Nick Bestor Chrysta Naron the EUROPEAN FOLKTALE UGS 303
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Dr. Sandra Ballif Straubhaar TAs: Nick Bestor Chrysta Naron THE EUROPEAN FOLKTALE UGS 303 Fall 2018 Writing Flag; Global Cultures Flag Unique Numbers 63935, 63940, 63945, 63950 Course Description: Folktales recur in retellings across national borders and time periods in Europe and beyond, from prehistory and antiquity through today’s popular culture; it can be argued that “the ability to tell a story” is one of the hallmarks of the human species. This class will focus mostly on collected folktales, but also on their literary retellings and adaptations, in printable story form (mostly prose, but occasionally in song) as well as in film (including TV) and illustration. We will examine both a wide selection of collected Indo-European folktales as well as numerous perspectives for understanding, interpreting and applying these tales. We will look at the aesthetic, ethical, social, historical and psychological values that (it can be argued that) the tales reflect in themselves. In addition, we will read and discuss significant theoretical and methodological paradigms applicable to the folktales under study, including such perspectives as formalist / structuralist (Aarne & Thompson, Propp), nationalist / aesthetic (Grimm, Lang, Tolkien), mythic / archetypal (Jung, Campbell, Tolkien, Bly, Pinkola-Estés), socio-historical (Darnton, Warner, Rowe, Zipes, Tatar, Shavit), psychoanalytical / therapeutic (Bettelheim, Pinkola-Estés, Haase), and feminist / gender studies approaches (Warner, Gilbert & Gubar, Rowe, Pinkola-Estés, Bly). Throughout the course, we will be simultaneously exploring the enduring presence of folktale-derived narrative in current popular and high culture. (NOTE: If, at any time during this course, you “recognize” a story that you are more familiar with from a different, or more modern venue, tell us! This is a fun bonus.) Upon completion of this course, the student should be familiar with a variety of Indo-European folktales, be able to discuss several approaches to studying them, be able to identify the most important motifs of these tales, be familiar with some of the most influential folklorists, writers and editors of the tales, and be able to assess the significance of folktales for contemporary Western culture. The class presupposes no prior work in folklore or the folktale; it is intended to introduce students to a fascinating, multicultural set of texts, and to ask questions about folk culture, oral tradition, and story-telling that continue to interest anthropologists, literary scholars, linguists and the general public. Note: This course owes great debts to D. L. Ashliman and to John Lyon, both of the University of Pittsburgh, who pioneered its prototype Way Back in the Day™. About the Flags: Global Cultures This course carries the Global Cultures flag. Global Cultures courses are designed to increase your familiarity with cultural groups outside the United States. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from assignments covering the practices, beliefs, and histories of at least one non-U.S. cultural group, past or present. Writing This course carries the Writing Flag. Writing Flag courses are designed to give students experience with writing in an academic discipline. In this class, you can expect to write regularly during the semester, complete substantial writing projects, and receive feedback from your instructor to help you improve your writing. You will also have the opportunity to revise one or more assignments, and you may be asked to read and discuss your peers’ work. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from your written work. Writing Flag classes meet the Core Communications objectives of Critical Thinking, Communication, Teamwork, and Personal Responsibility, established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The Single Most F.A.Q.: So. .what counts as a Folk Tale? Answer: That depends on whom you’re talking to. One of the authors we’re learning about in the class, Vladimir Propp, has a very narrow definition. He counts only the traditionally preserved coming-of-age stories where the hero/heroine leaves home to seek his/her fortune, is helped by magical beings, successfully quests for a magical object and returns home with a spouse. (“The Firebird” or “The Flying Ship” or “East of the Sun and West of the Moon” are excellent examples of this.) The cool thing about a Proppian tale is that it follows an easily plottable scheme or template – which is also nicely compatible with Joseph Campbell’s template for the Hero-Journey, which we will also be looking at. Other authors we’ll be reading, such as J. R. R. Tolkien, are also interested in narrowing down the field – which tales do we “allow in” to our material for study? – but may or may not draw the same categorical boundaries as Propp does. Still other authors, such as D. L. Ashliman (the author of our anthology, Voices from the Past) would like to broaden the definition of what constitutes a folktale. Ashliman, for instance, includes some of the types below: n the above stories (Proppian tales / mini-hero-journeys) n other traditional tales – animal tales; legends associated with a specific geographical place (such as the Loch Ness Monster or the Lorelei); funny stories of quarreling couples; tales about tricksters (such as Loki or Till Eulenspiegel); tall tales; mythological stories; ghost stories; tales of folk heroes (such as Wilhelm Tell or Paul Bunyan or Pecos Bill); shaggy-dog stories ("It's a long way to tip a Rary"); miracles of saints; workplace folklore; among other things. n illustrative stories from antiquity, such as the fables of Æsop (The Tortoise and the Hare, Androcles and the Lion) or the parables of Jesus (The Prodigal Son, The Good Samaritan) n as well as non-traditional stories composed by known authors from the last few centuries, deliberately constructed using a traditional-tale style or one similar to it – authors such as Ludwig Tieck, E. T. A. Hoffmann, H. C. Andersen, George MacDonald, Oscar Wilde, Rudyard Kipling, Karen Blixen, J. R. R. Tolkien, Ursula K. LeGuin, Angela Carter, Maurice Sendak, Jane Yolen, Tanith Lee, Ellen Kushner, Charles deLint, Jessica Day George, Diana Wynne Jones, J. K. Rowling, Cornelia Funke, Neil Gaiman, Robin McKinley and many, many others. We’ll touch a little bit on most of the above types of tales. We’ll stick mostly to prose (and retellings of prose narratives, including film). Many of these tales have been retold in poetry (ballads or epics), or in prose narratives that are too lengthy to be called tales (such as Thomas Malory’s Morte d’Arthur) but we won’t visit these forms as much. TEXTS: to be obtained in any way you find easiest; at Jenn’s Copy on the Drag; temporarily uploaded to Canvas: 1. at Jenn’s Copy. Buy it ASAP! The Packet includes lots of independent readings (see Schedule below for when they are required) plus the main text for the course, D. L. Ashliman’s Voices from the Past anthology, which is out of print; we have permission to reprint it. (Abbreviated as “VfP” in the Schedule below.) 2. , indicated under most days in the Schedule below. Look at them or view them BEFORE coming to class each day. (Except for Day 1, of course.) 3. , Maria (ed.). The Classic Fairy Tales. Book. ISBN 03939 72771 4. , Iona & Peter (eds.). The Classic Fairy Tales. Book. ISBN 01952 02198 If you opt to get a used one, it may be an earlier edition, and the pagination may be just a little different. Many students have used these earlier editions without difficulty, though. 5. 's classic essay, “On Fairy-Stories.” This was originally given as an Andrew Lang Memorial Lecture at the University of St. Andrews in 1938. It will be uploaded as a PDF to Canvas sometime before the reading of it is due. (It will then disappear, for reasons of copyright. Lawyers for the Tolkien Estate can be fierce. So. .Warning: Read it on time.) GRADING This Writing Course will derive 60% of your final grade from writing assignments. Writing assignments for this course will be as follows: 1. Each student will produce five three-page essays (Double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font), each addressing some element from one of five different chosen content categories from Ashliman's folk tale anthology. (Examples: Rules for Living; Children at Risk; Coming of Age; Masters and Servants; Old Age; Death.) Two of these may incorporate an analysis of a contemporary or near-contemporary film (e.g., Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters [2013]) on a related theme. All but the last of these may be revised for a better grade; revision is required for three out of the five. These are due (depending on your section) on Sept. 6 or 7; Sept. 20 or 21; Oct. 4 or 5; Oct. 18 or 19; and Nov. 1 or 2. They must be submitted on paper, already printed out for ease of grading. (20%) 2. Students will work in groups of 3 or 4, a) to create an “original folktale” relating to one of the life-cycle themes in Dee Ashliman’s anthology; b) to devise a mode of presentation to their discussion group; and c) to demonstrate its relevance to contemporary life. Finished text of the tale is due Nov. 15 or 16, depending on your section. (20%) 3. Each student must enter at least ten reaction posts (minimum 50 words each) under Canvas Discussions (online in a text box), reacting to discussion prompts drawn from the topics and readings covered each week. (Discussions on these topics will also occur, of course, in the large-group sessions and in the TA-led breakout sessions.) These are each due ONE WEEK after the prompts go online. Prompts will go online on Days 6, 10, 13, 17, 20, 24, 30, 32, 36 and 40 – that’s Sept.