Introduction to the Fairy Tale:

Origins and (Happily Ever) Afterlives

[L16- Comp Lit 352A]

Course Description:
From Little Red Riding Hood to Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast to Snow White and beyond, fairy tales have permeated
nearly every aspect of our lives. Where did they come from? Why have they endured throughout the centuries? What
makes a fairy tale a fairy tale, really? This course will lead us on a journey through time and space to seek answers to
these questions. We will analyze popular fairy tales from 17th-century France, 19th-century Germany, 20th- century
United Kingdom and America as well as cinematic adaptations from Disney and Hollywood. Using a variety of
methodologies, we will explore the structure and function of fairy tales, how they have evolved over time to retain their
social influence, to what extent categories that have been proposed by scholars such as Vladimir Propp and Antti Arne
are useful for understanding them, while we also situate these tales within their national traditions and historical
periods. We will encounter magical beings of all shapes and sizes, wonderful worlds filled with mystery and intrigue, but
not everything has a happy ending. You may come to realize that Cinderella’s wicked stepmother, Little Red’s wolf, or
Snow White’s poisoned apple are much more frightening than you ever imagined!

Course Objectives:
In this course students will:
● develop critical/analytical reading skills
● Improve their writing skills
● gain an understanding of the structure, meaning, and function of fairy tales
● expand their historical, cultural, and theoretical knowledge
● argue a thesis with supporting evidence

Required Text:
The Classic Fairy Tales, ed. Maria Tatar. Norton Critical Editions, 2nd. Ed (2017)
ISBN: 978-0-393-28978-7 (E-Textbook available)
All other readings will be made available as PDFs on Canvas.

Required Films (streaming available on A-Res):

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (Disney, 1937)
La Belle et la Bête (Jean Cocteau, 1946)
Beauty and the Beast (Disney, 1991)
Sleeping Beauty (Disney, 1959)
Cinderella (Rodgers and Hammerstein, 1997)
Freeway (Republic Pictures, 1996)
Elizabeth Harvest (IFC Films, 2018)

Recommended Reading:
Fairy Tales and the Art of Subversion. Jack Zipes. Routledge. (2006).
ISBN: 978-0-415-97669-5
The Hard Facts of the Grimms’ Fairy Tales, Maria Tatar. Princeton University Press (1987).
ISBN: 0-691-06722-8
Morphology of the Folktale, Vladimir Propp. University of Texas Press, (2011).
ISBN: 978-0-292-78376-8
The Complete Grimm’s Fairy Tales, The Pantheon Fairy Tale & Folklore Library (2005).
ISBN: 0-394-70930-6
The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales: The Western fairy tale tradition from medieval to modern,
ed. Jack Zipes. Oxford University Press (2000).
ISBN: 0-19-860115-8 (hardcover) or 0-19-860115-9 (paperback)
The Juniper Tree and Other Tales from Grimm, Lore Segal and Maurice Sendak (1973).
ISBN: 0-374-18057-1

Course Requirements:
Students are required to attend all class meetings and be fully prepared to participate in discussions. Completion of
assigned readings and/or film viewings prior to class, active participation in class discussions, which will vary from full
group to partnered tasks, and satisfactory completion of all assignments are expected. There will be an in-class midterm
exam, one announced in-class quiz in the second half of the semester. Students will complete three essays, which will
demonstrate critical reading and writing skills as well as understanding of the overall content and contexts of the course.
The first two essay assignments will be graded based on an average of a first and final draft. The final essay will be
slightly longer than the first two and will therefore be worth a higher percentage of your final grade. There will be no
final exam.

Grading Breakdown:
Midterm Exam: 15%
Essay I, II (15% each) 30%
Essay III 20%
Participation 20%
Homework 15%

Attendance: Attendance of all class meetings is essential for the success of this course. Being present and prepared for
class discussions supports not only your own learning goals, but also those of your peers and your instructor. If you need
to miss class for any reason, please email me prior to the start of class time. You are responsible for keeping track of any
handouts or notes that you may have missed due to an absence. More than three unexcused absences or frequent
tardiness will lower your participation grade by 1/3 (A→ A-; A- → B+). Make-up exams are not possible except in the
case of documented emergencies. Essays handed in after the due date will receive an automatic 1/3-step grade
reduction every three days beyond the due date.

Electronic Devices and Readings:

All additional readings from sources other than The Classic Fairy Tales will be supplied in PDF format on Canvas. I
acknowledge that printing can be expensive. Therefore, electronic devices such as a laptop, tablet or e-reader will be
allowed. However, use of such devices for any purpose other than taking notes or consulting the assigned texts is strictly
forbidden. In order to eliminate the temptation to check emails or social media, I highly encourage you to set your
device to airplane mode for the duration of class. This policy can be revoked if it is determined that students are too
frequently distracted by these devices. Cell phones must be out of sight and set to silent.
** As the course develops, it may be necessary to alter the syllabus, including postponing due dates of assignments.
These changes will be announced as early as possible so that students can adjust accordingly. Students are expected
to check their email and Canvas on a regular basis for course-related announcements.
 Semester Plan

Date Theme/Topic Readings/Homework (for following class period)

Introduction - Little Red Riding Hood

1/19 Course Introduction & Syllabus:
Tues ‘Le Petit Chaperon Rouge’ &
‘Little Red Riding Hood’ in Oxford
Companion to Fairy Tales (in-
class handouts)
“Fact and Fantasy: The Art of Reading Fairy Tales” in Hard Facts pp. 39-58
(PDF); Aarne-Thompson-Uther (ATU) Fairy Tale Classification System
(http://oaks.nvg.org/uther.html)

1/21 Reading Fairy Tales: The Classic Fairy Tales (Norton): Introduction + various versions of Little
Thurs Classification Systems and the Red Riding Hood, pp. Xi-30; ATU tale type 333 (Online)
Art of Reading Fairy Tales
Homework: Narrative Analysis Worksheet

1/26 Little Red Riding Hood: Who is “Fairy-Tale Discourse: Toward a Social History of the Genre” in Fairy
Tues she, really? Tales and the Art of Subversion, pp. 1-13 (PDF); “The Method and
Material” in Morphology of the Folktale, pp. 19-24 (PDF)

1/28 Culture and Method: Fairy Tale At Home Film Screening (A-Res): Freeway (1996)
Thurs Soup (a dash of culture and a Homework: Film Analysis Worksheet
pinch of history); Deconstruction
= Structure?

2/2 Modern Perspectives: Visual Homework: Review Worksheet

Tues Representation and **Bring all notes to class for review session & writing workshop**
Modifications of LRRH

Bluebeard: Domestic Violence, Prohibition, and Control

2/4 Reflections: What is the recipe
Thurs for “fairy tale soup”?
Writing Workshop in
preparation for Essay #1 (Due
2/16)
“Sex and Violence: The Hard Core of Fairy Tales” Hard Facts, pp. 3-39
(PDF);
“Bluebeard” in Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales, pp. 54-57 (PDF)

2/9 Reading Fairy Tales: Hidden The Classic Fairy Tales (Norton): Introduction to Bluebeard + various
Tues Horrors versions of the Bluebeard tale type, pp. 182-229; ATU tale type 312/
312A and 955 (Online)
Homework: Narrative Analysis Worksheet
2/11 Bluebeard: Breaking Taboos, At Home Film Screening (A-Res): Elizabeth Harvest (2018)
Thurs Forbidden Curiosity, and the Homework: Film Analysis Worksheet
Desire for Control

2/16 Modern Perspectives: Humanity “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” in Oxford Companion to Fairy
Tues and Technology Tales, pp.478-480 (PDF); “Born Yesterday: The Spear Side” in Hard Facts,
**Essay #1 Due!** pp. 85-106 (PDF)

Snow White: Innocence on Display

2/18 Reading Fairy Tales: Haughty The Classic Fairy Tales (Norton): “Introduction: Snow White” + various
Thurs Heroes vs. Humble Heroines versions of the Snow White tale type, pp. 84-117; ATU tale type 709
(Online)
Homework: Narrative Analysis Worksheet

2/23 Snow White: Fragility (Mirrors “Through the Looking Glass: Mirrors, Fantasy, and Reality” in Fairy Tales,
Tues and Emotions) Myth, and Psychoanalytic Theory: Feminism and Retelling the Tale, pp.
85-113 (PDF); “The Queen’s Looking Glass: Female Creativity, Male
Images of Women, and the Metaphor of Literary Paternity” in The
Madwoman in the Attic, pp.36-44 (PDF)

2/25 Culture and Method: At Home Film Screening (A-Res): Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
Thurs Feminism(s) (1937)
Homework: Film Analysis Worksheet

3/2 Modern Perspectives:
Tues Reflections of Society
**Essay #1 Rewrite Due!**
The Classic Fairy Tales (Norton): “Introduction: Tricksters”; Grimm
“Hansel and Gretel”; “Fulano de Tal and His Children”; Grimm “The
Juniper Tree”; Perrault “Little Thumbling”; “Momotaro, or the Peach
Boy”, pp 229-252, 255-263, 270-272; ATU tale type 327 (Online)
Homework: Narrative Analysis Worksheet

Tricksters, Imps and Orphans

3/4 Hansel and Gretel: Cannibalism Homework: Midterm Review Worksheet

Thurs and Other Questionable Choices ** Bring all notes to class for review session**

3/9 Midterm Discussion and Study for the Midterm

Tues Review:
Mirror, mirror, on the wall…
what is the moral of these
stories all?

3/11 **In-Class Midterm Exam** Homework: Writing Workshop Preparation Sheet

Thurs **Bring all notes to class for writing workshop**
 Spring Break! No classes on March 16th or March 18th

Cinderella and the Supernatural

3/23 Review and Writing Workshop “Cinderella” and “Cinderella, Film Versions” in Oxford Companion to
Tues in preparation for Essay #2 (Due Fairy Tales, pp. 95-100 (PDF); The Classic Fairy Tales (Norton):
3/30) “Introduction: Cinderella” + various versions of the Cinderella tale type,
pp.139-182.; ATU tale type 510A/B (Online)
Homework: Narrative Analysis Worksheet

3/25 Cinderella: Social Persecution “Nature under Glass: Victorian Cinderellas, Magic and Metamorphosis”
Thurs and (Super)Natural Interventions in Fairy Tales, Natural History and Victorian Culture, pp.80-101 (PDF)

3/30 Reading Fairy Tales: The Glass “Revision and Repetition” in Fairy Tales, Myth, and Psychoanalytic
Tues Slipper and other Consumerist Theory: Feminism and Retelling the Tale, pp.57-85 (PDF)
Motifs
**Essay #2 Due!**

4/1 Culture and Method: Mothers At Home Film Screening: Cinderella (1997) OR Ever After (1998)—Each
Thurs and Daughters Rewritten half of the class will view one film. Groups tbd.
Homework: Film Analysis Worksheet

4/6 Modern Perspectives: ‘Happily “Taming the Beast: Bluebeard and Other Monsters” in Hard Facts,
Tues Ever After’ Goes Global pp.156-179 (PDF); “Beauty and the Beast” in Oxford Companion to Fairy
Tales, pp. 46-49 (PDF)

Beauty and the Beast and Other Magical Creatures

4/8 Reading Fairy Tales: Pigs and The Classic Fairy Tales (Norton): “Introduction: Beauty and the Beast” +
Thurs Frogs and Beasts, oh my! various versions of the beastly tale type, pp. 39-84; ATU tale type 425
(Online)
Homework: Narrative Analysis Worksheet

4/13 Beauty and the Beast: “Sublimation and All-Inclusiveness” in The European Folktale, pp. 66-80
Tues Appearances are Deceiving (PDF)

4/15 Culture and Method: Universal At Home Film Screening: La Belle et la Bête (1946) and Beauty and the
Thurs Purity and Magic Beast (1991)
**Essay #2 Rewrite Due!** Homework: Film Analysis Worksheet

4/20 Modern Perspectives: Cinematic The Classic Fairy Tales (Norton): “Introduction: Sleeping Beauty’”+
Tues Magic various versions of the ‘glass coffin’ tale type, pp. 117-139; ATU tale type
 410 (Online); “Sleeping Beauty” in Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales, pp.
467&476 (PDF)
Homework: Narrative Analysis Worksheet

Sleeping Beauty: Passive Femininity and Voyeurism

4/22 Sleeping Beauty: Reviving the “Show and Tell: Sleeping Beauty as Verbal Icon and Seductive Story”
Thurs Static Marvels & Tales: Journal of Fairy-Tale Studies, pp.142-158 (PDF); “One-
Dimensionality” in The European Folktale, pp.4-10 (PDF)

4/27 Culture and Method: The At Home Film Screening: Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Tues ‘tableau vivant’ and the Male Homework: Film Analysis Worksheet
Gaze

4/29 Semester Wrap-up Final Paper Due on May 7th

Thurs

Academic Integrity:
Students are expected to abide by the university’s guidelines of academic integrity, which prohibits all instances of
plagiarism. You may not seek the guidance of teaching assistants not assigned to this course. You may set up an
appointment with me or visit my office hours prior to an essay’s due date to help you identify problems or address
concerns in your work that you can correct on your own. For information about the university’s policy please visit:
http://www.wustl.edu/policies/undergraduate-academic-integrity.html

Students with Disabilities:

Washington University is committed to providing accommodations and/or services to students with documented
disabilities. Students who are seeking support for a disability or a suspected disability, related accommodations and
guidance should contact Disability Resources at 935-4153. Disability Resources is responsible for approving all disability-
related accommodations for WU students, and students are responsible for providing faculty members with formal
documentation of their approved accommodations at least two weeks prior to using those accommodations. I will
accept Disability Resources Accommodations Letter forms by email and personal delivery. If you have already been
approved for accommodations, I request that you provide me a copy of your Accommodation Letter within the first two
weeks of the semester.

Inclusive Classroom Environment:

The best learning environment is one in which all members feel respected while being productively challenged. At
Washington University, we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive atmosphere, in which all participants can contribute,
explore and challenge their own ideas as well as those of others. Every participant has an active responsibility to foster a
climate of intellectual stimulation, openness and respect for diverse perspectives, questions, personal backgrounds,
abilities and experiences, although instructors bear primary responsibility for its maintenance.
A range of resources is available to those who perceive a learning environment as lacking inclusivity. If possible, we
encourage students to speak directly with their instructor or TA about any suggestions or concerns they have regarding
a particular instructional space or situation. Alternatively, students may bring concerns to another trusted adviser or
administrator (such as an academic adviser, mentor, department chair or dean). All classroom participants -- including
faculty, staff, and students -- who observe a bias incident affecting a student may also file a report (whether personally
or anonymously) utilizing the online Bias Report and Support System offered by the Center for Diversity and Inclusion.

Course Content: Balancing Rigor and Respect

Students will have a variety of reactions to a course’s subject matter. In cases of general discomfort with course
material, students are encouraged to see their respective instructor, academic adviser or program director to discuss
course content or any related concerns. For specific instances in which course material seems likely to cause the re-
experiencing of trauma, students should contact Student Health Services, Disability Resources, the RSVP Center or the
Office of the Title IX Coordinator for assistance and/or to request reasonable accommodations for trauma-related
disabilities or conditions. While the university does not require me to make fundamental alterations to the curriculum or
course material, I aim to be alert to possible adverse reactions to material, to consider reasonable accommodations, and
to refer students to the above resources for additional support.

Preferred Names and Gender Inclusive Pronouns:

Washington University recognizes that many students prefer to use names other than their legal ones to identify
themselves. As long as the use of this preferred name is not for the purposes of misrepresentation, the university
acknowledges that a ‘preferred name’ can and should be used where possible in the course of university education and
communication. This policy is limited to first names and not surnames or family names. For non-U.S. citizens, the official
name of record is the passport name. If you have a preferred name not yet reflected in the enrollment system, please
bring it to my attention so that I can change my roster accordingly. Additionally, in order to affirm all individual’s gender
identity and lived experiences, please let me know if you have specific pronouns that you prefer to use.
Essay Topics (sample):

#1 Little Red Riding Hood:

● Several versions of (ATU 333) “Little Red Riding Hood” can be read as tales about female initiation into
womanhood. Explain the ways in which the tale takes the girl through the process of maturation. Think about
her actions, the actions of those around her, and any symbolism in the tale. Include at least 3 different
narratives (textual and/or filmic) in your analysis.
● Vladimir Propp and Antti Aarne (among others) created methodologies for categorizing fairy tales based in part
on their characters and the functions of those characters. Discuss the different ways in which 3 different
versions of “Little Red Riding Hood” depict the central characters; the girl, the wolf, and the grandmother. How
does the meaning or message of the tale change based on their representation/function in the narrative?
● Imagery, symbolism and motifs play a central role in fairy tales. To what extent are these narrative devices
manipulated across different adaptations and variations of the tale and to what end? How have modern
retellings translated traditional elements to reflect their social contexts? How does the clothing of characters,
the shape of the helper, the nature of ‘the path’, or grandma’s house change? Do these modernizing changes
modify the message of the tale or not? Drawing on at least 2 textual and 1 filmic version, explain the effects of
modernization.

#2
#3
 Film Analysis Worksheet

Before you watch the film read through all of the questions so that you will know what to look for. You should
take quick notes while you are watching the film. Your notes will help you remember what you noticed so that
you can elaborate in the post-viewing section of questions.

Pre-Viewing Questions:
1. Title of the film:_______________________________________________
2. Film Release Date: ___________________________________________
3. Adapted from which fairy tale?___________________________________
4. Expectations: Based on your knowledge of the fairy tale from which this film was adapted, what major
characteristics do you expect to see?

During the Screening: While you view the film, take note of the following cinematic characteristics. These
notes will help you complete the post-viewing questions. Your answers for this section can be brief. You do
not need to write in complete sentences.
1. Mise en Scene:
a. Setting (general/specific; real/imaginary)
b. Cultural insight (what type of world is being portrayed?)
c. Characters (choice of actors, how they appear)

2. Editing:
a. Narrative time (manipulation with flashbacks, slow motion, etc?)
b. Pacing/Rhythm (scene lengths, speed of narrative, odd cuts?)

3. Sound:
a. Sources (diegetic/non-diegetic, on/off-screen)
b. Type (dialogue, ambient, music/score, silence)
c. The Role of Sound (mood/meaning/situation)

4. Genre & Narrative

a. Is there a narrator?
b. Who is the protagonist? How is the protagonist portrayed? (hero/antihero; character flaws;
goals; purpose; relationships with other characters)?
c. Who is the antagonist? How is the antagonist portrayed?
d. Which other characters play an important role in the story?
e. Plot (chronological? Compared to the fairy tale?)
f. What genre is the film? How do you know? Does it meet the conventions of that genre?
g. Specific character types?
Post-Viewing Questions: Select three (3) of the following questions and write a response of no more than 100
words for each. You may use your notes from the previous section.
1. What is the conflict that is driving the protagonist to act? How is that conflict similar to or different
from the original fairy tale(s)?

2. Is there another less important conflict (i.e. subplot) which helps drive the story? If so, describe
that conflict and who is involved.

3. Describe the actions that the protagonist takes in order to resolve the conflict.

4. What is the climax or moment of highest tension in the film?

5. How is the conflict resolved? Compare to the fairy tale.

6. What lessons from this film can viewers apply to their own lives? Name three and, for each,
describe the lesson. Describe how the personality traits of the characters and the events of the
story teach the lesson.
a. Lesson 1:
b. Lesson 2:
c. Lesson 3:

7. Identify two narrative devices, such as motif, symbol, foreshadowing, flashback, irony, or language
choice that are used and describe how they affect the progression of the plot, assist in character
development, or convey meaning.
a. Device 1:
b. Device 2:

8. What might you add to the film that would better enable viewers to appreciate the story told by
the fairy tale?

9. How are the customs/values portrayed in the film different from those in the literary fairy tale(s)?
(Aspects of culture/society include: religion, class, politics, attitude, bias)