsome, rich, and incredibly shallow. He falls in love easily, with only one criteria, and that is beauty. "The Prince" does no work, but often aimlessly wanders around the forest. He falls head over heals for a pretty voice or face. (Which is unfortunate, especially for young mermaids who can't talk.) This motif lends it's self to ridicule, because it has almost no basis in reality. What does a young boy learn from this? Be handsome and rich.

The trickster is more interesting, but no less immoral in his flaws. This lad is usually poor, not necessarily unattractive, just poor. But, what he lacks in finances he makes up in cleverness. He is highly inventive, and often gets a name, like Jack or Marquis de Carabas. The trickster also abounds with luck. However, this character has a rather egregious flaw. He is a trickster. He is a thief, and a liar. We seem to over look this flaw do to the fact that he steals from the "bad guys." Unlike Robin, though, he keeps this loot to raise in status to prince charming. We admire this motif, like Peter Pan, he is forgiven because he is a boy. But , does this teach him to be a man, or answer any questions of love? No, he simply gets the girl and lives happily ever after in his stolen castle.

The beast husband as illustrated in, Beauty and the Beast, The Frog King, and East of the Sun and West of the Moon, has the most redeeming characteristics. Hi is intelligent and kind, sensitive and romantic, and he usually has great wealth. Also he's mysterious. The "Beast Husband," I have been told, is meant to assuage young girls' fears of arranged marriage, but how does it address the other side of the coin? What do boys learn? While, these men are intelligent and often kind, this motif requires the man to also be a "bondsman." The beast steals the innocent girl from her father in exchange for cash. The beast husband teaches young men that ou only need persistence, a little luck, and a ton of cash.

There are, however, exceptions to these atrocious motifs. Kate Crackernuts and Molly Whuppie both offer female heroines that have a bit of character. In both stories the heroin is clever and beautiful and finds a way to survive in perilous times. These characters give young men another image of woman that is slightly healthier. However, Molly Whuppie would fall into the category of trickster as easily as any male counterpart. Also you could say that the Prince in Princes and the Pea was looking for something more than just looks. These stories give us characters that stand slightly against the main stream. But they still portray the propagandistic generic love of man and wife, without any of the messy details.

The mainstream classics, Cinderella, Snow-White, and Sleeping Beauty, confirm the need for men and women to fit into the perfect mould of happy, pretty, man and wife. Even Beauty and the Beast ends with rich, handsome, man and, sweet demure, woman. They represent a cultural need for men and women to fit into specific gender roles. They do not however address many of the aspects and fears that people have about love. These roles or motifs, Prince Charming, The Beast Husband , and the Trickster, were created a long time ago when these roles were clearly defined due to physical ability and environment. But, it is time for a new generation of fairytales that display all the mess and confusion of real relationships. Give us a happy ending, but don't pussy foot around the details.

2008-11-16T21:28:00.000-08:00

Daemons, how fascinating. What is with the chef who has a daemon that is the same sex? What is Pullman trying to say here?Understanding a daemon is very complex, because a daemon is not only part of a person, but also somewhat of an individual. I was thinking I would love to have a daemon, because then I would know who I am. Or at least I would have some solid, factual sense of who I am. I would still love to have a daemon, a constant companion. You know the saying you come into this world alone and you leave it alone. Well this wouldn't be true if you had a daemon. But I don't know that a daemons shape would tell you something you didn't already know about yourself. For instance, if you had a dog daemon, you would know that you are loyal, but I feel like you would already know that. Also if you knew something bad about yourself would you see that in your daemon, or would others see that. For instance if your daemon was a snake. In the book Sir Charles' daemon was a snake, and we knew that he was a bad guy, this confirms our notion of snakes, but does it work for others? Many people have different symbols for animals so this would not be the clearest way to asses a person. This reminds me of names. You know some people have names that just fit their personalities. Like an nerdy guy named Lawrence, it just seems to fit simply unexplainable or on the verge of explanation. Another issue is the fact that their called daemons, which is demons. Pullman is hinting at the idea that this is our "bad" side or more so that it is the natural side. The instinctual? Very cleaver that Pullman, and very interesting those daemons.
I'm sorry to say but I think the site has been changed. So I hope you all found out what your daemons were.

2008-11-06T21:21:00.000-08:00

My favorite chapter is Advice from a Caterpillar. I'm not entirely sure why. It's the question who are you. She ponders change and explains that she doesn't know her self. The lovely words meld together and create a sense of not knowing. I enjoy it because the question, who are you, is as unanswerable as the question, what is a child. There is no clear and determined answer for these questions, because at all times people are changing and learning, or reverting back to innocence. Maybe this will change with age, but I feel I am an adult, and yet I don't know so little, that I must surely be a child. This chapter suggest that who are you is the most important question while at the same time declaring that it doesn't matter because the answer at the moment is arbitrary. It's very deep for a childrens book. No that's dumb. It's very deep because it's (at least ment for) a childrens book.

Notes

2008-11-06T21:12:00.000-08:00

11/5

"Nothing in his life became him as much as his leaving it"

*To read this book is to read all other books*

Everything is possible in Dream: dreams are a mythologizing of yourself

My Book and Heart Shall Never Part

2008-11-04T10:54:00.000-08:00

This film left me with questions. I suppose that is what all good works of art suppose to do. It blurs the nature or my understanding of the nature of children, books, and nature. We sometimes see children as animals, or conversing with animals as if they were people. And is a book read or are we the books. Life inspires Art, Art inspires Life. We create the things we know and teach them to our children. So we are all vaguely and at the same time book, child, and nature.

NOTES

2008-11-04T10:44:00.000-08:00

11/3

Alice and Wonderland prevaids our culture
Trainer of Imagination

*google The Idiot, Dostoevsky*

http://www.online-literature.com/dostoevsky/idiot/

NOTES

2008-11-04T10:38:00.000-08:00

10/29

Walter Pater
-Conclusion to the Renaissance

"Most of us only have a handful of moments, the wisest spend those moments indulging in art and song." Art for arts sake.

Round
"In the end what is important is the music"

T.S. Eliot
"we shall not cease from exploration...

History and Mythology; connect the real and sureal

Symbolism of tears; metaphor for a sense of compassion and its healing powers

NOTES

2008-11-04T10:32:00.000-08:00

10/27

Sublime: exaltion, realm where words are not relevant;

"All arts aspire to the condition of music"
-you don't ask what does it mean, but simply experience it for what it is.

Watts Poem
-busy bee, didactic and pious; irritating in its pioty

Facts: There was a girl named Alice (Alice was a real person)
Matrix eludes to Alice in Wonderland
Esotaric: not understandable

NOTES

2008-11-04T10:28:00.000-08:00

10/20

New test on Alice and Wonderland/Sunderland, levels and tension

Iconoclasm: warning of the power of image

Jane Er; passage from B&B

-Tigers Bride, by Angela Carter

Symbol of a Rose
-eastern version is the lotus flower
-eating of an apple or stealing of a flower are not particularly serous crimes

Notes

2008-11-04T10:12:00.000-08:00

10/18

Literacy
Didactic: teaching morals, nationalism, etiquette, very pragmatic: don't drink from a hot tea kettle.

Humor: what is nature?

Metaphysical/Physical
speculative
-become less of a child

*"all children's lit. deals with our Adult nostalgia/idealized longing for home"*

Harriot Beacher Stowe

1.

If we show them nature, they'll think about god. (influence from protestant reformation, and gutenberg; anyone can read.
1650: John Eliot; natives of masachusets to learn to read published in Elgonquin, two world views colliding."why do english men hate snakes?" Thought process: natives are like children

Enlightenment: dieism rather than theism
Rational person can be good
Charles Willson Peter; museum of artifacts like skeletons, creates cracks in world view. Learn but don't Question
Darwins Origin, images conflict with text
Iconoclasm: shattering of the image
Facsimile: look like old one
Noah Webster; blue back spell, regularizing spelling for an american language
teaching children to think

"How do I know what I think untill I see what I say"

Notes

2008-11-04T10:08:00.000-08:00

10/15

Q:What is the last word, excluding moral, in Debemonts Beauty and Beast
A:Virtue

designed for girls/young women
18th and 19th century
Didactic: trained, educate
A: In adams fall we sinned all (not Eves'?)

Notes

2008-11-04T09:57:00.000-08:00

10/8
Charles Dickons
"First Love"

Alice in Wonderland
Louis Carrol Oats: response to childrens literature as a teaching tool. He twists the morals

Arny Thomsan
Catalogue of stories: Search for lost husband, or Beast groom

King Kong: Universal Truths, such is the story of beauty and the beast

Foil: reflectors, sisters vs protagonist

Reading is: being on both sides of the pages

Animal Groom: anxieties about marriage, arranged marriage to older men, brace women for marriage, wealth over the considerations. Complexities of romance/love and marriage/euphemism. Ritual; institution of marriage (bondage/rape)

Deboumont; pious instruction, manners designed for girls and young women, so girls will benefit from these stories.

Notes

2008-11-04T09:09:00.000-08:00

10/6

Beauty and the Beast
Visions and Revisions of an Old Tale

Midsummer Nights Dream
Episodic:
-The Golden Ass
-Cupid(aros; powerful force of love) and Phsyche (soul; represented by a butterfly)
What's being said and How it's being said:
-"give me a copper and I'll tell you a story"
-responsibility of the story teller
Once Upon a Time
It happened and it didn't happen
-responsibility of child
Willing suspension of disbelief

Cupid and Phsyche

-3 beautiful daughters -B&B. 3 sisters
-Venus jealous -SW. jealousy of girl
-Cupid, sent to get rid of her -HMH. beast husband, invisible husband
-Orecal
-Cupid save girl
-castle, goes to sleep
-food -B&B
-sleeping/wispering; fears of chastity
-sisters, betrayel; leads to their death

*google Cupid and Psyche*

http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/cupid.html

Soul falls in love with love

Archetype: Creatures of nature there to help

Cinderella

Jack Ross- spoonerism: reverent spooner mix up words

Moral: beauty is a treasure

Tragedy is a clear eyed view of the world

2008-11-04T09:08:00.002-08:00

I wrote this down, because I heard it in class, and It caught my attention. At the time I thought that it made sense. I don't know if I still agree. In one sence it opens your romantic and innocent eyes, but on the other hand it blinds the heart making it bitter and pesamistic. Perhaps being innocent is not being blind but seeing the world the way it is suppose to be.

No Original

2008-11-04T09:08:00.001-08:00

I chose to dissagree with the notion that there is no original. It has to do with my need to belive there were first people who first decided to tell a story. This person would be like Lyra. They would be sitting around in a cave or around a fire, and felt we need to explain what happened to day. Having said this somewhat arbiratry statement I also find comfort in knowing that these first people will never be known, and that we all have the same stories to tell and read, maybe in different orders and characters with different names. It is a collective comfort that we gain from reading the same stories over and over. They are like instruction manuals from those befor us and our stories will be manuals to those after us. That is why we "must tell them stories, they need to hear stories."

Notes

2008-11-04T08:27:00.000-08:00

10/3

"The hard facts of the Grimms' Fairy Tales"

*google Ur*

http://lexicorient.com/e.o/ur.htm

Abraham left to find the land of milk and honey. Ur the home land. For lituratures sake Ur. represents the original text, which is a rhetorical claim. And has no basis in reality. (or so Professor Sexson says). No original text, only revisions.

-The uses of Enchantment, by Brunal Benal Hime

"I am vast I contain multitudes"

(please help me, I didn't write down who said this, does anyone know?)

"Tragedy is a clear eyed view of the world. " I'm not sure where this statement came from either, but it must have been said in class, because I have it written down.

Why tell the same tales

Migration of stories
collective unconciousness

Why I'd choose The man

2008-11-04T08:26:00.001-08:00

Why I'd choose the man.
Vanity perhaps? Appearance drives our natural instincts, which are influenced by media and culture. We search for others like us and others that are attractive to us. Looks are the first thing we notice about a person, but are these things strong enough to argue for a change in our lovers? Perhaps for me it is the aspect that you can have the best of both worlds. Your person doesn't change because their appearance changes, maybe it would after a while, or maybe not. But, the person you fell in love with is in there. I always thought that this is what I would want. But I cannot imagine giving up the face, the eyes, the nose, or hair, that I love. There is something more to physical appearance. Perhaps I am moving into the realm of misplaced concreteness. It seems some what selfish to want the beast if the man was a man first. Or another question that is brought up with this argument is would you still love the man if he turned into a beast. The stories tell us no, but add a little misplaced concreteness, subtract a bit of vanity, and of course you would love your person even if they gained a horrible scar that made them look hideous, or if they grew a little hair on their chest. Taylor's argument is impossibly beautiful and extremely difficult to argue against, especially since she has written such a wonder full paper, so I won't try any harder than I already have, because she has won me over and I am not capable to make this decision. I would love the person beast or man, but a nice handsome man wouldn't be too hard to get use to, if the person inside stayed the same.

Notes

2008-11-04T08:14:00.000-08:00

10/1

Hans My Hedgehog
Motiefs

Beauty/Beast
Jebtha, promis to sacrifice his daughter (Rash Promise)
Transformation into hansome
3's promis, iron shoes
Daughter's sacrifice/like marriage; passing property, demeter and persephony
Husband and wife can't have kids
Monster baby (Rosmaries Baby)
Desperate Mother (Not careing), Phycological necessity
Parent hating child (Stepmothers usually take this role)
lost in a forest, found a mysterious house/castle
a year and a day- formulas, language; repetition of same language, epithas
children forever laughing at the oddball
importance of animals

Notes

2008-11-04T08:02:00.000-08:00

9/12

"Not what does this poem mean, but how does this poem mean."

Journy Cycle

Seperation
Intiation
Return

Eve and the apple; (RRH, SW)

"Don't do this, so Do this"

-the moral becomes do it; cannot forget the call to adventure

Efemeral Rubish: the crap you read all the time, still has an unobstructed view of archetypes.

Archetype: Manifestation of constant and reoccuring themes, from the collective unconsious of human kind.

Innocent Reading-Sophisticated Reading

Ground Hog Day; read the complexity of a normal day

-Asian Mythology-eternal return

Notes

2008-11-04T07:54:00.000-08:00

9/8

-The Feminine in Fairy Tales
ML Von Franz

-The Beast to the Blond on Fairy Tales
Marina Warner

-The Classical Fairy Tales
Iona and Peter Opie

*google, Angusih Landguish.com*

http://www.justanyone.com/allanguish.html

Notes

2008-11-04T07:35:00.000-08:00

9/5

"All liturature is a displced myth."
-Frye

*google red shoes*

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040725/

Fairy Tales

in fairy tales few people have actual names; mother, father, huntsman etc.
3's and 7's
the story demands it, so it happens.(how can a frog knock on a door)
Generic/Archaic characters

Test Notes

2008-10-10T23:18:00.000-07:00

Test Notes

Review:

Little Mermaid
Ittle Red Rotenhood
Cinderella
Hansel and Gretal
Beauty and the Beast
Snow White
Rapunzel
Bluebeard
Juniper Tree
East of the Sun West of the Moon

Portmanteau: Multilevel word;Prank Quean
Privileged #'s 3 and 7
Misplaced Concreteness: ex. Is it physically possible to pull a person up a twenty story tower with your hair?
Type 333: Little Red Riding hood
Collective unconsciousness: Through Archetypes
"If your really crafty you'll get them both;" L.L.R.R(Wolf to himself)
3 parts of universal quest (Mono myth) 1.separation 2.Initiation 3. Return
3 parts of triple goddess: 1.maiden 2. mother 3. crone
Why there is no such thing as original text: all literature is displaced myth
Bow: recognition of the divine within
"I'm not history, I'm mythology" (Aladdin, Gennie)
Differences in Cinderella stories: Ashgirl; note other differences in other stories and their retelling
Hans My Hedgehog, Beauty and Beast: Search for lost Husband or Beast Groom
Mythological Mother/Daughter: Persephony/Demeter
haiku 5-7-5
significance of...:all of the above
Talking horse motif: Golden Ass
Cupid awakes to oil on his shoulder
Spoonerism: SistyUglers
"We already know everything there is to know, we just have to remember it" William Wordsworth
Beauty and Beast: Cupid and Psyche
Female Curiosity frowned upon
Which Grimm Witch: Hansel and Gretel
Dals Chickens wanted to marry Ittal Red Rottenhood
How do you enter the world of Fairytale: Once upon a time
Celtic version of Cinderella: Ewe

Who Wants to Only Shine and Gad About

2008-10-08T19:07:00.000-07:00

Ashley Dunigan

Who Wants to Only Shine and Gad About

While beauty may be a rare treasure
Wit, courage, and kindness, are more of a pleasure
And more often than not those without grace
Are the ones who win any race

This is where Perrault's tale
Lacks the most, without fail
How could she become a queen
While snidely teaching her sisters to be serene?

Serenity and grace are gifts more boring than a dress
Instead use wit and knowledge to impress
To be a person of interest, lets women confer
And think about what we prefer

It is a benefit
To show real courage and have some wit
To have good sense and pride too
For these things don't simply fall from the blue
Let us throw Perrault's moral out
Unless you wish only to shine and gad about

Please Watch The Video Bar. Funny Adaptations of Fairy Tales.

2008-09-30T22:37:00.000-07:00

2008-09-30T22:09:00.000-07:00

What is a Child?

Children are just mini adults, with more innocence. This question is some what hard to answer as My Book and Heart argues. There is no solid deffinition of what a child is be cause they are so fluid in thier character, and the transformation from child to adult is too hard to define. Also children often display adult values and characteristics and like wise adults display characteristics of children.
A child is a sponge. They have substance of their own, but they soak up everything around them, emotions, words, tones, values, expressions.
A child is a parrot. They take in words and spit them back out exactly as they hear them. They are beautiful.
A child is a ball. They bounce back.
A child is a piece of candy. Sweet.
A child is a monster. Grouchy attitude and likes to hide under the bed.
A child is energy.
This child is my love.

What is a Book?

A book is something you read, or something you write. It is paper and ink. A book is a place of instruction and expression. Books are storers of information. A book is something that holds the secrets of the human existance. But what confuses the situation is that often people are like books. You can read them or they have a story to tell.

What is Nature?

Nature is everything. Human nature. Trees, plants, insects, humans.

What is with the ending of The Frog King, or Iron Heinrich

2008-09-30T21:31:00.000-07:00

What is with the ending of The Frog King, or Iron Heinrich? I always thought that the frog prince was some variation of Beauty and the Beast. You know, she falls in love with the guy inside. She throws a tantrum and chucks the Frog at the wall. What kind of a moral is that. The middle works toward an essential value. The value being don't go back on your word or never forget a gift, or something along those lines. And then the twist comes in the end when we find out the Kings servant shows himself. He is this really great guy who is loyal and has great love for his master, but what kind of moral is that? Be good and loyal to your master. There is no real reward for the loyal servant, he's still a servant. I wonder if this is some subconscious meaning. You know, if the moral of the story is you should be a loyal servant just because. I'm not really sure where I was going with that; I was just curious what kids, or even adults are suppose to make of this story. I mean the main character is a spoiled little girl and in the end she gets her way. She has to endure a frog eating out of her plate, but other then that I would say she gets off pretty easy for being the worst character in the tale. While mentioning characters with low moral standards I have to mention the Frog King. I get that every one wants to marry a beautiful person, but haven't we been taught that beauty is on the inside. Not for pretty girls I guess. Actually I don't believe that because I know very beautiful girls who are also beautiful inside, but lately I wonder how much our society really places on looks. We say beauty is on the inside, but what this story, and what media shows us is quite a different tale. I'm sorry I'm rambling. It's just that my search for moral guidance within these tales seems to be falling short and I am again asking; are these stories merely for Stimulation of the imagination. (not that this would be entirely a bad thing)

Molly Whuppie vs Jack and The Bean Stalk

2008-09-30T21:07:00.000-07:00

Since I have missed so many classes I am going to talk more about the stories. The two stories I'd like to talk about are Molly Whuppie and Jack and the Bean Stalk. I feel these two stories lacking in moral. I am sure this is because our politically correct society has ingrained in me the need to feel for even the ugly ogre giant. The story no longer screams, evil ugly man eating giant, but Jack or Molly are little thieves. However you have to admire their cleverness, and if you steal from a bad guy it sorta cancels itself out. Right?

Dissapointing Reality

2008-09-30T20:09:00.001-07:00

When I was younger my sister told me the real story of The Little Mermaid. (Well at least parts of it.) At the time I was very disappointed, because I wanted the happy ending. The happy ending being he falls for her and they get married. When I went to read the story I was hoping she had lied. But, now as I think about it I am less disappointed in the fact that they did not live happily (married) ever, and more saddened by the fact that she went through all that turmoil without an easy payoff. She still had to work to get what she wanted. I think this bothers me because I know that in life this is the true ending. The moral of the story changes from a, find a man, get married, be happy, story to a work hared, work harder, hopefully go to heaven story. I had no Idea the about the religious back drop of this story. In the introduction it says, "for Anderson suffering is the badge of spiritual superiority." The story defiantly conveys a sense that there is more to life than simply falling in love. (I just liked this picture here's were it came from sugarfrostedgoodness.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_...)

2008-09-30T19:45:00.000-07:00

Santa is Dead, this is an interesting comment to be written in my notes for Childrens Litureature. But I remembered a funny picture from these notes, so here it is. I guess I should tie this into childerens literature. This idea ties into how stories shape our personalities and values. (and how we cope with the fact that our parents lie to us.) The story of Santa Clause has an obvious moral; be "good" and you get what you want. However when we grow older and we learn that Santa is not real, at least not real in the red suit and flying raindeer way, we also learn that being good is not always enough. The question becomes are these stories even ment to work on our values after all. I mean does the santa story really make kids act more like the little angels we think we want, or are they more simply steps for childrens imaginations. Perhaps it is a little of both.

A comment on Bluebeard

2008-09-30T19:05:00.000-07:00

On "Ryan's Mythically displaced blog," Ryan said something that made me wonder. In describing the moral of the story of Bluebeard he says, "perhaps that was simply a test of trust which each of the wives failed?" I don't know if this is really a fair assessment, because it makes it seem like the woman are the problem, that they just didn't trust their husband enough. I have to say, that this is entirely unfair. They seem to have had a good reason to mistrust Bluebeard. I have to believe that because the Heroin made it through the story that simple lack of trust is not the moral of this story. Perhaps the moral is more that when a man says you should leave something alone it is because he has something to hide. This brings to mind Professor Sexson said in class. He was talking about how within every story the character is told not to do something, but that they always do that something which they were told not to. Because, every story has a happy ending and action only occurs because of this disobedience, the moral becomes do what your told not to. I find this a very interesting and almost backwards reading of our literature. In short I'm not trying to rag on Ryan's analysis of Bluebeard more so I'm simply suggesting another way of reading into this tale.

This is not Some Silly Fairy Tale

2008-09-30T18:07:00.000-07:00

Wow so I have fallen quiet far behind in my blogging. I shall try to catch up some before I get too far. I'll start with My displaced fairy tale. I admit that the fairy tale being displaced is not too hard to find in my story, but I hope you guys enjoyed it anyway.

Rebecka briskly maneuvered her way through the traffic of people crowding the dirty sidewalk. She walked into the towering 54 story building, where she worked as an a assistant to a very important CEO. Although, this tower was a magnificently beautiful specimen of architecture, Rebecka felt it might as well have been a dun

You see reader, our heroin worked for a tight faced woman that the staff fondly nicknamed Medusa. Medusa kept Rebecka working for long hours, with little rest. This of course created in Rebecka the same bitchy disposition.

Never looking up from her day planner Rebecka stepped into the elevator. She looked up, long enough to push the button to take her up to the 34th floor, then continued to read. Stepping out of the elevator she walked directly into Eric from finances. In the chaos of their collision Rebecca's usually tightly pulled back hair became quite mussed and she was forced to untie it.
It has to be said that when she let her hair down she was actually quite beautiful. But since this is not a silly fairy tale, Eric was not instantly smitten with her. In fact as she recollected her hair into the old woman hairdo he thought she was rather stuck up looking, with her sharp clothes and serious face. But, as he helped her to gather her things she gave a sweet smile that softened her features considerably, and the two parted on friendly terms.
After this initial bump they seemed to run into each other often through out the office. At each of these meetings they always brightened each other day with silly office jokes and slightly inappropriate innuendos. As I said this is not a fairy tale, but as men often fall for women who are witty Eric became completely enamored with Rebecka.
Stirring the cheap powdered creamer provided in the cramped office break room into his stale lukewarm coffee and gazing up at the faded and pealing document that specified his rights as an employee Eric daydreamed about the blond assistant to Medusa. He dreamily wandered around the corner towards his cubicle and crashed right into Medusa. Spilling his coffee all over her expensive pinstriped suit.
Of course this incident ended badly for Eric, who was promptly fired. He was depressed about this because, well because he lost his job, but also because he knew that Medusa kept Rebecka working so hard that he would never be able to see her outside of the office. But fate is often an obvious sort of character.

Strolling aimlessly down the path through central park Rebecka took in the fresh air, watched as the leaves fell, and dreamed of Eric. She had often let her mind wander on the hansom man from finances, and wondered why she had not gotten his phone number. Feeling saddened by this thought she began to walk back to work, but as she continued around a bend, almost as if in a fairy tale there he was. Strolling aimlessly down the exact same path. What are the chances, like one in three or something. (Hey people, paths cross all the time.) He immediate asked her out to coffee. But, like I have mentioned, this is not some silly fairy tale. Therefore they did not get married right after, but went on several more dates in which they established a strong healthy relationship, and then with mutual respect and love, they did get married and lived together into old age.
The moral of this not fairy tale is not to watch were your going but perhaps to sometimes let your hair down.

2008-09-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a few days, but here is the website for Anguish Languish. http://www.crockford.com/wrrrld/anguish.html

Red Shoes

2008-09-20T21:57:00.000-07:00

I have in my notes, "Google Red Shoes." Wikipedia says that this is the title of a film which is based off a story by Hans Christian Anderson, "The Red Shoes" I found this story when I googled "Red Shoes Hans Christian Anderson" It is amazing how stories connect. All stories are a retelling, so it might be worth it to make a table with common elements within fairy tales, such as red shoes, or evil sisters, or stepmothers, etc. Here is a site that has the full story of "The Red Shoes" http://hca.gilead.org.il/red_shoe.html

Sweet and Sour

2008-09-20T21:23:00.000-07:00

I love this picture. It reminds me of watching Winne the Pooh, when I was younger. This is a sweet house where happy people live. I find it strange that I can associate this picture of calm sweetness with a childhood that also encompassed stories like Red Ridinghood. I remember the gory end of Red Ridinghood, where the huntsman cuts Red and Granny out of the wolf's stomach, with the same amount of love and nastalsia as I do with sweet stories like Whinne the Pooh. I have thought about writing childrens stories, but have struggled with many of the technicalities. For instance, how do I include morals? Now, I wonder if that is even a nessesity. I guess we'll see if this class helps my understanding of childrens literature, or simply adds even more complexity to my already confused brain.