Fall 2013 - SCAND 232: Hans Christian Andersen and the Fairy Tale.

Mon. Thursday 9:30 10:20 am, GWN 201 Professor Marianne T. Stecher Office Hours (305N Raitt): Tuesdays, 12:30 2:20pm. Mailbox: 318 Raitt Course Description:
This course concerns fairy tales and how we find meaning in them. We begin with a study of a few of the classic or most widely known tales in Western culture, such as The Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, Cinderella and Donkeyskin. These texts will be studied closely in order to demonstrate various ways that scholars have interpreted and given meaning to fairy tales. We will explore the many possible approaches to analyzing the texts and offering a diagnosis of a fairy tale. Origins and authorship of the genre will be investigated, especially the relationship between the variants of tales attributed to Charles Perrault and the Grimm Brothers. In the second half of the course, we will use the tools gained in the first half in order to engage a close study of some of Hans Christian Andersens masterpiece fairy tales, such as The Little Mermaid, The Snow Queen, The Ugly Duckling and The Shadow. We will study his tales in the context of Romantic aesthetics, literary themes, social issues, as well as in the framework of Andersens own life, in order to discover how these texts reflect specific cultural, literary historical, and personal circumstances as well as universal concerns.

Required Texts:
1. Hans Christian Andersen, Fairy Tales, trans. Tiina Nunnally (Viking, 2004). 2. Maria Tatar, ed., The Classic Fairy Tales. Norton Critical Edition (Norton, 1999). Supplementary texts (marked**) will be posted on Catalyst Shared Space for this course:

https://catalyst.uw.edu/sharespaces/space/marianne/20531 Student Learning Objectives:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. To gain knowledge of literary fairy tales in broad cultural, historical, and literary contexts, including the specific context of H.C. Andersens world famous tales. To introduce various critical approaches to reading fairy tales. To improve skills for interpreting and writing about literary texts and films. To explore adaptations and illustrations of fairy tales in various genres and media. To investigate connections between biography and autobiographical fiction, using Hans Christian Andersens work as a case-study.

Evaluation:
Grades will be based on two exams (objective and essay questions), one 4 - 5 page essay, and participation in directed in-class discussions. 30% Midterm Date: Wed. Oct. 30th 30% Essay Due: No later than Nov. 21st. 30% Final Exam Wed, Dec. 11th, 8:30 10:20. 10% Participation in class (See Handout regarding Participation Points)

Part I: Classic Fairy Tales and Critical Approaches:

Week #1: Sept. 25 - 26 Introduction: Andersen telling tales Dates: Sept. 25 Sept. 26 Activity Introduction Texts/Discussion

The Collar, The Princess on the Pea Texts (read in advance!) Course goals & expectations The Collar, FT (Fairy Tales): 261 263. The Princess on the Pea, FT: 29 30. Andersen, The Little Match Girl, FT: 247 249.

Week #2: Sept. 30 Oct. 3 Origins & Authorship; Childrens folktales. Dates: Sept. 30 Oct. 1 Oct. 2 Oct. 3 Activity Introduction Critical approaches Texts - Variants Lecture/Discussion

Little Red Riding Hood Texts (read in advance!) Zipes, Oral & Literary Fairy Tales, CFT (Classic Fairy Tales): 333 338. Introduction: Little Red Riding Hood, CFT: 3 10. The Story of Grandmother, CFT: 10 11. Perrault, Little Red Riding Hood, CFT: 11 13 Grimm, Little Red Cap, CFT: 13 16. Shavit, Concept of Childhood, CFT: 317 332; Andersen, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, FT: 91 103.

Week #3: Oct. 7 10 Psychoanalytic approaches Dates Oct. 7 Oct. 8 Oct. 9 Oct. 10 Activity Critical approaches Key texts Interpretation Discussion

Hansel and Gretel; The Tinderbox Texts (read in advance) Bruno, Bettelheim, The Struggle for Meaning, CFT: 269 273; Robert Darnton, Peasants Tell Tales CFT: 280 291. Grimm, Hansel and Gretel, CFT: 179 190; Andersen, The Tinderbox, FT: 5 11. Bettelheim, Hansel & Gretel, CFT: 273 280. Andersen, The Tinderbox, FT: 5 11.

Week #4: Oct. 14 17 Folktale Models & Structuralism Dates Oct. 14 Oct. 15 Oct. 16 Oct. 17 Activity Key text

The Traveling Companion

Texts (read in advance) **Sharedsite. Andersen, The Traveling Companion, FT: 47 64; Little Claus and Big Claus, FT: 15 26. Critical approach Vladimir Propp, Folklore & Literature, Morphology of the folktale, CFT: 378 387. Aarne & Thompson Index, CFT: 373 -378. Variant text; National Andersen, The Traveling Companion; Romanticism Asbjornson & Moe, The Companion** Comparative Reading Andersen, Clod Hans** & Asbjornson & Moe, The Princess who always had to have the Last Word.**

Week #5: Oct. 21 - 24 Feminist Approaches & Cultural Studies Snow White & Fairy Tale Films Dates Oct. 21 Oct. 22 Oct. 23 Oct. 24 Activity Key texts Texts/Films (read in advance) Grimm, Snow White, CFT: 83 89; 74 80; Grimm, Brier Rose (Sleeping Beauty)** Criticism: Feminist. Gubar & Gilbert, Snow White and Her Wicked Stepmother, CFT 291 297; Maria Warner, The Old Wives Tale, CFT: 309 317. Film clips Walt Disney, Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs (1937) Discussion Jack Zipes, Casting the Commodity Spell with Snow White, CFT: 345 352. Cinderella and Donkeyskin

Week #6: Oct 28 - 31 Text analysis Dates Oct. 28

Oct. 29

Oct. 30 Oct. 31

Activity Texts/films (read in advance) Key text & Variants Introduction, CFT: 101 - 108 Grimm, Cinderella, CFT: 117-122. Charles Perrault, Donkeyskin, CFT: 109 116. Perrault, Cinderilla, or The Little Glass Slipper.** Approach: Text Yeh-hsien; CFT: 107 108. analysis; Review Lin Lan, Cinderella, CFT: 127 131. Maria Tatar, Sex and Violence: The Hard Core of Fairy Tales, CFT: 364 373. MIDTERM Exam in class Film clips Walt Disney, Cinderella/PAPER TOPICS

Part II: Andersens Masterpiece Fairy Tales Interpretations

Week #7: Nov. 4 - 7 Romantic Desire: Love or Salvation? The Little Mermaid; The Red Shoes Dates Nov. 4 Nov. 5 Nov. 6 Nov. 7 Activity Texts/Films (read in advance): Lecture; Background Andersen, The Little Mermaid, FT: 67 87. Lecture: Analysis The Little Mermaid; Maria Tatar, Introduction: Hans Christian Andersen, CFT: 212 - 216 Actantial models: The Little Mermaid, Discussion Andersen, The Red Shoes, FT: 207 212. Film clips Disney, The Little Mermaid (1987)

Week #8: Nov. 12 - 14 State of the Arts! Whats art and genius? The Nightingale Dates Activity Nov. 11 No class Nov. 12 Key text Nov. 13 Analysis Nov. 14 Discussion Texts (read in advance) Veterans Day Holiday Andersen, The Nightingale, FT: 133 - 147 The Nightingale & The Emperors New Clothes Andersen, Auntie Toothache, FT: 411 421. The Snow Queen; The Story of a Mother

Week #9: Nov. 18 - 21 Spiritual quests: Faith & Death Dates Nov. 18 Nov. 19 Nov. 20 Nov. 21 Activity Lecture Analysis Key Text PAPERS DUE

Texts (read in advance) Andersen, The Snow Queen, FT: 175-204. The Snow Queen and Jens Andersen, excerpt 2** Andersen, The Story of a Mother, FT: 253 - 260 Film: Young Andersen (2005), Part I

Week #10: Nov. 25 27 (Thanksgiving) Celebrity: Identity & Selfhood The Ugly Duckling; The Shadow Dates Activity Nov. 25 Lecture Nov. 26 Analysis Texts (read in advance) Andersen, The Ugly Duckling, FT: 151-159. Andersen, The Shadow, FT: 223 234. Jens Andersen excerpt 3** Nov. 27 Film/Discussion Film clip: Young Andersen (2005), Part II Nov. 28 No class Thanksgiving Holiday

Week #11: Dec. 2 5. Looking Glass of the Future, Tourism Dates Dec. 2 Dec. 3 Dec. 4 Dec. 5 Activity Lecture Key text Text analysis Exam

The Bell; The Wood Nymph

Texts (read in advance) Andersen, The Bell, FT: 267 271. Andersen, The Wood Nymph, FT: 381 - 401 Andersen, The Wood Nymph, FT: 381 401 Andersen, In a Thousand Years Time** Final Review /Course Evaluations

Final Due: Wednesday, Dec. 11th 8:30am 10:20am