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Seniors ~ Fairy Tales

Your next-to-last assignments revolve around Fairy Tales (called Marchen in German). You'll read about four total, including the well-known Cinderella (or Aschenputtel). The version I want you to read is from the Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm.

It differs a good bit from the Disney version, as you'll see, so don't assume you know the whole story. The text, published by the Grimms in 1857, is HERE. Please print it out and bring it to class.

Believe it or not, many people devote their scholarshipto fairy tale studies. They believe that because these stories have impacted so many people, it is useful to study the tales themselves with a critical eye. Many books have been written on the subject, and there are many many college courses devoted to the subject. On that note, if you'd like to do something really crazy, then read this article about the various versions of Cinderella. The article is from The SurLaLune Fairy Tales Pages, a comprehensive index to fairy tale studies. It's very interesting. You know, if you're into that sort of thing.

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