GERM 130 - Once Upon a Time: Gender, Nation, and Childhood in Grimms’ Fairy Tales

FC ARHU CD

4 credits
Those familiar with modern adaptations of fairy tales are often shocked to read the original tales compiled by the Brothers Grimm. After all, gore, cannibalism, and dismemberment are hardly the stuff of Disney films. Students in this course will analyze the Grimms’ most enduring tales, examining their status as children’s literature, their relation to nationalistic discourse, and their position within the European fairy tale tradition. We will confront some of the troubling themes at the heart of these often still beloved stories: What purpose does gratuitous violence serve? Why do the Grimms censor sexual content? Exploring the influence of their collected tales well beyond 19th-century German-speaking borders, we will evaluate how modern adaptations disrupt or perpetuate these patterns. Readings and discussions in English.

This course is appropriate for new students.