Return to Fairy Tales Index Page

Plot Twists, Character Turns, and Timeless Archetypes:
Exploring the Fundamentals of Literature and Creative Writing Through Fairy Tales

 Sheri Jett

Academic Setting

West Mesa High School (WMHS) is a large, urban school located in Albuquerque, NM, dedicated to developing and implementing quality educational practices.  The student population is approximately 2350 students.  Seventy percent of these students are of Hispanic descent, and the remaining population is 20 percent Caucasian, 5 percent Native American, 4 percent African-American, and 1 percent “other.”  Thirty-seven distinct nationalities are represented in the diverse WMHS student body.  Most students come from lower to middle class families and many are ESL students with varying degrees of English language proficiency.   

Class Setting 

This curriculum unit has been designed for a multi-level creative writing classroom that encompasses 11^th and 12^th grade students.  In Creative Writing I, the student reads, analyzes, and discusses selected models of various American authors to gain a background for extensive original thought and writing.  The student experiments with and creates working and showcase portfolios (traditional and/or electronic) representing best work in various genres (e.g., short stories, one-act plays, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction).  As part of the creative process, the student identifies and concentrates on individual needs for vocabulary development, spelling, sentence structure, and revision and prepares freelance work for submission to publishers.  The student uses technology to support writing, research, and the procedures for submitting work for consideration to print and on-line literary magazines.   

            In Creative Writing II, the student advances discussion of selected models of various works from around the world to gain a background for extensive original writing.  The student develops and refines working and showcase portfolios (traditional and/or electronic) representing best work in various genres.  As part of the creative process, the student refines technique and style and revises work through peer and self-editing.  In addition, the student prepares freelance work for submission to contests and publishers.  The student shares work in class discussions and uses technology to support writing, research, and procedures for submitting work for consideration to print and on-line literary magazines. 

Goals 

The goals of the unit address APS performance standards for Creative Writing I and Creative Writing II.  The learner will…

Ø       Discuss the origins of archetypes and their prevalence in literature and media.

Ø       Study fairy tales as examples of the specifics of literary genres, common conflicts that drive plots forward, and stock characters that populate texts.

Ø       Explore the origins and history of fairy tales.

Ø       Study various fairy tale sources and authors to understand the role of historical context in literature.

Context and Background

“A writer’s problem does not change.  He himself changes and the world he lives in changes but his problem remains the same.  It is always how to write truly and having found what is true, to project it in such a way that it becomes a part of the experience of the person who reads it.”
                                                                                                -Ernest Hemingway

In creative writing, students seek to answer the essential question, How does a writer’s voice reflect the essence of human relationships and the values of society, culturally and historically?  Students’ learning is driven by this question in their readings, analyses, and original works.  At the beginning of their development as writers, it is vital for students to understand the characteristics of human relationships and emotions and how these characteristics have influenced and shaped the values and norms of different societies.  Furthermore, it is imperative that students have a strong foundation in the basic functions, forms, mechanics, and symbolic expressions that characterize literature.  Ultimately, students’ understanding of literary basics will transfer into their own original works.

Archetypes

As a genre, fairy tales provide an accessible and familiar literary form that demonstrates the fundamentals of literature.  The tales are living stories that continue to speak to the universal human condition and address the struggle to find meaning in life.  According to Bruno Bettelheim,  

To find deeper meaning, one must become able to transcend the narrow confines of a self-centered existence and believe that one will make a significant contribution to life….  This feeling is necessary if a person is to be satisfied with himself and with what he is doing.  In order not to be at the mercy of the vagaries of life, one must develop one’s inner resources, so that one’s emotions, imagination, and intellect mutually support and enrich one another.  Our positive feelings give us the strength to develop our rationality; only hope for the future can sustain us in the adversities we unavoidably encounter (“The Struggle for Meaning” 269). 

Fairy tales, like all literary and artistic works, provide a source of comfort and solace for the individual seeking meaning in his or her existence.  The tales mirror the common anxieties and conflicts that characterize humanity.  According to Carl Jung, a 20^th century psychoanalyst, the similarities in motifs in stories across cultures and time periods resulted from the human psyche that knows no boundaries of culture or history.  These motifs, known as archetypes, are characterized by three important characteristics: 

·         They are primordial.  Archetypes are preconscious, instinctual expressions of the human psyche.

·         They are universal. The patterns appear across cultures and geography.  The repetitions cannot be explained by interaction among peoples of various regions.  Many anthropologists have concluded that the similarities in stories, even in remote areas, originate from experiences, attitudes, and problems that are universally human.

·         They are recurrent.  They express human reactions to essentially changeless situations. 

The number of archetypes equals the number of human experiences, but generally they fall into one of three distinct categories: situations, characters, and symbols (See Appendix A- Archetypes Lecture Material).  According to Clifton Snider’s book, The Stuff That Dreams are Made On: A Jungian Interpretation of Literature,  

Jung posits a theory of human psychology that essentially traces mental problems to an imbalance of psychic forces within the individual.  His theory is as applicable to ‘normal’ human development as to the ‘abnormal’; it rests on a concept of development that progresses by stages, each of which is determined by a particular instinctual ‘archetypal’ constellation (2).    

That is, no matter where or when an individual is born, he or she is shaped by what Jung termed the “collective unconscious:” “The collective unconscious contains the archetypes that are, like physical instincts, the innate ability and tendency to create forms and images.   These images are symbols of the archetypes.   Archetypes are, by definition, common to all human beings, and their number is immeasurable” (Snider 2-3).  As a result of their commonality among the collective unconscious of humanity, archetypes are manifested in myths, tales, and other literary forms that shape, characterize, and result from a community or culture. 

            In relation, Jung further maintained that it is the artist (or writer) who gives form or image to the archetypes of the collective unconscious.  The artist “lifts the idea he is seeking to express out of the occasional and the transitory into the realm of the ever-enduring.  He transmutes our personal destiny into the destiny of mankind, and evokes in us all those beneficent forces that ever and anon have enabled humanity to find refuge from every peril and to outlive the longest night” (qtd. in Snider 6).   Therefore, the artist is responsible for creating those works that translate the collective unconscious into tangible forms, designed for the pleasure, comfort, edification, and/or growth of the individual.  This act (and its literary and artistic products) plays a role in what Jung termed the process of individuation.  Individuation is a primary goal in the lives of humans.  In his Two Essays on the Analytical Psychology, Jung defined individuation as “becoming a single, homogeneous being, and in so far as ‘individuality’ embraces our innermost, last, and incomparable uniqueness, it also implies becoming one’s own self.  We could therefore translate individuation as ‘coming to self-hood or self-realization’” (qtd. in Snider 11).  In literature, as in life, the goal is successful individuation, resulting in a high level of self-awareness.  Understanding and recognizing archetypal symbols and situations is key to coming to terms with the human condition and achieving individuation. Through their common structures, conflicts, and characters, fairy tales reflect the essence of what it means to be human; the necessity and complexity of relationships and conflicts are manifested in the tales, providing an outlet for the internal consciousness that characterizes humanity. 

Archetypes and Literary Structure in Fairy Tales 

As a genre, the definition of fairy tales is very specific and depends on the recognition of archetypes.  Steven Swann Jones identifies four generalizations that apply to fairy tales: 

·         The inclusion of fantastic elements

·         The confronting and resolving of a problem, frequently by the undertaking of a quest

·         A happy ending

·         The audience’s identification with the central protagonist (14-17).  

More specifically, however, fairy tale scholar Vladimir Propp identified over 30 different constants in the fairy tale structure.  Jack Zipes summarizes these constants in his book, Creative Storytelling: Building Community, Changing Lives: 

·         The protagonist is confronted with an interdiction or prohibition that she or he has violated in some way.  Generally speaking, there is a conflict or crisis within the family, and the end result is a departure or mission.

·         Departing or banished, the protagonist has either been given or assumes a task related to the interdiction, prohibition, or crisis.  The task is assigned, and it is a sign.  That is, the protagonist’s character will be marked by the task that is his or her sign.

·         There is an encounter with: (a) a villain; (b) a mysterious individual or creature who gives the protagonist magical gifts; (c) three different animals or creatures who offer magical gifts to help the protagonist, who is in trouble.  These gifts endow the protagonist with the power to change his or her situation.

·         The endowed protagonist is tested and moves on to battle and conquer the villain, hostile forces, or natural catastrophes.

·         There is a sudden fall in the protagonist’s fortunes, which is only a temporary setback.  A wonder or miracle is needed to reverse the wheel of fortune.

·         The protagonist makes use of endowed gifts (and this includes the magical agents and cunning) to achieve his or her goal.  The result is: (a) three battles with the villain; (b) three impossible tasks that are nevertheless made possible to be fulfilled; or (c) the breaking of a magic spell.

·         The villain is punished or the hostile forces are vanquished.  The protagonist proves herself or himself to be a survivor.

·         The success of the protagonist usually leads to: (a) marriage; (b) the acquisition of money; (c) survival and wisdom; (d) any combination of the first three (64).   

In general, the situations in fairy tales are more important than the characters; in fact, the tales are populated by character archetypes (see Appendix A- Archetypes Lecture Material). Additionally, setting is often ambiguous in the tales.  Fairy tales typically take place in a magical time: “Once upon a time, in a land far away.”  The timelessness of the setting indicates the circular motion of time in fairy tales.  That is, it happened once, and it can happen again. However, despite the magical framework of time and space, the changes that take place in fairy tales usually serve to make reality evident, rather than to change reality (i.e, the hero or heroine are often released from a spell, not changed by one).   

The well-known tale of “Cinderella” illustrates the plot structure and archetypal images that are common to fairy tales.  Although there are hundreds of versions of “Cinderella” worldwide, the basic plot is always the same: a young heroine is rescued from the persecution of a surrogate family through the love of a prince.  It is a typical coming-of-age or initiation story (see Appendix A- Archetypes Lecture Material) for girls, and always ends in marriage, “denoting that the heroine has survived the loss of childhood innocence and is now ready for initiation into the privileged status of adulthood” (Hallett 53).  Indeed, Martin Hallett argues that this quest is so universal it explains why the “Cinderella” plot endures: “it offers vital reassurance to the reader/listener that while the road to maturity is both long and difficult, the goal of self-fulfillment awaits those who persevere” (53).   

The characters in “Cinderella” also reflect many of the character archetypes.  At once, Cinderella types are heroines, outcasts, earth mothers, and damsels in distress:  

Their innate innocence and generosity of spirit provoke a protective response from some external agency, [like] the birds that sort the lentils from the ashes for Ashputtle…. There is a paradoxical price to harmony; however: before one can attain this state, one has to discover- and come to terms with- the reality of existential solitude.  Yet out of that experience of aloneness comes the self-knowledge that in turn permits the experience of harmony.  Thus [Cinderella] must languish in the ashes- but out of those ashes a phoenix will rise (Hallett 51).  

Cinderella rises from the ashes with the assistance of a magical force, most famous in the form of a fairy godmother.  The godmother takes the place of Cinderella’s real mother and plays the role of mentor for the heroine.   She always supplies the necessary spells and magic to make Cinderella triumphant. 

Furthermore, the other females present in the tale represent the opposite archetypal extreme.  “Contrasting the innocence and helplessness of the young heroine, for example, is the cunning and malice of an older woman- a character who is all the more sinister because her villainy is often insidious and psychological in nature” (Hallett 51-52).  This role is traditionally played by Cinderella’s stepmother, and supported by her stepsisters.  These aggressive and devious female characters also complete the tale’s symbolic archetypes, including the battles between good and evil and light and darkness.  The conflict and resolution are predictable, yet comforting: 

There can be little doubt that the popularity of this tale has a lot to do with its theme of virtue revealed and rewarded: it invites us to recall times when we felt ourselves unappreciated and rejected- and then to share Cinderella’s satisfaction at being discovered as a true princess (Hallett 52).  

Thus, “Cinderella” and her archetypal adventures provide a universally appealing tale that “fulfill the other generic characteristics of presenting modest protagonists with whom we can identify and who undertake quests to solve the problems confronting them” (Jones 75). 

Historical Context 

Though “Cinderella” endures as a popular tale, it, and many other tales, has become the subject of fierce social debate.  The controversy surrounds the fact that “each of the heroines exhibits varying degrees of passivity and must ultimately be rescued by a male and fulfilled by marriage” (Hallett 51).  This contemporary feminist criticism applies to many of the tales; by definition, fairy tales are replete with sexual stereotypes. However, as Hallett points out:  

Given the social prejudices through which these stories have been filtered and the gender-roles that they reflect, this pattern should not surprise us too much; we were well into the second half of our own century, in fact, before serious efforts were made (in the form of the feminist fairy tale) to redress the sexual stereotypes that are firmly entrenched in many traditional tales (51). 

Indeed, generations of storytellers and audiences have interpreted the tales according to their own biases and beliefs.  As a result, the longevity of the fairy tale tradition has yielded a variety of new forms of the tales.  These tales typically maintain the standard plot of the original tale, but differ in their structures and themes according to the author’s purpose and audience.  This illustrates the importance of historical context to a literary text.   By definition, the historical context of a literary work refers to the social conditions that inspired or influenced its creation.   Indeed, the different versions of the tales that have evolved through time and continue to change with contemporary generations demonstrate the values and norms embraced by a particular society at a particular time. 

The development of literature in cultures worldwide is a clear manifestation of the human need to understand and cope with the fears and desires of the world and the literature of each generation of humanity reflect this.  Early oral folk tales created and affirmed the communal bonds of a society and explained frightening and overwhelming forces of nature. Essential to the folktale is the “use [of] common, ordinary people as protagonists to reveal the desires and foibles of human nature” (Jones 18). However, unlike other folktale forms that depict life in fairly realistic terms, “fairy tales depict magical or marvelous events or phenomena as a valid part of the human experience” (Jones 9).   In fact, it is this differentiation that scholars use as a starting point in their definitions of the fairy tale genre and it is also this point of departure that lends fairy tales their traditional role in society:  

In contrast to the realism of other forms of folktale or literary expression, fairy tales are dominated by fantasy; they involve significant interactions with the magical and the marvelous.  The magical dimension is presented earnestly and figures prominently in the protagonist’s experiences…fairy tales use the poetic and exaggerated symbolism of fantasy to represent the deep-seated feelings of ordinary individuals in facing the typical challenges of life (Jones 10-11). 

This characteristic of the fairy tale contributes to the genre’s timelessness through its relation to the Jungian concept of archetypes.  Indeed, many scholars, including Sigmund Freud, Max Luthi, Joseph Campbell, and Bruno Bettelheim, have suggested that fairy tales speak the language of the unconscious mind: 

The fantastic creations in fairy tales may be seen as metaphoric dramatizations of the thoughts and feelings audience members may harbor about their daily lives and the problems they face…. One function of and raison d’etre for fairy tales then, is to give expression to unconscious fears and desires.  Given the hypothesis that we possess such a subliminal dimension in our psyche, we should not be surprised that it should find expression in literature and that its form in literature should resemble our manifestations in dreams.  Part of the charm and power of fairy tales, therefore, is their ability to tap into and give vent to this hidden and volatile source of emotional energy (Jones 11). 

            For example, the story of “Little Red Riding Hood” has existed for centuries as a tale of warning for young, disobedient girls.  However, the tale has undergone significant changes, according to what was considered socially acceptable and prudent behavior and according to the author’s social and political standing.  “Little Red Riding Hood” is a descendent of an early tale recovered by French folklorist Frank Delarue.  This early version of the tale, called “The Story of Grandmother,” features a werewolf and a little girl who must use her wits to escape.  In this version, the girl arrives home safely; however, the wolf also survives.  Also, “The Story of Grandmother” does not dress the girl in a red cape, as in later stories, nor is she depicted as naïve.  

“The Story of Grandmother” illustrates Jack Zipes’s argument that  

The direct forebears of [Charles] Perrault’s literary tale were influenced…by the very material conditions of their existence and traditional pagan superstition.  Little children were attacked and killed by animals and grown-ups in the woods and fields.  Hunger often drove people to commit atrocious acts.  In the 15^th and 16^th centuries, violence was difficult to explain on rational grounds.  There was a strong superstitious belief in werewolves and witches, uncontrollable magical forces of nature, which threatened the lives of peasant population…Consequently, the warning tale became part of a stock oral repertoire of storytellers (qtd. in Hallett 21). 

Indeed, as the tale was passed on from generation to generation, “The Story of Grandmother” changed accordingly with social and economic improvements.  Later versions of the tale reflect the major social changes that characterized the intended audiences.  Charles Perrault’s version, known as “Little Red Riding Hood,” was not written for the purpose of warning children of the dangers of the forest.  Rather, Perrault modified the tale to entertain the gentility of the royal court in 17^th century France.  For his audience, Perrault added many metaphors: “In adapting a gross folk tale to the more sophisticated tastes of the royal court, he chooses to remove all overt human aspects of his antagonist, relying simply on the powerful image of the wolf as predator, interloper…and scapegoat” (Hallett 22).   

Perrault also is responsible for adding the well-known motif of the girl’s red hood; the hood itself is characteristic of the fashion of Perrault’s times, but the color red is clearly a nod to the sexual theme of this version.  The clever girl from “The Story of Grandmother” becomes a bourgeois little girl tainted with sin and who is spoiled, negligent, and naïve. As a result, she is raped and swallowed (like her grandmother). Perrault removed the brutal descriptions found in “The Story of Grandmother” of the little girl eating her grandmother’s flesh and drinking her blood, as well as the impropriety of a girl undressing, climbing in bed with a wolf/male, and examining his body.  Instead, his heroine represents a new type of child, created by the French civilization process.  Perrault’s tales provided behavior patterns and models for children intended to reinforce the prestige and superiority of bourgeois-aristocratic values, and perpetuate the strong notions of male dominance.  Indeed, “Perrault worked hard to craft a tale that excised the ribald grotesqueries from the original peasant tale and re-scripted the events in such a way as to accommodate a rational discursive mode and moral economy” (Tatar 4). 

            Not surprisingly, the tale changed again in the hands of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm.  Their 19^th century German version of the tale, known as “Little Red Cap,” maintained Perrault’s red hood, but “erased all traces of the erotic playfulness found in ‘The Story and Grandmother’ and placed the action in the service of teaching lessons to the child inside and outside the story” (Tatar 5).  Compared to “The Story of Grandmother,” the heroine in “Little Red Cap” is transformed into a naïve, helpless, pretty little girl who must be punished for disobeying her mother’s orders to “walk properly and don’t stray from the path” (Tatar 14).  The wolf in “Little Red Cap” is sent to teach the little girl a lesson about repressing her own sexuality and the hunter who saves the girl in the end is sent to teach the girl about the dominance of the male patriarch.  Ultimately, the narration works to justify the importance of law and order and to argue against individual autonomy and imagination.  These changes reflect the didactic nature of the 19^th century tales, emphasizing Christian morals and virtuous behaviors.  In addition, these lessons that the Brothers Grimm infused into their versions of the tale were designed specifically for the instruction of children, rather than for the entertainment of adults.    

            The Grimm’s transformation of the “Little Red Riding Hood” tale (and many other tales) from “a folktale full of earthy humor and high melodrama…into a heavy-handed narrative with a pedagogical agenda designed by adults” (Tatar 6) remained a tradition for many years.  In fact, it has only been recently “that the tale has been reinvigorated through the efforts of writers who have contested the disciplinary edge to the story and challenged its basic assumptions” (Tatar 7).  Indeed, recovering fairy tales that have “undergone a process of cultural suppression or that have succumbed to cultural amnesia” (Tatar xiv) has become the goal of many contemporary folklorists.  In addition, many authors have attempted to reinvent the traditional tales to reflect the social currents of their time.  For example, Roald Dahl’s “Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf” maintains much of the traditional plot of the tale, but adds a twist in the end that suits a contemporary heroine: 

The small girl smiles. One eyelid flickers.
She slips a pistol from her knickers.
She aims it at the creature’s head
And bang bang bang, she shoots him dead.
A few weeks later, in the wood,
I came across Miss Riding Hood.
But what a change! No cloak of red,
No silly hood upon her head.
She said, ‘Hello, and do please note
My lovely furry WOLFSKIN COAT’
(Tatar 22).

Dahl’s “Little Red Riding Hood” maintains the ageless, universal characteristics of the tale, while reflecting the cultural and social developments of present-day life. Ultimately, “Little Red Riding Hood” and the genre of fairy tales endure because they continue to satisfy the desire to feel confident in the future of humanity in the face of adversarial circumstances; ultimately, anyone can become king or queen of his or her destiny.

Implementation

The following suggestions for implementation are designed to be used either as a comprehensive study of the fairy tale genre and its form and function or as individual lessons according to classroom needs and resources. 

            The unit addresses the Albuquerque Public Schools K-12 Language Arts performance standards and references the relevant standard(s) for each lesson plan at the 11^th and/or 12^th grade level.  The specific standards that are addressed in this unit include: 

1. The student will identify critical questions (e.g., author’s voice, historical influence) that would lead to a broader understanding of a literary selection. 
2. The student will use critical analysis to gain meaning, develop thematic connections and synthesize ideas, including examination of the functions and effects of narrative strategies (e.g., plot, conflict, suspense, point of view, characterization, dialogue), and recognition of ambiguity, contradiction, irony, parody, and satire.
3. The student will examine and analyze how the motives of characters and the causes for complex events differ in various historical periods through interpretation of culturally specific ambiguities, subtleties, contradictions, ironies, and nuances in literary works. 
4. The student will demonstrate increased competence and fluency in using elements of effective writing.
5. The student will demonstrate increased competence and fluency in applying appropriate types of writing for the intended purpose and audience.
6. The student will synthesize information from multiple research studies to draw conclusions and inferences that go beyond those found in any of the individual studies.
7. The student will demonstrate increased competence and fluency with speaking strategies.
8. The student will demonstrate increased competence and fluency with speaking and language conventions (e.g., grammar, standard English, diction).
9. The student will use a variety of technology (e.g., word processor, overhead projector, multimedia) to present information appropriate for the intended purpose and audience. 

A complete list of the APS Language Arts performance standards is available at http://www.aps.edu/standards/index.html.

Time Frame

This curriculum unit is designed to be used at the beginning of the year and may take anywhere from two to nine weeks to implement.  Any lesson may be implemented separately in a shorter time period.  Class periods are 50 minutes. 

Lesson Plans 

Ø       Archetypes

Materials: Journals, crayons/colored pencils/markers, notes on archetypes, examples of archetypes in media (e.g., movies, T.V., music, magazines, etc.)

Instruction:

1. In their journals, instruct students to draw images that represent the following concepts: hero, wisdom, villain, ignorance.  After an appropriate amount of time, discuss the students’ images.  How are they similar?  Why are they similar?  Where and how do we learn images of these concepts?   

Assessment:  Presence of visual interpretations in journal, participation in discussion (Performance standard 2) 

2. Provide notes to students on Karl Jung and theory of archetypes.  Discuss examples in each literary genre with which students will be familiar.  Show any Star Wars movie or other example and ask students to identify archetypes.   

Assessment: Correctly identified archetypes, participation in class discussion
            (Performance standard 3) 

3. Create a class chart/poster exhibiting contemporary examples of archetypes.  Each student must contribute at least one example and prepare an informal explanation of the archetype. 

Assessment: Contribution of archetype and explanation, participation in class discussion(Performance standard 2)

 Ø       Fairy Tale Study

Materials: copies of fairy tales, list of literary terms, introductory lecture notes on fairy tale authors and historical context

Instruction:

4. In groups of four to five,

·         Discuss:   What fairy tales can you recall from your childhood?  Which tale is your favorite and why?

·         Choose one tale:
-choose one group member to re-tell the tale
-discuss if the storyteller “got it right.”
- as a group, agree on a plot outline of your story to present to the class

            Assessment: Participation in group discussion, contribution to plot outline, contribution to               presentation
            (Performance standards 2, 5, 7, 8, and 9) 

5. Assign student reading of a variety of fairy tales and responses to each of the following for each tale:

·         In two sentences or less, describe the situation/problem in the story.

·         Identify any supernatural elements in the story- use complete sentences.

·         See if you can find a pattern of three or four in the story.  Describe when/how those patterns appear.

·         Identify any “practical considerations” that appear in the story.

·         Does the story make the real evident in anyway?  If so, how so? If not, what seems to be the point of the story?

          Assessment: Complete, thoughtful responses to questions for each story assigned
        (Performance standard 1) 

6. Identify the functions of literary terms and the plot structure in a variety of fairy tales.  Include plot, character, point of view, conflict, voice, audience, purpose, theme, moral, and historical context).  Ask students to choose one tale and identify each of the listed terms. 

Assessment:  Successful identification of terms.  May be in the form of a list, chart, or paragraph
(Performance standards 1 and 2) 

7. Emphasize and discuss the importance of historical context.  Provide brief lecture notes introducing the well-known fairy tale writers.  Have students form groups to research and present the biography of one fairy tale author.  Students should complete a brief report (one page), a works cited page, and a visual representation of their author’s life and time.   

Assessment: Successful completion of report, works cited page, and visual; participation in class presentation
(Performance standards 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9) 

8. In their author groups, assign students to read one story by their author and then the same story as told by another author.

·         As a group, students prepare a presentation that outlines the differences in the stories, emphasizing the role the historical context of each story plays in its telling.

·         Individually, each student writes an essay comparing and contrasting the two stories, emphasizing the role of historical context. 

Assessment: Successful identification and explanation of similarities and differences in the tale’s versions; successful completion of a properly formatted and organized essay of comparison and contrast
(Performance standards 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8)

 Ø       Creative Writing Assignments

Materials: journals, journal topics, word processing program, desktop publishing program

Instruction: 

9. Journal topics (see Appendix B for suggested topics).  Topics may be assigned according to teacher discretion throughout the unit.
   Assessment:  Presence of responses to assigned topics in journal.
   (Performance standards 4 and 5) 

10. Write a contemporary fairy tale that uses the conventional structure and characteristics of traditional tales and reflects the values of society today.  Include a brief explanation of the moral of the tale and why it is a valuable lesson.

Include archetypes, magical element(s), a pattern of three or four, and an emphasis on situation, rather than character.  The final draft must be word processed and placed in portfolio. 

Assessment: Completion of a tale with the required elements and appropriate discussion of the values that the student sees in society today
(Performance standards 3, 4, 5, and 9) 

11. Create a fairy tale newsletter using PageMaker (or other desktop publishing program).  Use traditional plot structures and character types to reflect contemporary events. 

Assessment:  Completion of a newsletter that demonstrates student capacity to use assigned software as well as student attention to proper desktop publishing techniques and language mechanics (Performance standards 4, 5, and 9) 

Documentation 

Appendices 

Appendix A- Archetypes Lecture Material 

The collective unconscious makes certain associations between the outside world and the psychic experiences.  These associations become enduring and are passed from one generation to the next.  Some of the more common archetypal associations are as follows: 

Symbolic Archetypes 

1. Light vs. Darkness- Light usually suggests hopes, renewal, or intellectual illumination; darkness implies the unknown, ignorance, or despair.
2. Water vs. Desert- Because water is necessary to life and growth, it commonly appears as a birth or rebirth symbol.  Water is used in baptismal services, which solemnizes spiritual births.  Similarly, the appearance of rain in a work of literature can suggest a character’s spiritual birth (e.g., The Wasteland, the sea and river images in The Odyssey).
3. Heaven vs. Hell- Man has traditionally associated parts of the universe not accessible to him with the dwelling places of the primordial forces that govern his world.  The skies and mountaintops house his gods; the bowels of the earth contain the diabolical forces that inhabit his universe (Paradise Lost, The Divine Comedy).
4. Battle between Good and Evil- The two primal forces are constantly in opposition (The Lord of the Rings, Paradise Lost, Tweety and Sylvester, the guys in the white hats vs. the guys in the black hats, Cinderella vs. her stepmother).  

It should be noted that the primitive mind tends not to make fine distinctions, but thinks rather in terms of polarities.  Thus, when archetypes appear in a work of literature, they usually evoke their primordial opposites.  Good is in conflict with evil; birth symbols are juxtaposed with death images; depictions of heaven are countered by descriptions of hell; and for every Penelope, there is usually a Circe to balance the archetypal scales. 

Situational Archetypes 

1. The Quest- This motif describes the search for someone or some talisman which, when found and brought back, will restore fertility to a wasted land, the desolation of which is mirrored by a leader’s illness and disability (e.g., The Lion King, Excaliber, Idylls of the King).
2. The Task- To save the kingdom, to win the fair lady, to identify himself so that he may reassume his rightful position, the hero must perform some nearly superhuman deed.  The task is not the same as the quest, but, rather, a function of the ultimate goal of the restoration of fertility (e.g., Arthur pulls Excaliber from the stone, Beowulf slays Grendel, Frodo arrives at Rivendale).
3. The Initiation- This usually takes the form of an initiation into adult life.  The adolescent comes into his/her maturity with new awareness and problems along with the new hope for the community.  This awakening is often the climax of the story (e.g., Huckleberry Finn, Stephen Dedalus, King Arthur, the hobbits, Cinderella).
4. The Journey- The journey sends the hero in search of some truth or information necessary to restore fertility to the kingdom.  Usually the hero descends into a real or psychological hell and is forced to discover the blackest truths, quite often concerning his faults.  Once the hero is at this lowest point, he must accept personal responsibility to return to the world of the living.  A second use of this pattern is the depiction of a limited number of travelers on a sea voyage, bus ride, or any other trip for the purpose of isolating them and using them as a microcosm of society (e.g., The Odyssey, The Canterbury Tales, The Aeneid, The Fellowship of the Rings).
5. The Fall- This archetype describes a descent from a higher to a lower state of being.  The experience involves a defilement and/or loss of innocence and bliss.  The fall is often accompanied by expulsion from a kind of paradise as penalty for disobedience and moral transgression (e.g., Adam and Eve, Lancelot and Guinevere, Paradise Lost).
6. Death and Rebirth- The most common of all situational archetypes, this motif grows out of the parallel between the cycle of nature and the cycle of life.  Thus, morning and springtime represent birth, youth, or rebirth; evening and winter suggest old age or death.
7. Nature vs. Mechanistic World- Nature is good while technology and society are often evil (e.g., Walden, Mad Max, The Terminator).
8. The Unhealable Wound- This wound is either physical or psychological and cannot be healed fully.  This wound also indicates a loss of innocence.  These wounds always ache and often drive the sufferer to desperate measures (e.g., Frodo’s shoulder, Lancelot’s madness, Ahab’s wooden leg, Harry Potter’s scar).
9. The Ritual- The actual ceremonies the initiate experiences that will mark his rite of passage into another state.  The importance of ritual rites cannot be overstressed as they provide a clear sign post for a character’s role in society as well as our own position in this world (e.g., weddings, baptisms, coronations).
10. The Magic Weapon- This symbolizes the extraordinary quality of the hero because no one else can wield the weapon or use it to its full potential.  It is usually given by a mentor figure (e.g., Excalibur, Odysseus’s bow, Thor’s hammer, Cinderella’s glass slipper). 

Character Archetypes 

1. The Hero- Lord Raglan, in The Hero: A Study in Tradition, Myth, and Drama, contends that this archetype is so well defined that the life of the protagonist can be clearly divided into a series of well-marked adventures that strongly suggest a ritualistic pattern.  Raglan finds that, traditionally, the hero’s mother is a virgin, the circumstances of his conception are unusual, and at his birth, some attempt is made to kill him.  He is, however, spirited away and reared by foster parents.  We know almost nothing of his childhood, but upon reaching manhood he returns to his future kingdom.  After a victory over the king or a wild beast, he marries a princess, becomes king, reigns uneventfully, but later loses favor with the gods.  He is then driven from the city.  He meets a mysterious death, often at the top of a hill.  His body is not buried, but, nevertheless, he has one or more holy sepulchers.  Characters who exemplify this archetype to a greater or lesser extent are Oedipus, Theseus Romulus, Perseus, Jason, Dionysus, Joseph, Moses, Elijah, Jesus Christ, Arthur, Robin Hood, Beowulf, Frodo.
2. Mentors- These individuals serve as teachers or counselors to the initiates.  Sometimes they work as role models and often serve as a father or mother figure (e.g., Merlin, Gandalf, Cinderella’s fairy godmother)
3. Friendly Beast- This shows that nature is on the side of the hero (e.g., Toto, Lassie, Trigger).
4. The Devil Figure- Evil incarnate, this character offers worldly goods, fame or knowledge to the protagonist in exchange for possession of the soul (e.g., Satan, Lucifer, Mephistopheles, Hitler).
5. The Scapegoat- An animal or, more usually, a human whose death in a public ceremony expiates some taint or sin that has been visited upon a community.  Their death often makes them a more powerful force in the society than when they lived (e.g., Oedipus, the Jews, any minority that is blamed for the ills of the times).
6. The Outcast- A figure who is banished from a social group for some crime (real or imagined) against his fellow man.  The outcast is usually destined to become a wanderer from place to place (e.g., some cowboys, Cain, the Ancient Mariner)
7. The Woman Figure:
1. The Earth Mother- Symbolic of fruition, abundance, and fertility, this character traditionally offers spiritual and emotional nourishment to those with whom she comes in contact.  Often depicted in earth colors and has large breasts and hips symbolic of her childbearing capabilities (e.g., Mother Nature, Goldberry in The Lord of the Rings, Mammy in Gone With the Wind).
2. The Temptress- Characterized by sensuous beauty, this woman is one to whom the protagonist is physically attracted and who ultimately brings about his downfall (e.g., Delilah, Guinevere, Cleopatra, the Sirens).
3. The Platonic Ideal- This woman is a source of inspiration and a spiritual ideal for whom the protagonist or author has an intellectual rather than a physical attraction (e.g., Dante’s Beatrice, Petrarch’s Laura, the Virgin Mary).
4. The Unfaithful Wife- A woman married to a man she sees as dull or distant and is attracted to more virile or interesting men (e.g., Guinevere, Madame Bovary, Anna Karenina).
5. The Damsel in Distress- The vulnerable woman who must be rescued by the hero.  She often is used as a trap to ensnare the unsuspecting hero (Guinevere, Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty).
6. The Star-Crossed Lovers- These two characters are engaged in a love affair that is fated to end tragically for one or both due to the disapproval of the society, friends, or family or some tragic situation (e.g., Romeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde, Lancelot and Guinevere).

Appendix B- Journal Topics

1. Choose a favorite biblical or literary story or a fable or fairy tale.  Pick a character other than the protagonist who appears in the story.  Tell what happens from your chosen character’s point of view.
2. Record your wishes: the secret ones, the old favorites, or the one that is speaking to you right now. 
3. Write about water: tap water, ocean water, rain water, any water or water experience that was meaningful to you.
4. Pick an abstract concept like truth, beauty, evil, or love.  Create a recipe.  Start with a list of ingredients and then write about preparation.  Don’t forget to mention how many people the dish will serve and what else goes with it.
5. Consider the types of light that affect you most, and how.  When you work with lights in a piece of writing, remember to turn on the bright truth of your own learning.
6. Write a character into a state or place of darkness.
7. Write down all the superstitions and old wives’ tales you know.  Choose one.  Describe how you came to learn it.  Describe who you first remember teaching it to you.
8. Write down a hair-story.  Or, list images and associations that occur to you when you think about hair.
9. Begin at the beginning of this day and describe in vivid detail how it would progress if everything went right.  Fantasize on paper.   Then, look over what you’ve written and, without judging yourself, first enjoy the buzz and then notice if the emphasis is on the material, social, emotional, spiritual, public, or private aspects of your day.  How does your perfect day relate to the values and visions of the heroes in your writing?
10. Make a list of some qualities that you or one of your characters aspires to: diligence, patience, compassion, fierceness.  For each quality, describe and explain how one or two elements from the natural world embody the quality.  

Annotated Bibliography

Student Resources 

Applebee, Arthur N., et. al.  The Language of Literature: American Literature. Evanston, IL:               McDougal Littel, Inc., 2000.

            An anthology of American literature; includes glossary of literary terms.

Ayers, Elizabeth.  Writing the Wave: Inspired Rides for Aspiring Writers.  New York:  Penguin              Putman, Inc., 1997.

           A creative writing manual with short, write-in-the-book exercises to guide student writing and              creativity. 

Goldberg, Bonni.  Room to Write: Daily Invitations to a Writer’s Life. New York: Penguin              Putman, Inc., 1996.

           Includes 200 exercises to guide student journal writing and creative writing.

Hallett, Martin, and Barbara Karasek, eds. Folk and Fairy Tales. 2^nd ed. Toronto: Broadview              Press, Ltd., 1998.

An anthology of fairy tales designed to provide a solid foundation in the fairy tale genre; offers a broad selection of tales, grouped by theme and era, as well as variants of individual tales that invite cross-cultural and comparative analysis.

Kubis, Pat, and Bob Howland.  The Complete Guide to Writing Fiction and Non-Fiction and             Getting it Published.  2^nd ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1990.

 A student guide for creative writing; includes discussions of the dynamics of plot,    
character, viewpoint, and style. Includes exercises.

Tatar, Maria, ed.  The Classic Fairy Tales.  New York: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc., 1999.

An anthology of fairy tales, plus an examination of the genre, its cultural implications, and its critical history; focuses on six different tale types, plus multicultural variants of the tales.  Each tale type is preceded by an introduction, and annotations are provided throughout.

Zipes, Jack. Don’t Bet on the Prince: Contemporary Feminist Fairy Tales in North America             and England. New York: Routledge, 1989.

A comprehensive anthology of feminist fairy tales and essays; demonstrates recent male and female writers who, by re-examining the classical literary fairy tale, have changed the aesthetic constructs and social content of fairy tales in order to reflect the major changes in the roles of sex, gender, socialization, and education since the 1960s.  

          Teacher Resources

Baker, Donald.  Functions of Folk and Fairy Tales. Washington, D.C.: Association For              
        Childhood Education International, 1981.

            A succinct discussion of the psychological aspects of fairy tales and the role of fairy tales and               folklore in education. 

Bettelheim, Bruno. “The Struggle for Meaning.”  The Classic Fairy Tales.  New York: W.W.               Norton and Company, Inc., 1999. 269-273. 

An article discussing the validity of the fairy tale as a guide to help children develop emotionally and intellectually. 

Bettelheim, Bruno.  The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales.              New York: Vintage Books, 1977. 

An in-depth analysis of the history and criticism of fairy tales and the connection of the genre to psychoanalysis and the socialization of children. 

Booker, M. Keith. A Practical Introduction to Literary Theory and Criticism. White Plains,              NY: Longman Publishers, 1996. 

A practical introduction to literary theory and criticism, including examples of criticism in practice. 

Cashdan, Sheldon.  The Witch Must Die: How Fairy Tales Shape Our Lives.  New York: Basic               Books, 1999. 

A discussion of fairy tales in everyday life; includes an appendix regarding using fairy tales to discuss emotions with children.

Le Guin, Ursula K. Steering the Craft: Exercises and Discussions on Story Writing For the                Lone Navigator or the Mutinous Crew.  Portland, Oregon: The Eighth Mountain Press,                1998. 

A creative writing guide with discussion and exercises related to authorship, style, and narration; incorporates a number of examples from classic authors, including Gertrude Stein, Rudyard Kipling, Mark Twain, Virginia Woolf, Charles Dickens, and J.R.R. Tolkien.

Snider, Clifton.  The Stuff That Dreams Are Made On: A Jungian Interpretation of Literature.              Wilmette, IL: Chiron Publications, 1991.

An examination of archetypal imagery in 19^th and 20^th century English and American literature.  

Swann Jones, Steven. The Fairy Tale: The Magic Mirror Of Imagination. New York: Twayne               Publishers, 1995.  

A study of the history and criticism of fairy tales, focusing on the origins, themes, and modern influences of fairy tales. 

Zipes, Jack.  Creative Storytelling: Building Community, Changing Lives. New York:                            
            Routledge, 1995.  

A look at the use and importance of storytelling and fairy tales in education and in forming a sense of community.  Includes theory and implementation ideas.  

Zipes, Jack.  Fairy Tales and the Art of Subversion: The Classical Genre for Children                            
            and the Process of Civilization.  New York: Routledge, 1983. 

A collection of essays examining the historical importance of the fairy tale genre and the role the genre plays in the socialization and moral development of children.