Trip Taylor

Reality is a lovely place but I wouldn't wanna live there.

[bajoh103-blog]

Taking Their Autonomy Doesn’t Keep Kids Safe

In my researched argument, I looked at how the perception of childhood has changed over the past 200 years. I start right around the publication of the Brothers Grimm and go from there. It was super interesting to see the transformation that has taken place. From the Industrial Revolution that endangered children to the Enlightenment thinkers that praised them, there developed a dichotomy that people struggled with for centuries. We can still see the scars of these conflicting ideas when we look at children today. The average child is now protected, nurtured, and completely useless. We have robbed children of their agency in an effort to safeguard them from the real world. We must protect them, no doubt, but we must not forget that they are autonomous beings in society as well.

[trtay103-blog]

After reading this, as well as proofing your paper, I can’t help but wonder how such a viewpoint would change if studying a different culture. China for example, having made a name for itself with child labor, would be another interesting point to examine .

[xxxxly333-deactivated20181030]

Self esteem establishes the well being, and self worth of an individual in a variety of ways. The strength of self esteem is very delicate, and is shaped through interactions with other individuals. If the interaction is in a positive manner, then self esteem will be great. If the interaction is demeaning to an individual, the demeaned individual’s self esteem will be lowered. Instances of how self esteem affects the growth of an individual can be found through characters such as Cinderella, in which she develops poor self esteem through the relationships she has with her family. Self esteem can also be developed through economic status, in which individuals find strength in their well being through how much wealth they have. Related to this, individuals who have high amounts of wealth exhibit high amounts of self esteem. Self esteem is directly influenced by economic status and relationships, and has been influenced greatly by the rise of materialism throughout history.

[trtay103-blog]

I don’t know that self esteem is directly influenced by economic status and relationships. Do you have studies or statistics to back this up?

[trtay103-blog]

but... What is beauty?...

Fairytales bring joy to children and adults alike while transcending the boundaries of time. Many fairytales have far deeper lessons hidden within them than meets the eye. Some authors of fairytales use their characters and storyline in an attempt to prompt change within their society. Jeanne Beaumont excelled in writing tales that promote change. In her work, “Beauty and the Beast,” Beaumont uses the interaction of the main characters to stimulate the mind concerning the definition of beauty. Living in a world in which  I am surrounded by pressures from society, I find these fairytales to be very effective at encouraging me to look outside my original understanding.

[trtay103-blog]

So. Many. Articles.

After finding countless unless articles on varying subjects slightly related to my topic I find myself exhausted. How many people spend their every waking moments devoted to writing these things? I found a 488 page article on the effects of makeup on mans understanding of beauty... like... Who writes that? This is indeed a struggle. I finally find myself citing experiments full of math. Including an equation  “N of beautiful people X percentage of opinion= amount of beauty”... How does one derive this? It is a strange world out there folks. 

[beachhbummerr-blog1]

Annotated Bib. Snow White

There are many themes worth researching in the tale of Snow White, such as the evil queen’s jealousy of Snow White being the fairest. Jealousy and competition among women have always been prevalent regardless of the time period. Women have always felt the need to be the best in any and everything regardless of what for.Also the evil queen’s abuse of Snow White is another excellent theme because throughout time there has been  a high number of step relations abuse regardless if the direction of the abuse. 

[trtay103-blog]

Would you consider a possibility of Snow being at fault? Being the abuser in any way? She did drive her step mother crazy after all. Do you see any chance at an argument of this nature?

[daric103-blog]

Stockholm Syndrome in Beauty and the Beast (Annotated Bibliography Entry)

One of the most interesting things modern day readers of fairy tales can do is apply current scientific data to the classic story. That can be done easily in the case of “Beauty and the Beast” as it is easy to argue that rather than experiencing true love, Beauty was in fact a victim of the infamous Stockholm syndrome. Named after a failed bank robbery in Stockholm, Sweden, Stockholm syndrome is the psychological effect that appears to take place on victims of captivity. Instead of being repulsed, or breaking for freedom as soon as the opportunity presents itself, the victims unintentionally appear to form a bond with their captors. Abductees who have experienced the Syndrome have been known to fall in love with their abductors, or return to  them after having been freed. It is a weird phenomenon that one can easily see having happened in “Beauty and the Beast.” Beauty was taken captive from her family by the Beast and held within his castle. She was given the chance to escape, but instead of remaining with her family she returned to the Beast’s abode. In the end she confesses her love for the Beast despite his horrifying appearance and the fact that in reality he seems to be the bad guy in the narrative. It’s an odd thought provoking twist to the classic tale.

[trtay103-blog]

Very nice connection between the story and the psychological disorder. While I agree completely that your point is valid, for the sake of discussion... Couldn’t the massive mansion/great food have had something to do with staying in the castle? I mean it would re-map the understanding of Beauty’s thought process, but she left an impoverished home to live in a caste... Just random food for thought. Looking forward to reading that paper. 

[evsor103-blog]

Contemporary Retellings of Fairytales

The classic fairy tale of “Snow White” was originally written and published by Brothers Grimm in1812. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were brothers from Germany, and were both nationalists. When “Snow White” was published, many German stated had recently become allies with Napoleon, thus becoming a part of his wars and confederations. Unlike the Disney version, Snow White is a very young, innocent teenager. She is afraid of her stepmother, as in this  time, stepmothers were a very rare occurrence. Elaina Smith wrote a contemporary retelling of the classic fairytale entitled “Dead Apples.” This story is about a town by the name of Dunlath that had solely a male population; no females in the whole town. One day, a young woman moves to the town. All of the men in the town were astonished at the presence of a woman and would follow her around and stare all of the time. The town grocer, however, stayed away. He was very shy around the woman, for he loved her. One day the woman choked on an apple core, and then remained unconscious for weeks. The grocer came and visited her every night. She started to die, and the grocer saved her. Eventually, when she woke up, he professed his love for her, and she screamed at him and ran away. Although the content of Smith’s “Dead Apples” deviates somewhat from the Brothers Grimm version of “Snow White,” it does include some similarities, however the story completely fails to effectively resemble any of the original themes or ideas from “Snow White.”

[aldarrow4-blog]

Based on your introduction, I would completely agree that this adaptation of Snow White was a failure.  This contemporary story seems difficult to tell if it is an adaptation or a separate story.

[trtay103-blog]

Very intriguing opening, you are very clear on your course of action with this essay.  Clearly many differences from the snow white we have come to characterize as her archetype. Many changes from the innocent, accepting snow white I am used to. Screaming and running away is not a very thoughtful thing to do for someone who saved your life. Besides the apple, are their any notable similarities? 

[erste103-blog]

Fairy Tales have always served as tale’s that coincided with its time period and society. The movie Into the Woods may seem like parody account of the tales, however the film still delivers the same messages as the originals just in a more modern sense. Albeit, the the humor in the film brings a light twist to generally dark Fairy Tales, the modern rendition simply makes these Fairy Tales such as “Cinderella”, “Jack and the Bean Stalk”, and “Repunzel” more relatable. In the case of “Cinderella” the movie stresses the relationship between the Prince and Cinderella much more than early renditions. This is due to the time period we are in, where relationships are now a large part of the generation we are in. What can be deduced from this is that contemporary retellings must adapt to their time period in order to communicate clearly to their audience. The retelling also stresses on something that many young adults or teenagers can learn a lesson from.

[aldarrow4-blog]

I find it interesting that you highlighted the importance of relationships in today’s society.  I like that you summed up Into the Woods as a modern twist to the 4 fairy tales.

[trtay103-blog]

I agree, I had not really thought about that, but looking back I see what you mean. Many of the other tales consist of dancing, running away because the spell was running out, and then falling back into his arms. In “Into The Words”, particularly in the stairwell scene, we see Cinderella very stressfully examining every aspect of the relationship, why it should or should not happen, whether or not she is worthy, whether she actually likes him, why he likes her, all in the matter of a few fleeting moments. This is very reminiscent to the current day relationship mindset. I really wanna watch it all again now with that in mind. Good work! 

[trtay103-blog]

The Beauty is in the Beast

Adapting a classic fairytale is a large endeavor but English writer Angela Carter is does not shy away from the task. “The Courtship of Mr. Lyon” by Angela Carter is a wonderful story, but when considering that it is an adaptation of the Grimm’s brother’s tale, certain alterations stick out more than others. Oftentimes adaptations have a goal in mind and to achieve this goal they make certain alterations. These alterations must be done carefully considering audiences and goals. Through changes in Beauty’s father, changes in the beast, and the beast’s interaction with Beauty, Carter gives the story a clearer and more forward lesson than do the Grimm Brothers.

[tuerv103-blog]

Intro Draft #1!

Here’s the beginning of my first intro. I think it works for now.

“My life was never filled with a story as particularly gory and traumatic as the tale of Bluebeard. I have no closets full of dead wives, magical bloody keys, or homicidal husbands. However, I have let my curiosity get the better of me at times.  I’ve never discovered anything nearly as terrible as what the younger sister finds in her husband’s closet, but I’ve definitely run into my fair share of trouble for my curiosity.  Thankfully, as the younger sister found out, I usually have someone looking out for me enough to pull me away from this trouble.”

[aldarrow4-blog]

The first few sentences did a nice job of pulling the reader in. Towards the end of the intro, it needs a little more detail connecting your personal situation to that of Bluebeard.

[trtay103-blog]

I like the semi comical way you phrase this paragraph. You took a particularly dark subject and put it in a light that not only holds to the guidelines of the project but also keeps the reader interested due to the witty remarks throughout. I have not read the rest obviously so you may later in the essay, but I would like to see a more specific anecdote. Like when I was 4 I wanted to know about the new vase my mom got and I broke it and my parents grounded me. Just something to tie into the rest of the tale. Great opening though! 

[xxxxly333-deactivated20181030]

Rough Draft Post 1

While I have found in my own life that help can be found where you least expect it, I have never had the experience of help coming from seven dwarves and a prince charming as Snow White did. She faced a dark point in her life, where the Queen banished her away due to vanity, and remained open to possibilities, and her wishes were eventually granted. She did not look in obvious places for assistance, but rather took her own route, and befriended those who eventually saved her life. This, to me, raises a question to apply to every situation: why be pessimistic about a situation I do not yet know the outcome for? Remaining positive will help make light out of a darkened situation. She also shows that help can be found just about anywhere, with the right attitude, even if it is seven dwarves. Keeping an open mind is a necessary quality to have, and helps life to remain less stressful. Each problem should be dealt with as it comes, rather than stressing about a future that may not happen. 

[trtay103-blog]

You make a really good point here. I find it interesting how the author(s) choose one of the most unlikely sources of help possible. They couldn't just be some guys she met, they had to live alone without parents in the woods. Then they couldn’t just be orphans in the woods, they were tiny little men with a childlike attitude and mindset. When planning a revolt, or making a plan to survive these aspects describe the opposite of what most people would look for. However, following another main theme in this tale, the dwarfs not only help her on their own, but they act as a mirror through which she can see deep inside herself and mature and it helps her find her identity.

Trip

[trtay103-blog]

Unknown Yet Beautiful

     While I doubt that many people who read The Tiger’s Bride are at risk of turning into a tiger, the tale poses a very interesting and common situation. Too many times people miss out on something that could be wonderful and beautiful just because they do not understand or because they let fear get in the way. Just as I faced my fear, the girl in the story opened up and let herself see past her predetermined ideas about the monster. As a result, we both found something wonderful. If people would look past their fear of the unknown and allow themselves to be vulnerable they might just find something they never expected. Looking back, the four years I spent in this show-choir were by far the best of my life. These years were filled with new experiences and countless irreplaceable memories, all of which I would have missed out on if I had let myself continue to be blinded by my fear of the unknown. From that point forward, whenever I felt nervous or unsure about a situation or felt scared of the unknown, I simply “shrugged the drops off my beautiful fur”(66).