Talking mirrors, glass slippers, and the Big Bad Wolf are all elements found in Grimms’ Fairy Tales. Collected in Germany in the early 1800s by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, these stories have enduring appeal and are a vital part of Western literary tradition. And yet, in the British-occupied sector of Germany following World War II, Grimms’ Fairy Tales were banned because they were deemed to be feeding “a bloodthirsty German imagination.” In this course we will analyze literary fairy tales from continental Europe and trace the history of the fairy tale from oral tradition to print and film. Although our focus will be on literary tales, we will also have an opportunity to look at fairy tale illustrations and to compare some of these stories to modern Disney film versions.

Instructor: Kristen Klay
Keywords: Storytelling, Communication & Humanity, True Crime & Horror, Historical Perspectives
CRN: 20622