I think music and poetic language can go hand-in-hand a lot of times. There is a rhythmic quality to both of them that evokes emotions, imagery, and entertains on many levels. However, while both music and poetic language can be complementary and are very similar, it does not mean they can not be mutually exclusive. Poetic language is enhanced by the use of music just as music can be enhance by poetry. However, there are certain qualities specifically belonging to music - wordless rhythms and sounds - that make it more unique when compared to poetry. Poetry can be engaging, intelligent, and powerful. However, I think emotive power music can evoke is greater. Poetic language can definitely complement and aid the music, however I believe language points more towards music than be on the same plane as music.
Wackenroder's story has several elements similar to a fairy tale. It involves a character that is fantastical and magical to say the least. Furthermore, there is a redemptive structure to the narrative in the sense that the main character, after going through prolonged and severe hardships finally is able to be freed from his shackles. However, I believe the fairy tale elements of "A Wondrous Oriental Tale of a Naked Saint" basically end there. It is definitely more of a Kunstmarchen in the sense that it is a more sophisticated story that utilizes a lot more metaphors and imagery. Furthermore, this tale is definitely not intended exclusively for children - in fact I highly doubt it is meant for children it all. The sophisticated and advanced writing - and the inclusion of abstract imagery and metaphors, specifically the importance of the "wheel" - points towards the audience being adults.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Assignment: 31 March 2009
Please consider the Wackenroder text, “A Wondrous Oriental Tale of a Naked Saint.”
- What is the relationship between music and poetic language? Is the power evoked by music also accessible to language? Or does language merely point to music?
- Also, consider how Wackenroder’s story is a fairy tale. What elements are fairy-tale-like? And what makes it, more specifically, a Kunstmärchen?
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Heroine
In both of the Grimms' tales ("Fitcher's Bird" and "The Robber Bridegroom"), the heroine ends up in her predicament accidentally. In "Fitcher's Bird," a sorcerer goes to town, and captures the girls one by one. In "The Robber Bridegroom," the heroine is promised in marriage.
Their reactions are what distinguish them. In "Fitcher's Bird," all three women are disobedient (And rightfully so, as they're thrown inside of a bread basket). However, the third one plans ahead of her disobedience, and is successful.
In "The Robber Bridegroom," the heroine is harder to read. On one hand, she is disobedient, as she ignores the voice of the forest. However, she is obedient by going through with the marriage on her father's orders. It seems like her virtue, like many fairy tale heroines, is her silence. Because she remains silent while witnessing the murder, the evidence is practically handed to her (no pun intended), and she comes out successful.
Their reactions are what distinguish them. In "Fitcher's Bird," all three women are disobedient (And rightfully so, as they're thrown inside of a bread basket). However, the third one plans ahead of her disobedience, and is successful.
In "The Robber Bridegroom," the heroine is harder to read. On one hand, she is disobedient, as she ignores the voice of the forest. However, she is obedient by going through with the marriage on her father's orders. It seems like her virtue, like many fairy tale heroines, is her silence. Because she remains silent while witnessing the murder, the evidence is practically handed to her (no pun intended), and she comes out successful.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Elements of Horror 3/14
Elements of horror:
The amount of dismemberment and intensity of the violence certainly changed from story to story. In the original Perrault, the violence occurred in the past. While there is a large pool of blood, the murders themselves are not described. However, in the Grimms' "Fitcher's Bird," there is a graphic decapitation followed by dismemberment and blood spill. In the Grimms' "Robber Bridegroom," a girl is dismembered, covered in salt, and served to eat, while in "Mr. Fox," the girl's hand is sliced off.
I think it is important to note that the violence is used as much for plot as for sensationalism. In all of the non-Perrault stories, the dismembered body parts act as messages to the real heroine of each tale. The Perrault version actually suffers without the violence, as the plot situation is handled with a single awkward sentence: "(these were all the women Bluebeard had married and then murdered one after another)". By "seeing" the violence instead of hearing about it in past tense, the Bluebeard-type villain becomes far more evil.
The amount of dismemberment and intensity of the violence certainly changed from story to story. In the original Perrault, the violence occurred in the past. While there is a large pool of blood, the murders themselves are not described. However, in the Grimms' "Fitcher's Bird," there is a graphic decapitation followed by dismemberment and blood spill. In the Grimms' "Robber Bridegroom," a girl is dismembered, covered in salt, and served to eat, while in "Mr. Fox," the girl's hand is sliced off.
I think it is important to note that the violence is used as much for plot as for sensationalism. In all of the non-Perrault stories, the dismembered body parts act as messages to the real heroine of each tale. The Perrault version actually suffers without the violence, as the plot situation is handled with a single awkward sentence: "(these were all the women Bluebeard had married and then murdered one after another)". By "seeing" the violence instead of hearing about it in past tense, the Bluebeard-type villain becomes far more evil.
Heroine
In the Brothers Grimm’s version “The Robber Bridegroom,” the heroine’s character is a celebration of self-preservation and cleverness. The entire story, the girl knew that there was something strange about her suitor, and did not trust him at all. She tried to make excuses not to visit him, but to no avail. Forced into visiting, the girl “filled her pockets with peas and lentils to mark the way,” much like Hansel and Gretel. This was very clever because “the wind had scattered the ashes, but the peas and lentils had sprouted and showed the way in the moonlight.” She is also clever to take the finger with the ring on it as proof of the robber's murder. Upon showing it, the robber and his group "were executed for their dreadful deeds."
Elements of Horror
The most common element of horror that I found in the readings was a forbidden room with bloody dead bodies in it. I found this element in “The Seven Wives of Bluebeard,” “Fitcher’s Bird,” “Bluebeard,” and “Mr. Fox.” In most of these stories, Bluebeard’s wives, or soon-to-be wives, are given keys to the house but forbidden to enter a certain area. The women are too curious to obey, enter the room and see Bluebeard’s past wives chopped up into little pieces. This element startles the audience and helps move the plot along, because the women then must be punished for their disobedience.
Another element which I noticed in “The Robber’s Bridegroom” and “Mr. Fox” was that a male figure would have a female’s body, mutilate it, and chop off their finger to get a ring. I think this element is to startle the audience, elaborate the story, and help move the plot. After the female figure shows the finger with the ring to everyone, the male is then killed.
The final horror element was from “Bluebeard’s Ghost,” and it was the ghost coming out of the grave. It helped Mrs. Bluebeard select her future husband, because it turned out that Mr. Bluebeard was not coming out of his grave, but was one of her suitors posing as the ghost. It startled the audience and helped move the plot along.
Another element which I noticed in “The Robber’s Bridegroom” and “Mr. Fox” was that a male figure would have a female’s body, mutilate it, and chop off their finger to get a ring. I think this element is to startle the audience, elaborate the story, and help move the plot. After the female figure shows the finger with the ring to everyone, the male is then killed.
The final horror element was from “Bluebeard’s Ghost,” and it was the ghost coming out of the grave. It helped Mrs. Bluebeard select her future husband, because it turned out that Mr. Bluebeard was not coming out of his grave, but was one of her suitors posing as the ghost. It startled the audience and helped move the plot along.
Heroine Representation 3/24
In the story "Bluebeard's Ghost" it is interesting that the heroine, or Bluebeard's widow, presents herself as disobedient. When speaking on Bluebeard's sharpening his knife and yelling at her to come down from the tower, Mrs. Bluebeard says, "'Merely to punish me for my curiosity--the dear, good, kind, excellent creature!'" (Zipes 339). She does not blame Bluebeard, but instead blames herself and others (her sister Anne) for his death. In this story, she is presented not as courageous, but as a woman who still relies on her dead husband who might have been trying to kill her. In the end, Mrs. B. and Anne even believe that Bluebeard had shown "her future husband" to Mrs. B. (353). It is Anne's love interest, Ensign Trippet, that saves Mrs. B. and Anne from making the mistake of listening to Bluebeard's "ghost" and marrying Mr. Sly. As the story goes, "For the first time in her [Mrs. B's] life, she had not a word to say. Sister Anne, too, was dumb with terror" in the graveyard. Tom Trippet saves them when the women can't save themselves.
Audra Crosby
Audra Crosby
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