Abstract

“Voices from the Woods: Classic Fairy Tales Revisited and Revised” is a dual critical/creative project that analyzes the development and role of Western fairy tales in society and culture. The critical portion includes an outline of the history of the fairy tale genre and an analysis of a series of tropes and patterns found within the genre concerning the representation of women and girls in the tales, especially regarding beauty, power, goodness, and agency. The creative portion of the project applies a variety of critical and literary theories to eight specific fairy tales (“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, “Little Red Riding Hood”, “Bluebeard”, “Hansel and Gretel”, “Rumpelstiltskin”, “Rapunzel”, “The Goose-Girl”, and “The Little Mermaid”) via creative reinterpretation of the tales through performance and short stories. These retellings focus primarily on dismantling the problematic tropes discussed in the critical portion and creating stories that portray a more diverse and complex collection of women.

Advisor

Salerno, Ali

Second Advisor

Seeds, Dale

Department

English; Theatre and Dance

Disciplines

Creative Writing | Dramatic Literature, Criticism and Theory | Fiction | Other English Language and Literature | Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | Playwriting

Keywords

fairy tales, Charles Perrault, Hans Christian Andersen, Brothers Grimm, creative writing, playwriting, feminism

Publication Date

2014

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2014 Amanda C. O'Donnell