Folktales Retold: A Critical Overview of Stories Updated for Children - Softcover

Doughty, Amie A.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0786425911 ISBN 13: 9780786425914

Publisher: McFarland, 2006

Synopsis

Folktales and fairy tales are living stories; as part of the oral tradition, they change and evolve as they are retold from generation to generation. In the last thirty years, however, revision has become an art form of its own, with tales intentionally revised to achieve humorous effect, send political messages, add different cultural or regional elements, try out new narrative voices, and more. These revisions take all forms, from short stories to novel-length narratives to poems, plays, musicals, films and advertisements. The resulting tales paint the tales from myriad perspectives, using the broad palette of human creativity. This study examines folktale revisions from many angles, drawing on examples primarily from revisions of Western European traditional tales, such as those of the Grimm Brothers and Charles Perrault. Also discussed are new folktales that combine traditional storylines with commentary on modern life. The conclusion considers how revisionists poke fun at and struggle to understand stories that sometimes made little sense to start with.

About this title

About the Author:

Amie A. Doughty is an associate professor of English at Lake Superior State University in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan. She is a member of the Popular Culture Association and the Children’s Literature Association and lives in Sault Sainte Marie.

Review:

"a good reference"--Children's Literature Association Quarterly; "excellent"--SFRA Review.

About this edition

• Publisher: McFarland
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0786425911
• ISBN 13: 9780786425914
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 219