Blog Entry 11

December 01, 2019

This semester I have read and learned about a lot of new and old fairy tales. These fairy tales were “Brier Rose”, “Cinderella”, “Little Snow White”, “The Brave Little Tailor”, “The Frog King”, “Little Red Cap”, “The Robber Bridegroom”, “Bluebeard”, “Fitcher’s Bird”, “Hansel and Gretel”, “The Juniper Tree” and “Rapunzel”.

Some of these tales were known to me and others weren’t. The interesting part was that even the tales I did know I realized I didn’t know the original Brothers Grimm version of the tale. I learned a lot about the Brothers Grimm themselves and how what is happening in society can be reflected in literature from that time. Knowing who the Brothers Grimm were and where they were from allowed a deeper understanding and respect for the tales they wrote.

I feel like when I read fairy tales I can’t wait to unearth and decipher the meaning behind the words being read. It is an exciting and useful tool to be able to analyze and look beyond just the literal meaning of symbols and words. I have also learned to write academically with the use of sources. Using the library system and research techniques to acquire the resources I need are skills which I feel I have become quite proficient at. I really enjoyed writing the first essays and exposing the flaws in female characters in fairy tales. The service-learning project was a highlight. Interacting and teaching the children about “The Brave Little Tailor” was a lot of fun and very rewarding. “The Brave Little Tailor” is my favorite tale and not a very well-known one so to be able to share it with the children was very special. Having the lesson my group and I planned to come together and go so well was exciting. This semester in From Grimm to Disney was very interesting, eye-opening and I really enjoyed it.