As disappointed as I was with the Howsam reading, I must admit that I greatly enjoyed Darnot's take on fairy tales. Although I was aware that fairy tales and folklore must have been changed as they were told from one generation to another, I was not aware that the culture of the people telling the stories would dictate the content is such a powerful way. The French have always struck me as being more eccentric and sexually-free than Americans, but even with such a forewarning I was shocked- and of course amused- when I read the eighteenth century French version of Little Red Riding Hood. It truly did seem like a raunchy story for adults and it is hard to fathom that this particular French story is what has transpired into one of the most beloved children's stories. I had also never thought to consider this tale as a symbolic story about the coming-of-age of a young girl with the red cape representing menstruation, the bottle symbolizing virginity, and the wolf representing the "ravishing male". For some reason that I cannot quite put my finger on, I do not like to think of this story as anything besides a children's tale with no hidden symbolism or deeper meaning other than that of "listen to your mother." With everything that I have to read and analyze as an English major, I took pleasure in being able to read a story and know that what I read was what I was all I was supposed to take away from the story and that no level of deeper thinking was required. I cherish the memories of the childhood fairy tales that I was told and to think that they had been-tainted, perhaps?- by a more cynical meaning saddens me.
One point with which I had to agree was, "No matter how accurate they may be, the recorded versions of the tales cannot convey the effects that must have brought the stories to life in the eighteenth century: the dramatic pauses, the sly glances, the use of gestures to set the scene..." When reading this, I realized that as much as I hate being read to- hence my dislike of audio books- there is something almost magical when someone is actually telling you a story, especially when it is a beloved parent, uncle, or grandmother who takes the time to act out the scenes, the sound effects, and the different voices. No matter how well a book may be written and despite wonderful use of description, nothing will be able to match the level of awe that a child has when a story is being told to her for the first time from someone who takes the time to cater the story to her likes and make it as wonderful an experience of possible.
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I have to say when I was reading that version of Little Red Riding Hood I was also Very shocked, even though I had knowledge that our bedtime Amercian fairy tales differed greatly from the older darker ones of europe. It was almost as if I didn't want to read it but it was so captivating (in a shocking way) that I became immensly drawn into it.
ReplyDeleteAlso, your quote regarding the effect of oral culture verse that of written culture stricks a point. Telling/hearing a story does not compare to reading it silently by yourself. If your think about it, the fairy tales still posses an oral culture(in a way) to this day and in this country because we all know the stories and can easily recite them as we remember them to be. We also see and hear various versions of, ex: Cinderella, emerging during this century, although through Hollywood and not oral culture.
I do not like to think of this story as anything besides a children's tale with no hidden symbolism or deeper meaning other than that of "listen to your mother."
ReplyDeleteThis says something about our culture. I agree, t is difficult to think of these tales as sexual violent as dark. That isn't the way our culture shared stories with us. We have the notion that stories are for children, therefore not to include what we see as adult themes. We were also trained to leave our stories happy endings. Even your desire for an innocent neutral story that does not require the analysis of an English major, is subject to analysis. Fun.
I’m not quite sure if it was the depiction of sex and violence or simply the underlying commonality of French literature, but I couldn't help but think of Marquis De Sade when reading the part of psychoanalytical viewpoints in Darnton's essay. Maybe it was a combination of both. I think you are on to something when you speak of the eccentricity and sexual freedom of French culture. I wasn't as shocked as you were reading Darnton because I had been exposed to this analysis before in another class. I think it may have even been this same essay but I couldn’t be certain, it was about ten years ago. Anyhow, I too was shocked and similarly amused the first time I encountered the same analysis. I'm with you on the point that these fairy tales simply became tainted when I read them with the elements of sex and violence. No matter how real a part of everyday life these elements were for French peasants, I also still like the version from my childhood.
ReplyDeleteIf I have children one day, I wonder if this will effect my telling them of these tales! Maybe I should practice on reading them to my niece first and see how that goes?
When breaking down "Little Red Riding Hood", Darnton does warn that, "...the moral of the story should be: beware of the psychoanalysts." I find a little bit of comfort in that.
Ghyath
"I had also never thought to consider this tale as a symbolic story about the coming-of-age of a young girl with the red cape representing menstruation, the bottle symbolizing virginity, and the wolf representing the "ravishing male"."
ReplyDeleteActually, you're not supposed to think of Little Red Riding Hood as a coming of age tale. Darton only mentions the so-called symbolism in it because he wanted to point out how these tales have been misconstrued. They are not meant to have a Freudian analysis applied to them, for during the centuries that these tales flourished, no such analysis existed.