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The following syllabus is shared by Professor Jack Zipes, Professor and Chair of the Department of German, Scandinavian and Dutch,
(3 credits per semester; requires no knowledge of German)
This course will explore the history of the Grimms' fairy tales and investigate how various folktale types and gender stereotypes developed and became classical models for children and adults. It is an introduction to the genre of the literary fairy tale not only in Germany but in Europe and North America. In addition to analyzing the Grimms' fairy tales, different versions of Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty from the seventeenth to the twentieth century will be studied in order to examine how various authors have used the fairy tales to question gender stereotypes and project possibilities for social change. Tales written by French, Spanish, Italian, and American authors will be compared to those published by the Grimms. On the basis of these comparisons, such authors as Angela Carter, Olga Broumas, Robert Coover, and Tanith Lee will be studied in the contemporary period to see how they have created their own feminist and subversive versions that are part of a Grimm counter-tradition that will be discussed in class sessions along with fairy-tale films and illustrations. Finally, the transformation of the Grimm's tales into fairy-tale films will be examined to grasp the significance of the transformations of the genre within the contemporary culture industry.
German 3642 is an introductory course in German literary and cultural studies and comparative literature focusing on the analysis of key fairy tale texts in the development of the fairy tale genre in western culture. Emphasis will be placed on examining the transformation of folklore into literature (orality/literacy focus) and the depiction of gender stereotypes and the significance of feminism in the fairy-tale tradition. The key text will be The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm. At the same time, variants from French, Italian, American, British, and Spanish literature will be introduced to explore how the literary genre has undergone vast changes due to socio-cultural shifts in the last two hundred years leading to the cinematic transformation of fairy tales.
German 3642 thus satisfies the diversified core requirement for literature within the Humanities and arts core curriculum. The course fosters understanding of the way the fairy-tale genre has functioned in Europe and North America since the beginning of the nineteenth century, and it will show how writers and scholars of literature and culture have endeavored to analyze this genre. Students are shown how aspects of the human condition have been represented in German prose literature; how issues of race, ethnicity, and gender have played a role in the development of the literary fairy tale; how the representations of these issues in the fairy tales have been influenced by intellectual, aesthetic, and social trends within Western culture; and how these various cultural representations of the human condition can be understood, compared, and critically evaluated in light of developments in the mass media.
The course furthermore satisfies the designated theme requirement for international perspectives in that it contextualizes developments in German literary prose since the early nineteenth century not just within German literary and social history but within the broader frames of Western European history and Western culture in general.
The course fulfills the requirement for learning about the literary fairy tale, feminism, and folklore in a number of ways. Students are introduced to the fundamentals of the critical analysis of literature, history of the genre, and culture in class through a combination of lecture and general class discussion that is supplemented with small group work. The students thus have the opportunity to analyze prose texts together with the instructor and in their own small groups. The development of these analytical skills is thus continued in the writing of one research paper and two essay take-home essay examinations. Besides writing and reading the assigned texts, the students will be expected to read critical essays that contextualize the texts in terms of aesthetic, critical, and socio-political history and theory, both within the German as well as the broader European and Northern American contexts. These essays along with handouts and lectures by the instructor provide the comparative, international perspective.
In the course the historical development of the literary fairy tale based on the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm is contextualized broadly to take into account concerns that are not limited to the aesthetic and socio-political history of Germany alone. Some important issues in western culture that reflect these broad concerns are: the general discussion of orality and literacy in Europe and America; the institutionalization of literary genres; the effects that industrialization and technology have had on the transformation of the fairy-tale genre; the effect that the women's movement has had on the critique of gender in fairy tales; the influence of the Disney culture industry on fairy tales; the different forms that socialization of children take in Europe and American. The course also introduces students to the theory, practice, and history of literary and cultural criticism, touching on differences between German and American models, as well as traditional vs. more contemporary schools of criticism in America and in Europe today. As specified above in B, students read some critical essays that contextualize the prose texts in terms of aesthetic, critical and socio-political history and theory, both within the German as well as the broader European and North American contexts. These essays along with handouts and lectures by the instructor provide the comparative, international perspective.
Texts: The Complete Fairy Tales
of the Brothers Grimm. Trs. Jack Zipes. New York: Bantam, 1992.
Anthology of fairy tales to be obtained at Alpha Print, 1407 4th Street. Tel.
379-8535.
There will be a midterm examination and a final examination. Essay questions will be asked, and you will be required to be familiar with all the readings and write five-page answers to the questions. The class will be divided into groups, and each group will make a class presentation. In addition, there is a research paper due on May 20. It is to be typed and should be about 10 pages. The research paper can take the form of a revised "feminist" fairy tale, or a comparative study of one tale type that focuses on gender formation within a specific tale type.
Iron Hans.
The Frog King.
How Six Made their Way in the World.
The Brave Little Tailor.
A Tale about the Boy Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was.
The Thief and His Master.
Brother Lustig.
Gambling Hans.
Lucky Hans.
Bearskin.
The Devil's Sooty Brother.
The Four Skillful Brothers.
The Virgin Mary's Child.
Clever Else.
The Juniper Tree.
King Thrushbeard.
Lean Lisa.
The Little Hamster.
Snow White and Rose Red.
The House in the Forest.
The Nixie in the Pond.
Saint Joseph in the Forest.
The True Bride.
Princess Mouseskin.
Sweetheart Roland.
The Seven Ravens.
Clever Gretel.
The Clever Farmer's Daughter.
Fitcher's Bird.
The Six Swans.
The Goose Girl.
One-Eye, Two-Eyes, and Three-Eyes.
Giambattista Basile, The Cat
Cinderella. (1632)
Charles Perrault, Cinderella. (1697)
Grimm Brothers, Cinderella. (1812)
Anne Ritchie, Cinderella. (1878)
Guy Wetmore Carryl, How Fair Cinderella Disposed of Her Shoe.(1902)
Edward and Joseph Anthony, The New Story of Cinderella. (c. 1915)
Guillaume Apollinaire, Cinderella Continued. (1919)
Patrick de Heriz, Cinderella. (1946)
Joel Wells, The Night Thoughts of Cinderella. (1967)
Anne Sexton, Cinderella. (1971)
Jane Yolen, The Moon Ribbon. (1976)
Olga Broumas, Cinderella. (1977)
Roald Dahl, Cinderella. (1982)
Tanith Lee, When the Clock Strikes. (1983)
Maeve Binchy, Cinderella Re-Examined. (1985)
Peter Redgrove, Ashiepaddle. (1989)
Gwen Straus, Cinderella. (1990)
Angela Carter, Ashputtle: or, The Mother's Ghost. (1990)
Jon Scieszka, Cinderumpelstiltskin. (1993)
Brothers Grimm, Snow White.
(1812)
Franz Hessel, The Seventh Dwarf. (1926)
Patrick de Heriz, Snow White. (1946)
Anne Sexton, Snow Whit. e (1971)
Merseyside Fairy Story Collective, Snow White. (1972)
Robert Coover, The Dead Queen. (1973)
Olga Broumas, Snow White. (1977)
Roald Dahl, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. (1982)
Joni Crone, No White and the Seven Big Brothers. (1985)
Clodagh Corcoran, Ms Snow White Wins Case in High Court. (1989)
Gwen Strauss, Confessions of a Witch. (1990)
The Seventh Dwarf. (1990)
Tanith Lee, Snow Drop. (1993)
Basile, The Seven Bits of a Bacon-Rind.
(1632)
Marie-Jeanne L'Héritier, Ricdin-Ricdon. (1696)
Brothers Grimm, Rumpelstiltskin. (1812)
The Three Spinners. (1857)
The Lazy Spinner. (1857)
Spindle, Shuttle, and Needle. (1857)
Guy Wetmore Carryl, How Rumpelstilz Held Out in Vain for a Bonus. (1902)
Joel Wells, Rumpelstiltskin the Goldmaker. (1967)
Anne Sexton, Rumpelstiltskin. (1971)
Janosch, The Rumbeletiltskin. (1972)
Rosemarie Künzler, Rumpelstiltskin. (1976)
Olga Broumas, Rumpelstiltskin. (1977)
Sara Henderson Hay, The Name. (1982)
Rita Kramer, Rumpelstiltskin: His Story. (1987)
Giambattista Basile, Sun, Moon
and Talia. (1632)
Charles Perrault, Sleeping Beauty. (1697)
Brothers Grimm, Briar Rose. (1812)
Guy Wetmore Carryl, How a Beauty was Waked and Her Suitor was Suited.
(1902)
Edward and Joseph Anthony, The New Story of Sleeping Beauty. (c.1915)
Patrick de Heriz, The Sleeping Beauty. (1946)
Joel Wells, Sleeping Beauty. (1967)
Anne Sexton, Sleeping Beauty. (1971)
Günter Kunert, Sleeping Beauty. (1972)
Olga Broumas, Sleeping Beauty. (1977)
Sara Henderson Hay, The Sleeper. (1982)
Tanith Lee, Thorns. (1983)
Carolyn Swift, Sleeping Beauty Wakes Up to the Facts of Life. (1985)
Jane Yolen, The Thirteenth Fey. (1985)
R. A. Lafferty, The Story of Little Briar-Rose, A Scholarly Study. (1988)
S. Gwen Strauss, The Prince. (1990)
T. Sleeping. (1990)
Charles Perrault, Riquet with
the Tuft. (1697)
Jean-Paul Bignon, Princess Zeineb and King Leopard. (1712-14)
Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve, The Story of Beauty and the Beast. (1740)
Jean-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, Beauty and the Beast. (1757)
Brothers Grimm, The Singing, Springing Lark. (1857)
Guy Wetmore Carryl, How Beauty Contrived to Get Square with the Beast.
(1902)
Patrick de Heriz, Beauty and the Beast. (1946)
Janosch, The Singing, Springing Lionattikin. (1972)
Olga Broumas, Beauty and the Beast. (1979)
Angela Carter, The Courtship of Mr. Lyon. (1979)
The Tiger's Bride. (1979)
Sara Henderson Hay, Sequel. (1982)
Tanith Lee, Beauty. (1983)
Peter Redgrove, The Rose of Leo Mann. (1989)
Gwen Strauss, The Beast. (1990)
All research papers are due.
Giambattista Basile, Petrosinella.
(1632)
Charlotte Rose de La Force, Parslinette. (1697)
Brothers Grimm, Rapunzel. (1812) Ann Sexton, Rapunzel. (1971)
Merseyside Fairy Story Collective, Rapunzel. (1972)
Olga Broumas, Rapunzel. (1977)
Sara Henderson Hay, Rapunzel. (1982)
Tanith Lee, The Golden Rope. (1983)
Anne Claffey, et al, Rapunzel's Revenge. (1985)
Elizabeth A. Lynn, The Princess in the Tower. (1993)
Giambattista Basile, The Three Fairies. (1632)
Brothers Grimm, Mother Holle. (1812)
Peter Redgrove, A Job at Holle Park. (1982)
Giambattista Basile, The She-Bear.
(1632)
Charles Perrault, Donkey-Skin. (1697)
Brothers Grimm, All Fur. (1857)
The Maiden without Hands. (1857)
Giambattista Basile, Ninnillo and Nennella. (1632)
Charles Perrault, Little Thumbling. (1697)
Brothers Grimm, Hansel and Gretel. (1812)
Joel Wells, Hansel and Gretel. (1967)
Anne Sexton, Hansel and Gretel. (1971)
Gwen Strauss, Their Father. (1990)
Lisa Goldstein, Breadcrumbs and Stones. (1993)
Final Examination - Take-home Essay
Attic Press. Rapunzel's Revenge. Dublin: Attic Press, 1985.
Attic Press. Sweeping Beauties. Dublin: Attic Press, 1989.
Anthony, Edward and Joseph. The Fairies Up-to-Date. London: Thornton Butterworth, c. 1920.
Broumas, Olga. Beginning with O. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1977.
Carryl, Guy Wetmore. Grimm Tales Made Gay. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 1902.
Carter, Angela. The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories. London: Gollancz, 1979.
Dahl, Roald. Revolting Rhymes. London: Jonathan Cape, 1982.
Datlow, Ellen, and Terri Windling. Snow White, Blood Red. New York: William Morrow, 1993.
Gearhart, Sally Miller. "Roja and Leopold" in And A Deer's Ear, Eagle's Song and Bear's Grace: Animals and Women. Eds. Theresa Corrigan and Stephanie Hoppe. Pittsburgh: Cleis, 1990.
Hay, Sara Henderson. Story Hour. Fayeteville: University of Arkansas Press, 1982.
Heriz, Patrick de. Fairy Tales with a Twist. London: Peter Lunn, 1946.
Janosch. Not Quite as Grimm. London: Abelard-Schuman, 1974.
Kramer, Rita. "Rumpelstiltskin: His Story." South Dakota Review. 25 (Summer, 1987): 78-81.
Lee, Tanith. Red as Blood, or Tales of the Sisters Grimmer. New York: DAW, 1983.
Redgrove, Peter. The One Who Set Out to Study Fear. London: Bloomsbury, 1989.
Scieszka, Jon and Lane Smith. The Stinky Cheese and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. New York: Viking, 1992.
Sexton, Anne. Transformations. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1971.
Strauss, Gwen. Trail of Stones. London: Julia MacRae Books, 1990.
Wells, Joel. Grim Fairy Tales for Adults. New York: Macmillan, 1967.
Yolen, Jane. Tales of Wonder. New York: Schocken Books, 1983.
Yolen, Jane. Dragonfield and Other Stories. London: Futura, 1985.
Zipes, Jack. The Trials and Tribulations of Little Red Riding Hood. 2nd Ed. New York: Routledge, 1993.
Zipes, Jack. Ed., Spells of Enchantment: The Wondrous Fairy Tales of Western Culture. New York: Viking, 1991.
Auerbach, Nina and U.C. Knoepflmacher, Eds. Forbidden Journeys: Fairy Tales and Fantasies by Victorian Women Writers. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992.
Carter, Angela, Ed. The Virago Book of Fairy Tales. London: Virago, 1990.
Lurie, Alison, Ed. Clever Gretchen and Other Forgotten Tales. New York: Cromwell, 1980.
Fairytales for Feminists Series
published by Attic Press in Dublin:
Rapunzel's Revenge. 1985.
Ms Muffet and Others. 1986.
Mad and Bad Fairies. 1987.
Sweeping Beauties. 1989.
Minard, Rosemary, Ed. Womenfolk and Fairy Tales. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1975.
Phelps, Ethel Johnston, Ed. Tatterhood and Other Tales. Old Westbury, New York: Feminist Press, 1978.
Phelps, Ethel Johnston, ed. The Maid of the North: Feminist Folk Tales from around the World. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1981.
Philip, Neil, Ed. The Cinderella Story. London: Penguin, 1989.
Pogrebin, Letty Cottin, ed. Stories for Free Children. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1982.
Shwartz, Susan, Ed. Hecate's Cauldron. New York: Daw Books, 1982.
Zipes, Jack, Ed. Don't Bet on the Prince: Contemporary Feminist Fairy Tales in North America and England. New York: Methuen, 1986.
Zipes, Jack. Beauties, Beasts, and Enchantment: French Classical Fairy Tales. New York: New American Library, 1989.
Ariès, Philippe. Centuries of Childhood. A Social History of Family Life. New York: Knopf, 1962.
Aries, Philippe. "At the Point of Origin." Yale French Studies. 43 (1969): 15-23.
Barchilon, Jacques. "Uses of the Fairy Tale in the Eighteenth Century." Studies on Voltaire and the Eighteenth Century. 24 (1963): 111-138.
Barchilon, Jacques and Peter Flinders. Charles Perrault. Boston: Twayne, 1981.
Bottigheimer, Ruth B., ed. Fairy Tales and Society: Illusion, Allusion, and Paradigm. Philadelphia: U of Pennsylvania P, 1986.
Lüthi, Max. Once Upon a Time. On the Nature of Fairy Tales. Trans. Lee Chadeayne & Paul Gottwald, New York: Ungar, 1970.
Luthi, Max. The European Folktale: Form and Nature. Trans. John D. Niles. Philadelphia: Institute for the Study of Human Issues, 1982.
McGlathery, James M. Fairy Tale Romance: The Grimms, Basile, and Perrault. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1991.
Propp, Vladimir. Morphology of the Folktale. Eds. Louis Wagner and Alan Dundes. Trans. Laurence Scott. 2nd rev. ed. Austin: U of Texas P, 1968.
Propp, Vladimir. Theory and History of Folklore. Trans. Adriadna Y. Martin and Richard P. Martin. Ed. Anatoly Liberman. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 1984. Universitaires de Nancy, 1982.
Rowe, Karen E. "Feminism and Fairy Tales." Women's Studies. 6 (1979): 237-57.
Rowe, Karen E.. "To Spin a Yarn: The Female Voice in Folklore and Fairy Tale." Fairy Tales and Society: Illusion, Allusion, and Paradigm. Ed. Ruth B. Bottigheimer. Philadelphia: U of Pennsylvania P, 1986.
Velten, Harry. "The Influence of Charles Perrault's Contes de ma Mère L'Oie on German Folklore." The Germanic Review. 5 (1930): 14-18.
Waelti-Walters. Fairy Tales and the Female Imagination. Montreal: Eden Press, 1982.
Weber, Eugen. "Fairies and Hard Facts: The Reality of Folktales." Journal of the History of Ideas. 42 (1981): 93-113.
Zipes, Jack. Breaking the Magic Spell: Radical Theories of Folk and Fairy Tales. London: Heinemann, 1979.
Zipes, Jack. Fairy Tales and the Art of Subversion. The Classical Genre for Children and the Process of Civilization. London: Heinemann, 1983.
Zipes, Jack. The Brothers Grimm: From Enchanted Forests to the Modern World. New York: Routledge, 1988.
Zipes, Jack. Fairy Tale as Myth\Myth as Fairy Tale. Lexington: University of Kentucky Press, 1994.
Zipes, Jack. Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales, Children, and the Culture Industry. New York: Routledge, 1997.
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To send mail to Kay E. Vandergrift
Created March 1, 1997 and is continously revised