Willie Chen, Period 5, 9/25/20, Day B

Willie Chen
9/25/20
Period 5
Modern Mythology 2021


    Maria Tatar’s introduction and Neil Gaiman’s article on the Guardian changed my perception of fairy tales, elevating the importance behind the stories that I once saw as meaningless. Tatar’s description of the gradual evolution of fairy tales and the mediums by which they are told gave me insight into the rich history that stood behind each story, as well as the innumerable variations they could have. I found it interesting that the invention of the printing press, and the ensuing wide availability of books restricted a key aspect of fairy tales up until that point: they had always been passed by word of mouth. It is the slight exaggerations and extraneous details that each storyteller adds to a fairy tale each time it is told that it to flourish, gradually evolving over time into many different variations. A modern limitation on this oral tradition can be seen in Disney’s retelling of classic fairy tales. It is wonderful that Disney has been able to spread the magic and wonder of fairy tales by making them accessible and child-friendly, but in doing so, they have effectively eradicated the other variants of such stories. The seemingly obsolete versions of fairy tales are now relegated to shelves and literature classes, replaced from the hearth by giant screens. I see this as tragic in a way because of the importance of fairy tales in preserving the culture and values of common people throughout history. However, it is equally inevitable that stories with elements of incest, abuse, and mutilation have become less commonplace in modern society.

    Gaiman’s article gave me a greater appreciation for fiction and fantasy books because of their role in fostering a love for reading among children. I can relate to his message because all my life I’ve been told that reading comics, Geronimo Stilton, or any book that has “too many pictures” is detrimental to my reading skills. He makes the point that it is crucial to allow children to learn to enjoy reading by letting them read what they want to read. This changes my perspective of reading fiction because all the fantasy books I’ve read about magic, dragons, and cunning thieves have not been pointless. Sometimes, to simply enjoy reading for pleasure is important, and the vast worlds we can visit through books provide us with more than what we can acquire in the real world.

    Today’s class consisted of three lessons: an examination of the common structures behind fairy tales, an introduction to critical theory, and a reflection on how fairy tales have influenced modern society. The first lesson described the axes of transformation and archetypes that defined the Cinderella story, revealing the common aspects that its variations share. Angel, one of my group members, compared the axes of transformation to Campbell’s hero’s journey, as they provide an outline for what happens to the main character in a fairy tale. However, a key difference between the two is that the hero’s journey aims to describe a common plot line, while the axes of transformation are more focused on changes in character. By finding the patterns that define the Cinderella story, we are able to categorize stories from different parts of the world as variants of Cinderella.

    The second lesson introduced critical theory and had us analyze Cinderella and Macbeth using a school of critical theory. Critical theory holds the idea that literary works can be viewed through many different perspectives, and they can therefore be interpreted in several different ways. When Ms. Fusaro entered my group, she clarified the difference between structuralism and post structuralism, two opposing schools of critical theory: structuralism contains the idea that literature has a fixed meaning, as intended by the author, while post structuralism rejects structuralism and states that the meaning of a text can vary by the interpreter. An example of these ideas being applied to Macbeth is Lady Macbeth’s actions and characteristics. Lady Macbeth manipulates and belittles Macbeth to convince him of killing Duncan for power, masterminding the scheme that began Macbeth’s decline. Lady Macbeth is bold, ambitious, and cunning, characteristics that would have been abhorred by the audience during the Elizabethan era, considering the roles of women at the time. Whereas Shakespeare intended to portray Lady Macbeth as diabolical, post structuralism allows the audience to decide that for themselves. This school of thought accepts that a reader of modern times may see Lady Macbeth in a more positive light, as she is willing to defy the gender roles and expectations of her time to achieve a greater standing.

    The third lesson had us take a look at the influence of fairy tales on our culture and societal norms today. This lesson asks us to reflect on how the evolution of Cinderella reflects how our culture has evolved over time. In modern times, fairy tales are generally associated to childrens’ stories, which has drastically altered aspects of stories that used to be commonplace. Incest is a common aspect of Cinderella stories, in which the father attempts to marry his daughter after his wife dies. This was particularly striking to read, as society is very intolerant of incest today, driving such variations of Cinderella out of popular culture. Another common plot point in Cinderella stories is the mutilation or death of the evil stepmother and stepsisters, which is considered too excessive for children nowadays. Considering the audience of fairy tales, parents today are more inclined to shelter their children from anything they consider inappropriate. The rise of content ratings and their importance to parents are an indicator of their intolerance for such inappropriate content. Although they have never been accepted by society, incest and mutilation are considered more taboo in modern culture, as reflected by changes in fairy tales.

    Critical theory and the analysis of text through different perspectives can relate to central concepts that are taught in history class. A major aspect of our history classes has always been to examine history from multiple perspectives, as issues are never only black and white. Critical theory expands such ideas to literature, with each school of critical theory also being influenced by its political and social context. Feminist criticism came about along with or as a result of the Second-wave feminist movement in the United States, which aimed to expand equality for women from beyond enfranchisement. The Civil Rights movement, which expanded the rights and equality of African Americans also contributed to the rise of critical race theory. It is clear that shifts in society’s culture are reflected in new schools of thought in critical theory.

    After thinking about how changes in fairy tales have reflected changes in modern culture, I am now eager to see how stories in all their various media will evolve from now into the future. Whether it will be by legendary memes or by record-breaking Disney movies, fairy tales will always continue to change with society.  It is worth paying attention to these changes because they reflect shifts in our culture and values. Fairy tales and the ways that we enjoy them have drastically changed over time, but it is undeniable that they have had a significant impact on our culture.