What I think was the most interesting part of this collection of stories was that there was no overarching moral or lesson. Many of the children's fairytales or folktales I've read have clear lines of right and wrong. All the "bad" characters are punished while the "good" ones live happily ever after. I think this has to do with the content of these stories as well. Not all of them featured people as main characters or they weren't based around the theme of good and evil.
For example, in Shin-ge-bis Fools the North Wind, the two main characters (a man and the wind) fight over what seems to be territory. The North Wind wishes to scare off the man and make it cold everywhere and the man defeats him through heat and warmth. I wouldn't say the Wind was necessarily evil, but the South (or warm) Wind was more pleasant. Additionally, in The Boy Who Snared The Sun, the young boy kills birds and is a bit stubborn, but is not reprimanded. The Sun is freed, but the boy doesn't get any punishment for lassoing the Sun. This is interesting, because when many stories are told to children they hold a moral to somehow scare the children into being good or inspire them to be good. All the likable characters get their dreams and wishes, while the mean-spirited ones end up dead or with nothing.
(Source)
However, these set of stories are far less gruesome than some I've read. I think in terms of content, they are appropriate for children's stories. The animation of animals, inanimate objects and other magical creatures is more child-friendly. Not every story is centered around a young woman getting married, as many fairytales are, so I think that aspect is good. Personally, I think children's fairytales should be fun and entertaining to hear. I don't necessarily thing they all need a moral or overarching theme, but if they do it should be encouraging and warm. Young minds are easily shaped by all sorts of experiences, so it's important to be careful with everything a child is exposed to.
I think you did a great job picking your essay topic for this week. I have noticed many of the trends that you have in reading these stories that claim to be "children's stories." Some stories are told to children in order to scare them into hating their aunt. And some include gruesome deaths at the end that really serve no meaningful purpose. I thought it was interesting how you analyzed that because there were no clear "good" and "bad" characters in these stories or punishments/ praises for wrongdoings/ heroic acts, that there seems to be a central message missing. There is no moral to the story it seems. I think you did a great job analyzing this aspect and drawing on past stories to see how their moral message to children compares to the stories in the unit for this week.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your essay, I cannot help but think that maybe I should have read those as well. I think the overall premise is that good always conquers evil, which might have to do with the religious influence on their societies. I completely agree with you about the concept of children stories. They should be entertaining for sure, but if a lesson can be made from them then I say go for it! Great job this week!
ReplyDelete