Fairy Tale Analysis Essay Example for Free

Fairy Tale Analysis Essay â€Å"Fairytales are unique, not only as a form of literature, but as works of art which are fully comprehensible to the child as no other form of art is. † we were introduced several versions of Cinderella in â€Å"Damsels in Distress†. For generations, the Cinderella story had been one of the most popular fairytales around the world; there are countless modified versions of it. For this analysis, I chose â€Å"Cinderella† by Charles Perrault and â€Å"Ashputtle† by the Grimm Brothers and applying them to the ideas from the article, â€Å"The Struggle for Meaning†. The most familiar version of â€Å"Cinderella† in western society was the written by Charles Perrault in 1667, it was then later used by Disney for a children’s film production. The Grimm Bothers’ modified version of the story is mainly based on Perrault’s version with a little twist in it. In general, both of the stories share a similar story-line. A widower with his daughter (Cinderella or Ashputtle) was remarried to a â€Å"stuck-up† woman and her two daughters. The man’s daughter are Cinderella or Ashputtle, they were named by their stepsisters, and have been treated poorly by their stepsisters. It happened that the King of the kingdom had a son who was anxious to get married; so he gave a ball, and invited all the ladies in the kingdom to go to it. Cinderella (or Ashputtle) was invited, but her evil stepsisters forced her not to go. Cinderella (Or Ashputtle) made a wish to go to the ball, and magic happened, it clothed her in a beautiful dress, but it will only last until midnight. The Prince fell in love with her at the ball at first site, but Cinderella (Or Ashputtle) ran home, leaving only a glass shoe behind, because it was almost midnight. The prince ordered every woman in the kingdom to try it on, he knew he found the real Cinderella (or Ashputtle) when no other woman in the kingdom could fit the glass shoe but Cinderella (Or Ashputtle). The authors made the morals of Cinderella and Ashputtle very clear. The story of Cinderella had one simple moral, always be generous to people, Cinderella accepted her sisters’ apologies at the end of the story. Ashputtle had the same moral but told in a different way, Karma will always strike back; Ashputtle’s sisters’ eyes were pecked out for treating Ashputtle poorly. â€Å"Many parents believe that only conscious reality or pleasant and wish fulfilling images should be presented to the child- that he should be exposed only to the sunny side of things. But such one-sided fare nourishes the mind only in one-sided way, and real life is not all sunny. † In Bruno Bettelheim’s â€Å"The Struggle For Meaning†, Mr. Bettelheim talked about how fairy tales can be so effective at grasping children’s minds into the ideas and morals of the fairy tales. â€Å"A child needs to understand what is going on within his conscious self so that he can also cope with that which goes on in his unconscious. † Cinderella is a very â€Å"effective† story, just like children’s fantasy, the setting of the story is in a kingdom involved with kings and queens. The magic is a crucial part of the story of Cinderella; it turned the ordinary story into a fascinating fairytale. Most fairytales gives the reader a straightforward message to the moral. This way, it allows younger audiences to relate to the main character or the hero of the story to him or herself to understand the story, â€Å"The more simple and straightforward a good character, the easier for a child to identify the hero from the villain. † Ultimately, the message sent to the child from Cinderella is, â€Å"bad guys die, I don’t want to die, I want to be good. Another reason that fairytales are effective, â€Å"In fairytales, as in life, punishment or fear of it is only a limited deterrent to crime† â€Å"Deeper meaning resides in the fairy tales told to me in my childhood than in the truth that is taught by life† (The Piccolomini,III,4. ) Fairytales portray realistic views of human nature and struggles while incorporating enchanting fictional themes and characters, after all it’s this fictious fantasy sparks the reader’s interest, as they may find some valuable meanings of life from the tale.

There Are No Children Here - If I Grow Up Essay -- There are No Childr

There Are No Children Here - If I Grow Up  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      "If I grow up, I'd like to be a bus driver." If -- not when. Sentiments like this echo hauntingly through the pages of Alex Kotlowitz's account of his two-year documentation of the lives of two brothers, Lafeyette and Pharoah Rivers. The boys are afforded little happiness and too much grief, trying to survive from day to day in their appartment at the crime-ridden Henry Horner Homes housing project on the outskirts of Chicago. When Kotlowitz approached the boys' mother, LaJoe, about writing the book about her children, she agreed with him, but felt the need to set him straight. "But you know, there are no chlidren here. They've seen too much to be children," LaJoe told Kotlowitz. Lajoe moved to Horner when she was a young girl with her family of thirteen. The family had been living in a flat above a church that lacked adequate heating and frequently rang of organ music from the church below. Hearing of the newly finshed public housing projects for financially disadvantaged families, LaJoe's parents packed up the family and moved to one of the new buildings. When the family first arrived in their new home, they could not believe their eyes. It looked like a palace. Outside there were yellow flowers and lamp posts. The exterior of the building was made of sturdy, dark-red brick. Inside, the walls were a pristine white, with shiney linoleum floors. A new range and refrigerator awaited in the kitchen. It seemed like a dream to them -- until it all came crashing down. One of Lajoe's sisters was found strangled in the family's bathtub. Then, upon hearing the news of his sisters death, one of Lajoe's brothers had a heart attack and died. LaJoe's parents packed up soon ... ...sing the possibility of suing her husband for child support with someone. As for the analysis of the book itself, although the author aims toward providing a chronicle of two years in the lives of the two brothers, he actually ends up writing more about their mother. He discusses LaJoe's parents, how they met and married and why they moved to Horner. He depicts LaJoe as an extremely kind-hearted yet tough woman who will do anything to help not only her own family, but all the neighborhood children as well. LaJoe feeds and cares for many of the neighborhood children. For this, she is rare and special in an environment of black mothers who are prostitutes and drug addicts. She sticks by her children when most mothers would be ashamed and disown them. I finished this book feeling a great deal of respect and admiration for LaJoe and everytihg she went through.    There Are No Children Here - If I Grow Up Essay -- There are No Childr There Are No Children Here - If I Grow Up  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      "If I grow up, I'd like to be a bus driver." If -- not when. Sentiments like this echo hauntingly through the pages of Alex Kotlowitz's account of his two-year documentation of the lives of two brothers, Lafeyette and Pharoah Rivers. The boys are afforded little happiness and too much grief, trying to survive from day to day in their appartment at the crime-ridden Henry Horner Homes housing project on the outskirts of Chicago. When Kotlowitz approached the boys' mother, LaJoe, about writing the book about her children, she agreed with him, but felt the need to set him straight. "But you know, there are no chlidren here. They've seen too much to be children," LaJoe told Kotlowitz. Lajoe moved to Horner when she was a young girl with her family of thirteen. The family had been living in a flat above a church that lacked adequate heating and frequently rang of organ music from the church below. Hearing of the newly finshed public housing projects for financially disadvantaged families, LaJoe's parents packed up the family and moved to one of the new buildings. When the family first arrived in their new home, they could not believe their eyes. It looked like a palace. Outside there were yellow flowers and lamp posts. The exterior of the building was made of sturdy, dark-red brick. Inside, the walls were a pristine white, with shiney linoleum floors. A new range and refrigerator awaited in the kitchen. It seemed like a dream to them -- until it all came crashing down. One of Lajoe's sisters was found strangled in the family's bathtub. Then, upon hearing the news of his sisters death, one of Lajoe's brothers had a heart attack and died. LaJoe's parents packed up soon ... ...sing the possibility of suing her husband for child support with someone. As for the analysis of the book itself, although the author aims toward providing a chronicle of two years in the lives of the two brothers, he actually ends up writing more about their mother. He discusses LaJoe's parents, how they met and married and why they moved to Horner. He depicts LaJoe as an extremely kind-hearted yet tough woman who will do anything to help not only her own family, but all the neighborhood children as well. LaJoe feeds and cares for many of the neighborhood children. For this, she is rare and special in an environment of black mothers who are prostitutes and drug addicts. She sticks by her children when most mothers would be ashamed and disown them. I finished this book feeling a great deal of respect and admiration for LaJoe and everytihg she went through.   

Do Genes Determine Character Traits

â€Å"Character Traits Determined Genetically? Genes May Hold the Key to a Life of Success, Study Suggests. † I: Introduction Do genes distinguish our personality traits or is it simply environment, and upbringing that makes us who we are? Psychologists at the University of Edinburgh have discovered that genes may play a greater role in forming character traits than they were thought to before. Things such as self-control, decision-making or sociability could be more nature than nurture. II: BackgroundThe debate of Nature vs. Nurture has been a widely argued topic among psychologists for more than a century. Both opinions of the nature vs. nurture debate have been examined among researchers and a great amount of research has been found, just no clear conclusions of whether it is one or the other. We have always thought of genes distinguishing your physical features such as eye color, hair color, height, etc. , but can genes play more of a role in your personality than scientis ts thought? III: ExperimentIn this study, more than 800 sets of twins, mostly age 50 and over were tested by a method of asking a series of questions to see how they viewed themselves and others. The questions that were asked included questions like â€Å"Are you influenced by people with strong opinions? † and â€Å"Are you disappointed about your achievements in life? † The answers to these questions were then compared with the Ryff Psychological Well-Being Scale. This scale is a Self-perceived quality-of-life scale that is used as a psychological assessment instrument.It is based on a comprehensive theory of the Self-Perceived Quality of Life and provides a multi-faceted measurement of health-related and non-health-related aspects of well-being. The psychologists found that genetics were more influential in shaping key traits than a person's home environment and surroundings. They also found through this study that genes affected a person's sense of purpose, how wel l they get along with people and their ability to continue learning and developing through out their own lives.The research team for this study found that the identical twins who’s DNA was exactly the same were more likely to share traits compared with non-identical twins. These findings are significant because, the stronger the genetic link, the more common it is that these character traits are carried through a family. These results also can make a link of epigenetics and the influence epigenetics have on generations. IV: Reflection Nature vs. nurture and the study of genes has been the one topic that has most interested me throughout this class.I find genes and epigenetics fascinating; therefore I chose to do my paper on this particular topic. This article expresses many aspects of genes and DNA that we went over not only in lab but in lecture as well. Environment plays a key role in the way we personally grow and develop, but genes and epigenetics carry a large part as we ll. People don’t always realize that genes can cause personality. We have always been taught that genes distinguish things like hair and eye color, and I feel this article shows that genetics is important in all aspects of â€Å"creating† an individual.V: Sources University of Edinburgh (2012, May 16). Character traits determined genetically? Genes may hold the key to a life of success, study suggests. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 12, 2012, from http://www. sciencedaily. com/releases/2012/05/120516115903. htm The Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-Being by Tricia A. Seifert, University of Iowa http://www. liberalarts. wabash. edu/ryff-scales/ Nature Nurture in Psychology by Saul McLeod published 2007 * http://www. simplypsychology. org/naturevsnurture. html

Bram Stoker’s Dracula Essay - 2356 Words

Bram Stoker’s Dracula Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a classic example of Gothic writing. Gothic writing was very popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. In the early centuries, Gothic writing would frighten the audience and it was also used as a style of architecture. Dracula, which was first published in 1897, would definitely cause a shock as there was a supernatural being, roaming around sucking people’s blood by the neck. Gothic literature usually includes vampires, monsters or some type of ancient mystical creature. It is also set in medieval castles with secret passages, dungeons and ghost places. There are various types of Gothic literature such as romance and horror. There is just usually horror used but mixing both has†¦show more content†¦The journal is of everything that is happening Transylvania, which he gives to Mina, his fiancà ©e to show their marital trust. There is nothing about who Dracula is, or why Jonathan is meeting him at this point. His journey begins on 3rd May. It is Jonathans first time to Transylvania in the Carpathian Mountains. Jonathan is very anxious as he has done a lot of research on the place; this makes us feel anxious to find out where he is going and what mysteries he will unravel. The reader can see this by when Jonathan says: â€Å"I read that every known superstition in the world is gathered into the horseshoe of the Carpathians, as if it were the centre of some sort of imaginative whirlpool; if so my stay may be very interesting.† He gets this knowledge from his research, which shows Transylvania is a superstitious place as he has not yet met Dracula he is not superstitious. Jonathan travels by train from Munich to Budapest, from Budapest to Klausenburgh, where he stays in the Hotel Royale, and from Klausenburgh to Bistritz. He then checks into another hotel, under orders from the mysterious Count Dracula. The next day, he goes by a horse-coach where he is taken further east and then he eventually meets another coach, which will take him to his final destination, Draculas castle. The further he travels from home, the stranger his trip becomes. It is also suspicious that he did not sleep well: â€Å"I had all sorts ofShow MoreRelatedBram Stoker’s Dracula1087 Words   |  5 Pagesstarted to emerge. This essay will be about who Dracula enticed women, how his detainer was unsettling and demonic. How the era in which the novel was written plays a part in the ideas of Dracula and how behaves; with such things as women, food, and Harker. The Victorian era definitely influenced the writing of the time through reflections of exploitation of women and a certain darkness in ones self, also explains of mystery and suspense. Abraham (Bram) Stoker was born in Dublin in 1847, the thirdRead MoreAnalysis Of Bram Stokers Dracula2059 Words   |  9 PagesVoluptuous Vampire or Proper Prude Written and set in the late 19th century, Bram Stoker’s epistolary novel Dracula is a pivotal book in gothic/horror literature. Like most novels written by men, Dracula appeals more to the male audience and their fantasies and fears about women than to the Victorian Age woman. In the novel, Lucy and Mina are the only two female characters the reader meets in detail, and they are also the only two characters that are seen becoming vampires – indeed, they are theRead MoreAn Analysis of Bram Stokers Dracula885 Words   |  4 PagesBram Stoker’s Dracula is the story about how the small company of men and a woman lead by Professor Abraham Van Helsing combats against Count Dracula, who moves from Transylvania to England in order to manipulate people as â€Å"foul things of the night like him, without heart or conscience, preying on the bodies and the souls of those [they] love best† (223). 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This novel is an outstanding masterpiece of work, which is why it has been a prototype for various movie releases over the decades, such as Nosferatu, Horror of Dracula, Dracula A LoveRead More Comparison of Dracula and Bram Stokers Dracula Essay1462 Words   |  6 PagesCompare/Contrast Dracula and Bram Stokers Dracula A noticeable difference in the way movies have changed over the years is evident when comparing and contrasting two films of different eras which belong to the same genre and contain the same subject matter. Two vampire movies, Dracula and Bram Stokers Dracula, present an interesting example of this type of study. Comparing the 1931 version of Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi, with Frances Ford Coppolas Bram Stokers Dracula 1993 version yieldsRead MoreEssay on Bram Stokers Dracula1698 Words   |  7 PagesBram Stokers Dracula Bram Stokers Dracula is one of the most renowned British novels of all time. It has left its marks on many aspects of literature and film. Many thematic elements are present throughout the story and have been interpreted in many ways. Stoker uses his characters to manifest the themes that he wishes to imply. Three themes that present themselves throughout the book are the theme of Christian Redemption, science and technology, and sexual expression. Christian RedemptionRead MoreDracula, Gothic And Epistolary Novels Of Dracula And Bram Stokers Dracula1357 Words   |  6 PagesIn the late 1890s Bram Stoker takes historical information and old European folktales to create famous Gothic novels like Dracula; Before writing Dracula, he studied for eight years stories of vampires. The title of Stoker’s story has historical significance to Vlad Dracul the 3rd, a Wallachian ruler who impaled his victims on stakes. Bram Stoker also was influenced by his lifetime, before the publication of Dracula, Gothic and Epistolary novels were on the rise hence why Dracula is classified asRead MoreEssay on Paternalism in Bram Stokers Dracula920 Words   |  4 PagesPaternalism in Bram Stokers Dracula      Ã‚   Paternalism is the domination of a society by a male or parental figure that leads or governs much like the way a father would direct his family.   In Victorian society, the idea of paternalism was prevalent.   The idea was also frequently used as a motif in western literature.   Bram Stokers novel Dracula, published in 1897, depicts a paternalistic society through a repression of the female sex and a continuous exaltation of the domineering maleRead MorePsychoanalytical Analysis of Bram Stokers Dracula1790 Words   |  8 PagesCarlos Dena Honors English 11 5/20/13 Critical Analysis on Dracula With several illicit subjects listed throughout Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the book becomes a playground for psychoanalysts. Whether it be to see a subjects as simple as the conscious take over a character, or a character’s surroundings corrupting its victims, Dracula intrigues in more ways than just its vampiristic features. The following is a psychoanalytic study with a focus on vampirism imitating sexual practice and drug usage todayRead MoreEssay on A Summary of Bram Stokers Dracula1054 Words   |  5 PagesA Summary of Bram Stokers Dracula Dracula is an epistolary novel, meaning that is composed from letters, journal and diary entries, telegrams, and newspaper clippings. Jonathan Harker, Mina Murray (later Mina Harker), and Dr. Seward write the largest contributions to the novel although the writings of Lucy Westenra and Abraham Van Helsing constitute some key parts of the book. The novel has a slightly journalistic feel, as it is a harrowing account supposedly written by the people who witnessed