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The German Fairy Tale Tradition


Course Description

Traditional folk fairy tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm and literary fairy tales by Clemens Brentano, Ludwig Tieck, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué and others in their social and cultural contexts. Taught in German.


Athena Title

German Fairy Tale Tradition


Prerequisite

GRMN 3010 or GRMN 3015


Grading System

A - F (Traditional)


Course Objectives

This course introduces students to the study of fairy tales as a means of learning about culture and society. Students will continue to develop their German language skills by reading, discussing and writing critically about fairy tales and they will learn to read fairy tales in the social and cultural context of early 19th century Germany. Students will learn about the didactic, social and political significances of fairy tales at this point in Germany's history.


Topical Outline

In this course, students will begin by reading traditional folk fairy tales by the Grimm brothers in the original German. The selection of folk fairy tales will include commonly known and less commonly known fairy tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Students will also read some secondary literature about the fairy tales and their psychological and cultural interpretations. These readings will be organized in thematic units: Folk Fairy Tales Week 1 – stepchildren/stepmothers • Aschenputtel • Sneewittchen Week 2 – naïve girls and dangerous wolves • Little Red Cap • Red Riding Hood (Charles Perrault) Week 3 - the power of love and patience • Dornröschen • Rapunzel Week 4 – siblings/team work • Hänsel and Gretel • Brüderchen und Schwesterchen • Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten Week 5 – spinning/hard work • Die drei Spinnerinnen • Rumpelstilzchen • Frau Holle Week 5 – violent husbands • Der Räuberbräutigam • Blaubart Weeks 6-7: secondary literature about folk fairy tales and film Bruno Bettelheim: “Little Red Cap and the Pubertal Girl” Jack Zipes: “’Little Red Riding Hood’ as Male Creation and Projection” Linda Worley: “The Horror! Gothic Horror Literature and Fairy Tales: The Case of ‘Der Räuberbräutigam” Film: “Red Riding Hood”; TV series: “Grimm” Weeks 8-15 Students will also read one or more longer literary fairy tales that were inspired by the Grimm brothers and their narrative style. Literary fairy tales will include one or more of the following: Ludwig Tieck: Der blonde Eckbert; Der gestiefelte Kater; Der Runenberg Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué: Undine Clemens Brentano: Geschichte vom braven Kasperl und dem schönen Annerl E.T.A. Hoffmann: Der goldne Topf


General Education Core

CORE IV: World Languages and Global Culture
CORE IV: Humanities and the Arts

Syllabus