Meryam Bnyamin, Period 8, 9/23/21

Write about your thoughts regarding any of the fiction or nonfiction covered in class.

Despite it being early in the school year, I still feel like we have covered quite a bit of content. My first real look into this class was the summer reading. I would be lying if I said that didn’t shock me. When I think about fairytales, my brain usually imagines the classic Disney movies, which are light, funny, childish. Most of the versions of Cinderella in Tatar’s book are anything but this. What surprised me the most is the mature content of stories, that most consider to be for children. The dark and disturbing themes highlight some important similarities and differences across the different versions of the fairy tale. Having a more mature understanding of some of these topics has made me consider many of these classic stories in a very different light. Our in class discussion highlighted the underlying incestual themes in many versions of Cinderella, such as Donkeyskin and Catskin, or the significance of color and character symbolism in Little Red Riding Hood. These stories unveil a completely different realm of fairy tales, and are fascinating to understand.

Reflect on any new information you have learned in English class by considering how that learning influences your critical perception.

From watching the TEDtalk on the internet and folklore, and the discussion about it in class, my perception of folklore and what it is changed dramatically. Prior to the discussion, I assumed that folklore and fairy tales were essentially the same thing, stories with a fantastical aspect. Having that understanding that folklore isn’t just stories, but also the beliefs, stories, and culture of our community made me realize how much of what we do everyday contributes to folklore. I also think my perception of what is significant and important has changed dramatically. I would never really think that something as small as an internet post can contribute as much as it does, especially because the reputation that platforms like social media tend to have is not necessarily intellectual. 

How is what you’re learning applied to any other classes/the world around you?

When learning about folklore, especially in the way we are right now, by comparing versions of the story across different time periods and places, it massively reflects on the culture, values, and history of different parts of the world. In many ways, the themes that are presented in a region’s version of Cinderella can reflect on the political and social environment of the time. It can often require an understanding of world history, and even sociology. For example, while reading the different versions of Cinderella, the portrayal of royalty and monarchy can often reflect that of the region which it comes from. In The Princess in the Suit Leather, the royalty mentioned is a Sultan, meaning that the story likely originates from East Asia, or maybe the Middle East, considering this is usually the social hierarchy of countries in that region. Often, a lot of these details can also reflect on the expectations and standards of the society of which they originate. For example, the beauty standards, especially that of women, is often portrayed in the descriptions of the female heroines. In many of these stories, the heroine is described as being petite and fair skin, reflecting many Eastern beauty standards. It can be interesting to view how these standards change and develop over time.