Jasmine Winters 2B

Gretel in Darkness Q1 FINAL

1) The story of Hansel and Gretel, a classic fairytale with a happy ending; no one but the

bad guys die, right? Everything is just peachy keen, and the siblings live happily ever after,

yeah? Wrong. In Louise Glcks poem Gretel in Darkness we see that one half of the heroic duo,

Gretel, still lives her days in fear and we see that she in fact harbors a deep, bitter indignation for

her brother after they return home from their near-death experience. Throughout this poem,

Glck - who also cleverly draws a parallel between the darkness mentioned in the title to that of

Gretels mind and the dark tone carried on across the story - makes use of various literary

devices such as the placement of an abrupt shift in tone and effective diction to convey,

respectively, Gretels resentment of her brother and the deep fear she still lives in even after her

traumatic ordeal.

While Gretel suffers with her own mental demons, she expects some form of support

from her brother Hansel, which she receives none of. This leaves Gretel feeling incredibly hurt,

aggrieved, and even betrayed. In the beginning of the poem Glck focuses on describing how

Gretel still feels unsafe and apprehensive about everything around her, as if the threat is still

lurking in the shadows. However, theres a big shift with Gretels abrupt statement regarding

how [She] killed for you [Hansel] (18). Up until that point Gretels tone had been fearful,

nervous, and on-edge, but suddenly it all goes bitter after that; that sudden shift in her tone really

portrays the hurt and anger that she feels toward her brother. To the reader it feels almost as if

she is seething and spitting in their face in genuine rage. 1) This sudden release of frustration

presented through the shift further strengthens the portrayal of Gretels bitter emotions toward

not only herself, her environment, and what shes had to go through, but her brother especially.

For Gretel, whats been seen cannot ever be unseen, for the trauma of which she has

experienced with her brother, Hansel, at the hands of the wicked witch has been seared into her

memory. Though the physical terror is out of sight, it is not out of mind, and we are made well

aware of this by the use of certain word choices that make the reader feel the apprehension and
 Jasmine Winters 2B

anxiety that Gretel still feels - as though something is still out to get her. To Gretel, everyone is

her enemy; 2) the diction of the poem tells us that she feels trapped as her father bars (11) the

door to their home, and even with those barred doors she still feels the presence of that terrifying

witch as her screeches seemingly break (4) the silent darkness in which Gretel has

encapsulated herself. Even the branches of trees look as if they are armed (18) and ready to

poke holes into her at any given moment. Glck utilizes such diction as bars, breaks, and

armed to show that Gretel is trapped within the darkness of her own fear, as if shes stuck in

her own little jail cell of trauma, and that though she wants to be strong, the unwanted memories

of the experience forcefully tear their way into her mind and make her feel as if there is still

something out there trying to harm her. 1) This intrusion on her peace of mind leaves her not

only in terror but also in bitter resentment toward everyone around her.

Louise Glcks Gretel in Darkness takes on a significantly heavy-hearted and twisted,

albeit more realistic, approach on a classic fairytale known by many. Although this rendition did

not necessarily end with a happily ever after, 2) it certainly ended with a touch on the topic of

trauma and the mental effects that can result from such damage. In Glcks poem exists a girl

that more accurately represents the majority of those who believe that one cannot simply go

about their day after being nearly cooked alive in a burning hot oven and eaten by a wicked

witch.