EthanNguyen

Haas
Writing37
3November2015
RhetoricalAnalysis

Fairytalesorfolktalesremainevidentthroughouthistoryandmostlikelywillbein
thefuture.Thelessonsandmoralstaughtandreceivedwillneverbeforgotten.
Howeverthemethodsandlogicbehindtheseteachingshavechangedovertheyearsto
suitthemoderngenerations.Storytellershavehadtoalterthesefablesinorderto
reflecttheneedsofdifferentaudiences,timeperiods,orbothduetochangesinsocial
statusandagedifferences.Theseadaptationsrespondtothechangesinrhetorical
situationreflectingthechangeinsocietalbeliefs,culturesandhistoricalcontextasa
whole.Thefolktalegenreisaforeverchanging,adaptingandevolvinggenre.The
SleeperandtheSpindleisamodernadaptationofSnowWhitefittedforthemodern
generationunderliningthedifferencesandsimilaritiesbetweentheGrimmsera,
st
Disneys1937film,aswellasthe21
century.GaimansTheSleeperandtheSpindle

changesthemaincharacterandthestorytoshowadifferenceinthesocietalbeliefsof
the1800sandearly1900scomparedtopresentdayculture.

Eachstoryfollowssomearchetypalconventionsofthefairytalegenreinorderto

providethatdefinitionandidentitytoitself.TheGrimmsLittleSnowWhiteprovidesa
foundationtoanalyzeandevaluatethechangesandsimilaritiesinfairytaleconventions
thatcreatethisstoryandgiveititsidentitywhilealsoshowinghowtheseconventions

provideadifferentapproachtothedidacticandentertainmentwaysofdifferenteras.
LittleSnowWhiteislabeledasanAarneThompsontype709.Thestoryfollowsagirl
whoiscastawaybyhermother,wandersintoahouseinhabitedbysevendwarvesand
latereatsapoisonedappleputtingherintoaneternalslumberwhensheisawokenbya
mishapforcingtheappleoutofherbody.TheGrimmsversionfollowsthetypical
conventionsofcharactersandsettingsinmanyfolktales.Itstorytakesplaceinthe
woodswhichclearlysetsoutthetimeperiodbydemonstratingthebeliefthattheforest
isamysticalandunknownareawheremanyunnaturaleventsmayoccurwhetherthey
areevilorofgoodintent.Thisalsoprovidesinsightintobeliefsduringthattimeperiod
andwithintheirculture.WhenthemirrordescribesSnowWhiteasathousandtimes
fairerthanthecharacteroftheevilmother.Shesendsherdaughterawaywhichcan
beanexampleofatimeperiodwherefamilydecisionsoverruledindividualthoughts,
whichalsoattributestothejealousyandhatethatmothersoftenfeeltowardtheir
stepchildrenasasimplehumanemotionthatisexpectedandalsoascompetitionfor
theattentionofthemanofthefamily.Inthesetexts,thedaughterseesinhermother
theagentandenforceroftheoppressivepatriarchalsystem,whilethemotherseesin
herdaughterasymbolofherownlackofpower.(Eigler,Kord,86)Thehistoricalcontext
andsocietalideologiesofwomennothavingpowerprovidesanexplanationtowardsthe
ideaoftheevilmotherbecausetheywouldnothavecontroloveranyaspectsoflifeuntil
theyhadchildrenandcouldabusetheirchildren.

Disneys1937film
SnowWhiteandtheSevenDwarfs,
themoviefollowsthe

sameplotlinehoweverintroducessomedifferencesincharacters,plot,andsymbols

whilekeepingsomeelementsthesame.Thefilmalsofollowsthestoryofagirlwhois
exiled,howeverinsteadofhermotherwhobanishesheritisastepmother.She
succumbstoapoisonapplejustastheoriginalGrimmsversionholds.Inbothversions
aprincecomestorescuehoweveronlyintheDisneyversiondoestheprincekissSnow
Whitetowakeherup.Thisismainlyduetothechangeinaudience.TheDisneyversion
alsogivesthedwarfsnamesinsteadofjustlistingthemassingleentitiesalsoduetoa
changeinaudience.

Thestorybecameasubjectoftimeandconsequentlyunderwentmanychanges

andrevisionsoradaptations.Thechangesintheconventionsofcharacterreflectthe
changeinaudience.Thechangefromanevilmothertoanevilstepmotherisduetothe
factthatthelaterversionsoftheGrimmsstorieswereeditedtoaccommodatemiddle
classmotherswhotookcareoftheirchildrenandtoldthemstories.Thiswastoglorify
theirrolesasamotherandtomaketheguardianroleofastepmotherseemevilandnot
caring.ThechangeinaudiencealsoprovidesanexplanationastowhySnowWhiteis
awokenbyakissbyaprince.Thisadditionwastogivechildrenthehopeofloveand
makeitseemlikesomethingeveryonewishestoattain.Thenamesgiventotheseven
dwarfsinthefilmservethepurposeofmakingthestorymoreappealingtochildren.
SocietalideologiesandthedifferencesbetweentimeperiodsarefurtherevidentinNeil
GaimansTheSleeperandtheSpindleasitaddressestopicsthathavebeenmore
emphasizedthroughoutthehistoryofman.

TheSleeperandtheSpindleisamodernadaptationofLittleSnowWhite.

Manychangespresentitselfaswellasadditionstothemainplotline.Thestoryis

differentinthatinsteadofaprincessbeingasleepsheisreplacedbyagirlwhois
asleepandthatthereisacursethathasbefallenthekingdomspreadingandcausing
everyonetofallasleepaswell.Thisstoryhasamoresinistertwisttoit.Thestory
followsmuchofthesameelementssuchasthedwarvesandabeautifulsleepinggirl
howeveroneconventionthatischanged,isthatofthemaincharacter.Inmostfairy
talesaswellastheoriginalworksofSnowWhite,theherowhocomestosavethe
sleepinggirlisamalefigure.InTheSleeperandtheSpindle,thepersonthatcomes
toherrescueisaqueenwhoshowsmanycourageoustraitsandcanoftenseem
masculine.Shecarrieswithheraswordandwearsarmor,whichisthetypicalattirethat
onemightassumethatthearchetypalcharacterofaprinceorknightinshiningarmor
wouldhave.Thischangewascreatedtoadapttothegrowingconcernovertherights,
rolesandpowerstheypossessunlikeduringtheearly1800saswellas1900s.The
storybyGaimanhasafemaleleadwhichshowshowtodayonemaindifferenceisthat
womenhavemoreofaneffectonmanydifferentaspectsoflife.Thechangefrom
femalesbeingthesupportingroletotheleadormainroleisaverydistinctformofa
changeinhistoricalcontextaswellasculture.Therepresentationoffeminisminthe
modernadaptationbyreplacingsuchalargerolehelpssetabasisforwomentohave
theirstatusinsocietyinsolidgroundbyrootingitinsuchafundamentalblockofour
lives.

OneconventionthatremainedinTheSleeperandtheSpindle,however

specialtotheGrimmstories,wasthesymbolofthespindle.Thissymbolwaspresent
towardstheendofthestorywhenitwasusedtokillthesleepingbeauty.Usedbythe

oldwomanwhohadbeennexttothegirlasshewassleepingrepresentsthewisdom
shehas.Sheusesittosavethekingdomthoughitwouldendherlife.Italsoisthetool
thatcausesthebeautifulgirltoperishimplyingameaningthatbecauseshedidnot
possessthespindle,shewasimmature,selfishanddesiredonlyforherself.This
spindleortheactiontheoldwomantakesrepresentsthefreedomtomakeadecisionin
moderndaysocietyunlikethepastwheredecisionswouldbemadeforonepersonbya
superiorfigure.
TheSleeperandtheSpindle,providesanewoutlookonthestoryofSnowWhite
whentheentirekingdomfallstotheeternalslumberinordertogivethesleepinggirl
beauty.Thischangeinplotisalsocausedbybothachangeinhistoricalcontextand
st
referstothefeministideasthatgrewduringthe21
century.Thechangeinsuchalarge
th
st
detailofthestoryprovidesagranderimageofthechangefrom19
to21
centuryin

relationtotherolesofwomen.Thestoryprovidestheimageofwomenhavingthe
th
powertomakeadifferenceinsocietyunlikethe19
centurywheretheyhadlittletono

powerandhadnonoticeableeffectontheworld.
Theconventionsthatareoftenthesameinmanyfolktalesprovideabasisand
foundationnotonlytothattimeperiodbutfortheclassificationofthefairytale.Whena
changeinconventionoccursitcouldbetoadapttoanevolvingaudience.This
adaptationistobecomemoreappealingtotheaudienceandindoingso,createsa
moreentertainingstory.ForexampleinDisneys
SnowWhiteandtheSevenDwarfs,
notonlydoestheadditionofcharacternamesandemotiontothedwarfstrytoappeal
towardstheyoungergenerationsthatDisneyhadinmindbutitaddsanothergenreinto

theclassificationofthefilmitself.Onecanalsolabelthemovieascomedic.Itisalso
withthisadditionthatpeoplecanreachtheconclusionthatthemovieisgearedtowards
children.TheotherconventionssuchashavingtheroyalfamilyalsohelpsDisneyfocus
theiraudiencetowardschildrenbecauseitisinchildrenthatdreamsandhopesbeginto
growandexplodefromtheirimaginations.Withtheimaginationperspectiveconsidered
thefocusonchildrenshinesduetothefactthatthefilmengagesorattackstheir
creativesideandthataloneregardlessofwhetherthestorycouldhavedarkintentinit.
ThestoriesofLittleSnowWhitebytheGrimmbrothers,Disneys1937film
Snow
WhiteandtheSevenDwarfs,
andNeilGaimainsTheSleeperandtheSpindle,areso
similarbecausetheyshareonemainconvention,thesleepinggirl.Howevercoupled
withmanysmallerhoweversignificantdifferencesinconvention,thestorychangesto
suitthetasteofamoremodernaudiencewithdifferentculturalbeliefsandideologies.
BoththeGrimmversionaswellastheGaimainversionreflectthetopicofwomens
socialstatusalthoughcompletelydifferentduetothetimeperiods.Althoughbasedon
thesamestory,differentlessonsandideasaretaughtorshowntodifferentaudiences
bychangingsomeofthemostcommonconventionssuchascharacters,symbolsandin
doingsocanalterthestorytobemoreentertainingtoreadorwatch.

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TheFeministEncyclopediaofGermanLiterature
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Wikipedia
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Keithley,JordanL.,Onceuponatime:fairytalespastandpresent(2013).
EWUMastersThesis
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Saunders,JohnHanson.
THEEVOLUTIONOFSNOWWHITE:ACLOSETEXTUALANALYSISOF
THREEVERSIONSOFTHESNOWWHITEFAIRYTALE
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Tartar,Maria.
TheHardFactsoftheGrimms'FairyTales
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