The Term Paper: The Journey of Fairytales: Adaptations and Themes from Child to Adult

The Journey of Fairytales: Adaptations and Themes from Child to Adult

Introduction

Fairytales are often assumed to be for children and while that is true, fairytales can also be geared to a more mature adult audience dependent upon the author who is re-telling the original fairytale. Fairytales seem to keep the same overall theme of their original plot but can deviate away from the smaller details of the story thus making it suitable for a multitude of audiences. While most fairytales are harmless and have a good wholesome moral to their story; some adaptations of those harmless fairytales are not suitable for children. Cristina Bacchllega states in her book: Fairy Tales Transformed?” Twenty-First Century Adaptations and the Politics of Wonder: “fairy tales have not always been for children only, and quite visibly are not so nowadays, my focus is not on the fairy tales as children’s literature but on fairytale adaptations for adults and young adults.” (Bacchllega) Bacchllega lays to rest the notion that fairytales are for children only in her book and explains how the adaptations of fairytales have occurred over time proving that fairytales are not just for children.

The themes of some fairytales are also something left to be desired through the eyes of a child as some fairytales have morals that are beyond their scope of thinking. Fairytales are still being adapted into modern day versions and even into movies that are stretching the boundaries of their original storyline. The research done will look at the works of Little Red Riding Hood and its adaptations into a more adult centered fairytale and the themes presented in fairytales such as Cinderella and Snow White. While all of these fairytales have children in mind, not all have evolved into something that most parents would consider appropriate for grade school children. Adults see fairytales as a slice of their childhood and are cherished because of the significance in relationship to their childhood but they are also intrigued by the adult versions of certain renditions done by authors to the original fairy tales. Most adaptations of fairytales are enjoyed by whomever reads them but there are always people who find them inappropriate, I hope to present both sides and give a glimpse into the big wide world of fairytales and their adaptations and themes.

Adaptations

Fairytale adaptation is something that is fairly common and many authors have told and retold their own versions of classic fairytales such as Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella and Snow White. Walt Disney also plays a huge part in the world of fairytales as the Disney renditions of childhood fairytales are most common amongst children. While children think the world of Disney movies such as Snow White and Cinderella, there are people that beg to differ and believe Disney’s magical version of popular childhood fairytales leave much to be desired. Donald P. Haase wrote an article called: Gold into Straw: Fairy Tale Movies for Children and the Culture Industry which was an article featured in The Lion and the Unicorn. In his article, he quotes Clarke Sayers who is known for “articulating one of the most famous and most trenchant criticisms of Disney’s adaptations of traditional fairytales” (Haase). In this article, Sayers argued that

“Folklore in a universal form, a great symbolic literature which represents the folk. It is something that came from the mases, not something that is put over on the masses. These folk tales have a definite structure. From the folk tale, one learns one’s role in life; one learns the tragic dilemma of life, the battle between good and evil, between weak and strong. One learns that if he is king, generous, and compassionate, he will win the Princess. The triumph is for all that is good in the human spirit” (Haase).

While Sayers brings up a good criticism of the famous Walt Disney, the popularity of its fairytale adaptations speaks volumes. Children are still learning the morals of the fairytales through the Disney adaptations even though it may be in a less harsh, dumbed down version of the original. Fairytales are known for being adapted to their audience and while the theme and plot generally stay the same, small changes to the story do make them a little more magical and child-like seem to be a great idea. Disney is known for making movies that are kid-friendly and this seems to be one of the biggest concerns of Clark Sayers. Haase stated in his article:

“Sayers maintained, distorted this moral purpose and proportion by sweeting the folktale: “He misplaces the sweetness and misplaces the violence, and the result is like soap opera, not really related to the great truths of life” (Haase).

I guess it is no secret that Sayers is less than a fan of fairytale renditions done by Walt Disney but that doesn’t change that fact that those fairytales are the most commonly known and do still portray the main theme of the fairytale along with the morals and lessons that parents are looking for their children to learn from fairytales.

            Haase also comments in his article about theories of Rudolf Schenda. Schenda argues the point that fairytales are not valid to teach morals and lessons to modern day children because the themes presented in fairytales is outdated and does not fit in children’s lives anymore. Schenda states:

“Fairy tales offer children… such a thick packet of long outdated familial, social, and conjugal norms that their divergence from actual patterns of living can lead to powerful disorientation. In contemporary reality more and more children deal not with happy weddings but with marriages hone to pieces and unmarried siblings. Children of today hear and read about emancipated woman and about feminist ideas, and they see the old patriarchal roles falling apart.” (Haase)

Schenda brings up a valid point, times have indeed changed and the olden days of finding and prince, falling in love and living happily ever after just is not the norm in this day of age. I have to agree that the adaptation of the fairytale in the eyes of Disney is a little too surreal and while is a beautiful story and great entertainment, maybe it is not such a great outlet to teach children morals and life lessons with. I also have to disagree with Schenda, while I do believe fairytale renditions are okay and I like the variations that different authors take to re-tell the authentic stories, I do have to disagree when Schenda stated these renditions should be laid to rest. In today’s world, if a fairytale is something that can give a child a little bit of hope and magic, that is okay. Everything in the world is far from butterflies and unicorns but if something simple like a magical variation of a fairytale by Walt Disney can make a child happy, then so be it. Schenda thinks the exact opposite of me when he states:

“If one must bring older children together with fairytales, then one should leave the text in their unbowdlerized, original form, as they were at the time they were originally written down, to the extent that can still be determined. If children alone or together with their teachers do not know what to make of such authentic texts, then one should consider whether or not the entire secondary production of fairytales in books and on tapes, for example, as well as fairy tale pedagogy, should be given a decent burial.” (Haase)

Adaptations play a huge role in the history of fairytales, without adaptations, one would not be able to truly understand and interpret the morals and themes of the original version. Bacchllega explains:

“Reading texts as adaptations focuses our attention on how they are, as narrative, shaped by “the protocols of distinct medium” and “mediated a series of filters” that in film, for example, include “studio style, ideological fashion, political and economic constraints, auteurist predilections, charismatic stars, cultural values and so forth”  (Bacchllega)

I enjoy reading all the adaptations of fairytales and would like to take a closer look at one of the mostly adapted fairytales that I thoroughly enjoyed this term: Little Red Riding Hood.

Adaptations: Little Red Riding Hood

            Throughout this term, we looked at many fairytales and their themes, adaptations and how they have evolved over the centuries. I am most familiar with modern day fairytales as not having studied most of the older classical works so when reading the classic version of Little Red Riding Hood and the various adaptations the simple and classic fairytale went through, my interest was piqued. I want to begin with the adaptation of Little Red Riding Hood as told by James Thurber in his version called The Little Girl and the Wolf. I am starting with this version because it is the most perplexed and risqué thus making me interested to learn more about all the ways in which different authors tell original stories such as Little Red Riding Hood. James Thurber had no reservations when re-telling the classic story and that is very evident in his theme through his re-telling of the story and his word choices. The short and not so sweet version is geared to an adult audience because of the language used; it may frighten a child. Thurber portrays Little Red Riding Hood as being a strong independent girl and she is not scared off easily nor controlled by the male role; the wolf. Thurber states: “So the little girl took an automatic out of her basket and shot the wolf dead. (Moral: It is not so easy to fool little girls nowadays as it used to be)” (Thurber). The dark and coldness of this version proves that not all fairytales are happy endings and that alternate endings or tweaks to the plot can completely give the fairytale a new theme and moral. Thurber placed Little Red Riding Hood in charge of her own fate and portrayed her as a powerful female when the classic version told by the Brothers Grimm depicted Little Red Riding Hood as a naïve little girl that just wanted to please her mother and provide for her ill grandmother. The Brothers Grimm tells the classic version of Little Red Riding Hood and in this version Little Red Riding Hood gets eaten by the wolf because of her naïve nature. Adaptations by Perrault and Thurber skew away from the Brothers Grimm version but in two different fashions, although both are quite dark in nature and not suitable for young children.

            Charles Perrault, like Thurber, had a quite cold and dark rendition of Little Red Riding Hood to tell. Perrault’s story of Little Red Riding Hood portrayed a sense of vulnerability and immaturity in Little Red Riding Hood. The wolf completely ran the show in Perrault’s version and the story gives off vibes that would be inappropriate for children. Cannibalism was strongly concentrated on in Perrault’s version of Little Red Riding Hood and the faint clues of sexual innuendos gives a sense that this is not a children’s version of Little Red Riding Hood. Perrault states:

“The wolf, seeing her come in, said to her, hiding himself under the bedclothes, "Put the cake and the little pot of butter upon the stool, and come get into bed with me."

Little Red Riding Hood took off her clothes and got into bed. She was greatly amazed to see how her grandmother looked in her nightclothes, and said to her, "Grandmother, what big arms you have!"

"All the better to hug you with, my dear."

"Grandmother, what big legs you have!"

"All the better to run with, my child."

"Grandmother, what big ears you have!"

"All the better to hear with, my child."

"Grandmother, what big eyes you have!"

"All the better to see with, my child."

"Grandmother, what big teeth you have got!"

"All the better to eat you up with."

And, saying these words, this wicked wolf fell upon Little Red Riding Hood, and ate her all up“ (Perrault).

The way in which the wolf invited Little Red Riding Hood into bed with him but only after she removes her clothes gives a sense of rape happening and Little Red Riding Hood is fearful of the wolf therefore doing as he instructs her to do. The strong nature of Little Red Riding Hood by Thurber would have never gotten into bed with the wolf as she was a strong and independent girl. The two variations of Little Red Riding hood by Perrault and Thurber are prime examples of how a classical version of a fairytale can be re-envisioned by an author and given a whole different spin to the plot of the story. While all the stories of Little Red Riding Hood are similar, their endings make them unique in their own respective ways. The versions as told by Perrault and Thurber support the fact that not all fairytales are for children and some are written especially for a more mature, adult audience.

In the Annotated Brothers Grimm, Tatar tells the classic story of Little Red Riding Hood and portrays a young girl sent by her mother to bring food to her ill grandmother. Tarter explains the different variations of Little Red Riding Hood in saying:

“Little Red Riding Hood taps into many childhood anxieties, but especially into one the psychoanalysts call the dread of being devoured. Although Perrault’s story and even the Grimms’ tale may take too violent a turn for some children, for others those same stories will end with a squeal of delight and a cry for more. And for those who are irritated by Little Red Riding Hood’s failure to perceive that the creature lying in her grandmother’s bed is a wolf, James Thurber’s “The Little Girl and the Wolf” and Roald Dahl’s “Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf” are healthy antidotes to Perrault and the Grimms” (Tatar)

All three versions analyzed here are a prime example of how fairytales can be geared towards both children and adults alike. There is no wrong or right way to analyze and re-tell a fairytale but there is a difference when we are categorizing between fairytales for children and adults. There are many benefits to telling variations of the same story, it shows how versatile a story can be and how the morals and themes of the fairytale can easily be altered by changing the ending of a fairytale or the events that led up to the ending dependent on the author alone. Donald Haase explains in his book: Fairy Tales and Feminism: New Approaches that

 “Zipes’s introductory study of the story’s history confirmed that “Little Red Riding Hood” not only reflects the civilizing process in Western societies but also has played a central role in that process by reinforcing the cultural ideology of the middle class. More specifically, he showed that the tales many adaptations embody a cultural struggle over attitudes toward sexuality and sex roles and toward male and female power. Furthermore, by showing how Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm produced versions of the story that dramatically altered the oral folktale, erasing its positive references to sexuality and female power, Zipe’s exposed how the classical tale came to be a “male creation and projection” that “reflects men’s fear of women’s sexuality—and their own as well” (D. Haase, Fairy Tales and Feminism: New Approaches)

Modern fairytales have been altered to show more real life aspects that could occur and I think Thurber would be the most modern day story of Little Red Riding Hood because of her independence. Women are very independent now for the most part and would take matters into their own hands if confronted by a big bad wolf. I would like to think that most women would be like the Little Red Riding Hood of Thurber’s version because she is the most independent and well-rounded Little Red Riding Hood. 

Themes- Snow White and Cinderella

            I chose Snow White and Cinderella to discuss the themes of their fairytales because they both have modern day versions of the original stories and although the elements of the original story may vary, the theme is almost always the same. Both Snow White and Cinderella have some great stories that were told and re-told time and time again thus leaving us with great ideas to compare and contrast.

In Snow White’s stories, she succumbs to jealousy and greed at the hands of her evil stepmother but reaps revenge in the end. All versions of Snow White that I have read during the course of this term have had a happy ending for Snow White and left her reveling in her evil stepmother’s dismay. Again, we revisit the idea of fairytales for children vs. fairytales for adults and I feel the Disney version of Snow White is the only version in a video format that would be considered “kid-friendly”. Adaptations like Snow White and the Huntsman and Mirror Mirror offer us a modern day version of a classic fairytale that while following the general storyline of the classic Snow White, the stories may be a little mature for children to follow therefore they are better suited for a more mature audience.

The Story of Cinderella is a tried and true classic fairytale with a happy ending. The theme of determination and good things come to those who deserve it are quite evident in the versions of Cinderella discussed this term. In the fairytale of Cinderella, the theme shows the audience that greed and jealousy will get you nowhere in life and that you should treat people nicely no matter their statue in life. The adaptations of Cinderella on modern day television carry this same theme and unlike the modern day versions of Snow White, I believe the modern day versions of Cinderella are suitable for children of all ages as there are no dark natured moments in the movies.

There are good lessons to be taught by adaptations to classic fairytales and reading the adaptations of fairytales by different individuals can be quite educational. Reading different variations of the same story makes you open your eyes to imagination and grasp a better understanding of the original classic fairytale. Not all people think the retelling of a classic fairytale is a good idea as to preserve its history. Haase states in his article, Yours, Mine, or Ours? Perrault, The Brothers Grimm, and the Ownership of Fairy Tales that:

“Because they had their genesis in an oral tradition, we are tempted to imaginae their original tellers as simple folk endowed with infallible wisdom and, in some cases, divine inspiration. As a consequence of that belied, tampering with the classic texts of Perrault and the Brothers Grimm is considered by some to be tantamount to sacrilege, similar to revising the text of the Holy Scriptures” (D. Haase)

I enjoyed reading this journal article entry by Donald Haase because it supported that not every person thinks the same way about fairy tale adaptations and that every person is entitled to their own opinion. The variations of fairytales is quite vast and to read about the different thoughts of people who are familiar with the adaptation of fairytales is quite refreshing.

            Some writers of fairytale adaptations wrote the fairy tale to fit a certain agenda they were passionate about. Another article by Donald Haase titled: Fairy Tales and Feminism: New Approaches explains:

 “Throughout the 1970’s these ideas were repeated in writings by American feminists, which did not always analyze fairy tales in depth but more frequently utilized them simply as evidence to demonstrate the sociocultural myths and mechanisms that oppress women.” (D. Haase, Fairy Tales and Feminism: New Approaches)

Every author who evaluates or interprets a classic fairytale has an agenda in mind and those with a stance on feminism were no different. Haase states: “the Grimms’ fairy tales as an example of cultural tests whose models of male selfhood could be adopted and reinterpreted by women in light on their own search for identity” (D. Haase, Fairy Tales and Feminism: New Approaches). Female authors that choose to re-tell a classic fairytale may make the female character more dominant than the male which is ironic in some fashions but most adaptations are and push the limits of the classic fairy tale.

Conclusion

Classic Fairytales are plenty and their adaptations are widely available. Fairytales can be adapted for many reasons and every author that writes an adapation has a reason in mind as to why they want to re-tell the classic fairytale. From changing the fairytale to male dominated to female dominated to changing the ending from a naïve girl to an independent powerful girl; fairytales and their adaptations are a plenty and each is special in its own unique way.

            Sylvie Geerts and Sara Van Den Bossche explain the adaptations of fairytales in a great manner:

“The roots of children’s literature are commonly known to lie in adaptation. The texts most frequently adapted for a child audience are either canonized literary works for adults or children’s books which have acquired a high status of their own. In both cases, the stories are adapted to fit the needs of new readers in other contexts.” (Geerts and Van den Bossche)

This statement by Geerts and Bossche support that children’s fairytales may have to be re-told to make them age appropriate dependent upon the content of the classic fairytale. Not all fairytales are centered on children and some are written for adults therefore making the fairytale too grim for a child.

            There are many reasons why adaptations are helpful and needed to truly understand a fairytale. The multiple works and visions of different authors re-telling the same fairy tale really help one to understand the themes and morals of the classic fairytales.

Works Cited

Bacchllega, Cristina. Fairy Takes Transformed?: Twenty-First-Century Adaptations and the Politics of Wonder. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2013. 15 May 2017.

Geerts, Sylvie and Sara Van den Bossche. Never-ending stories: adaptation, canonisation and ideology in children's literature. Ghent: Academia Press, 2014. Document. 15 May 2017.

Haase, Donald. Fairy Tales and Feminism: New Approaches. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2004. Document. 15 May 2017.

Haase, Donald P. "Gold into Straw: Fairy Tale Movies for Children and the Culture Industry." The Lion and the Unicorn 12.2 (1998): 193-207.

Haase, Donald. "Yours, Mine, or Ours? Perrault, The Brothers Grimm, and the Ownership of Fairy Tales." Merveilles & contes 7.2 (1993): 383-402. Document. 15 May 2017.

Perrault, Charles. Little Red Riding Hood. California: London, 1697.

Tatar, Maria. The Annotated Brothers Grimm. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2012. 15 May 2017.

Thurber, James. The Little Girl and the Wolf. Reader;s Theatre Script Service, 1982.