Traditional Fairy Tales, Class Two

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Monday, January 15, Period 2

The table in the center of the room was filled with breakfast pastries and hot drinks, there were stacks of books close at hand for the students to borrow for their readings assignments, and Aziraphale looked quite cheerful as he sat in his armchair and waited for the class to arrived.

"Good morning, everyone! I hope you all enjoyed your first week of classes. Today we'll begin our discussion of the basic character archetypes found in fairy tales. Your assigned reading was Jack the Giant Killer and Molly Whuppie. Following the lecture, we'll discuss the central characters in these two stories, and how they fit into the roles of hero and villain."

LECTURE: "With a few exceptions, every fairy tale contains two central figures: the hero or heroine, and the villain. These characters can take many forms, from innocent child to clever thief, from evil stepmother to hungry wolf, but the central conflict of a fairy tale often evolves around the idea of the hero outwitting the villain. The hero may have a quest to fulfill, a puzzle to solve, or a difficult situation to escape. They may act out of self-defense, altruism, love, or necessity -- sometimes even out of greed or fear. Heros display a common set of characteristics -- in general, they are quick-witted, creative, and bold. Villains are not always evil, but are in general selfish and greedy, and usually act out of a desire to fulfill personal needs or an often baseless dislike of the hero."

DISCUSSION: "Take a look at the two stories from your assigned reading. Identify the hero and villain in each one, and then explain what motivates their actions. In your opinion, why is the villain villainous, and why does the hero act heroically?

"I would also like you to take a little time at the end of class to meet with the members of your project groups. I'll be expecting proposals for your final project in a few weeks, and I'll try to give you time during each class to meet with one another."

ASSIGNMENT: "For next week, read Mr Fox and John the True."


[ooc: For those who are new to Aziraphale's classes, there is always a spread of breakfast pastries and hot drinks, which you are free to mod. Also, the room is always arranged with comfortable chairs and couches for seating, rather than desks. Please wait for the OCD threads are now up, and class is in session.]


Syllabus
Class Roster
Project Groups
Linkdrop for classes

Comments

Re: Discussion

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

"Very good, Miss Lang," Aziraphale said, with a nod. "Why do you think that stories like these might depict villains whose nature it is simply to be destructive? What purpose does it serve to have a villain who isn't necessary evil, but merely in opposition because of their...let's call it their 'natural disposition'?"

Re: Discussion

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

"Maybe because if it's just the way they are then they're more like animals - not human?" Lana suggested. "It's one thing if you go and deliberately wipe out a group of dangerous animals, but humans cause a bigger moral dilemma."

Re: Discussion

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Aziraphale smiled. "And when you're depicting a hero who's robbing and killing, you need to put them into a setting where their deeds appear justified, not criminal. Also, oftentimes these stories are used as a way to depict a more symbolic sort of battle -- the idea of avoiding and overcoming the daily risks associated with poverty, crime, disease, and war. A strange and grotesque creature taking on the part of villain can be a way to present these obstacles, so that the focus isn't so much on the hero defeating an equal opponent, but on his or her ability to overcome greater and frightening odds and emerge victorious."

Re: Discussion

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

Lana nodded. "And people need heroes."

Re: Discussion

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

"Quite, my dear. And as much as fairy tales serve as cautionary tales, they also help to encourage people by showing that a character they can relate to in some manner can persevere."

Re: Discussion

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

Lana nodded. "And people living in the kind of conditions they were needed to believe that there was hope that ordinary people like themselves could be special and live a better life."