English Literature
Fairy Tale Assignment
For this assignment, you will need to produce your own version of a traditional folktale, fairy tale or myth. The first assessed component will be to present and discuss your work in progress during a posterpresentation seminar during Weeks 6 & 7 of the course (see additional handouts for detailed information). Then, you will write your version of the tale, taking into consideration feedback from the discussion. Finally, you will need to submit a written reflection (approx. 1000 words) and bibliography along with the written version of your tale.
Far more than simple stories for children, fairy tales serve as a means of transmitting the norms and values of a society from one generation to the next, and can also provide a cultural space for anxieties or fears to be resolved in a satisfying way for readers, whether they are adults or children. In class, we will have discussed key elements of folktales and fairy stories. Moreover, we have examined how those tales have been interpreted and re-interpreted for a variety of reasons, including, for example: to fit the designs of a particular context or setting, whether that be cultural/ historical; orin order to challenge the norms or values of a particular society; or perhaps in order to sell more products using easily recognisable narratives within advertising.
Contemporary authors and scholars are particularly interested in the way in which these tales can be subverted in order to create new meanings. The concept of subversion is one which is essential to your understanding of this assignment, and should be kept in the forefront of your mind while you are deciding which tale you want to work with. We will have looked at several key examples of subversion in class.
The first step as you begin to work with your tale is to consider the original story carefully, as well as any variations that you find. What is the meaning of the tale? How has that changed according to context? Is that message still relevant to contemporary society, or can the tale be adapted to reflect more modern values or concerns?
You need to produce a re-telling which changes or challenges the traditional perception of the tale in some way. You could, for example, re-tell the story from the antagonist's perspective, or change the setting in order to give it a fresh interpretation. Consider changing any of the following:
• the gender of the protagonist/ antagonist,
• the historical period or culture in which the narrative is set
• the outcome or resolution of the tale,
• a symbolic item or character (e.g. give animals human identities, perhaps, or make traditional items/ props more contemporary?),
• the setting (this can be very effective),
• the point of view,
• the moral message of the tale,
• or anything else which strikes you as appropriate.
Don't over-complicate: sometimes a simple change is all that is necessary in order to give an old story a new twist. Also, avoid re-telling parts of the story that are already familiar. Sometimes starting in a new place is a great way to provide a new perspective.
A further possibility is to change the genrein which you are writing. You could use the traditional short story form (remembering that these tales are meant to be short, and read at bedtime), or you can try out another style of writing. You could use, for example:
• a poem
• a play
• a screenplay
• a song
• a rap
• a newspaper article or front page
• a diary entry
Remember to make use of the conventions for writing in your chosen genre (e.g. a script has a particular presentation style, with characters speaking in dialogue and stage directions given in brackets, etc...).
English Literature
Fairy Tales: Poster Presentations& Critical Reflection
In Weeks 6 & 7 of the course, you will be asked to prepare a poster and discuss the work you have conducted so far. Later, you can use this information to help you organise your thinking for your critical reflection, which is due in Week 10, along with your final written adaptation of the tale. The poster as well as the critical reflection each require a bibliography to demonstrate independent work, although your bibliography may be more extensive in the critical reflection.
Your poster presentation and critical reflection should include the following elements:
1. Introduction: What fairy tale have you chosen and why?
2. BRIEF plot description, main elements of the story & their meaning(s): The key is to be brief, unless it is a story that is less familiar. More important is analysis: what is the main moral message of the story? What symbols are employed in telling the story, and what do they mean? Who are the main characters, and what do they represent?
3. Historical variations & how they relate to their context:Related to the discussion above, here you should examine how the tale has been adapted according to time and the society in which the story appeared. How do the changes that you observe relate to their context? How do these changes alter the meaning or interpretation of the story? Visual aides are especially useful here. Use images and/ or bring in real objects/ copies of the stories rather than lots of text.
4. Critical interpretation of your tale: Here you need to demonstrate your research and critical thinking skills: What critical response has there been to the tale you have chosen? What do you think is the meaning of your story? Does your reading support this? Make sure you include references to the source of ideas. This might be a reference to a particular version of the tale, or more often, you will need to refer to critical interpretations of the tale (see your assignment brief for suggested reading list). Here is an excellent place to explore the use of argument/ counter-argument/ analysis/ interpretation in order to demonstrate criticality.
5. Your plans: What changes will you make? Why? Are you going to use a traditional short story format, or will you use a different genre of writing? What about the setting? Are you keeping the moral message the same, or do you plan to twist that? What about the main characters and symbols?
6. POSTER SESSION ONLY - Questions and Answers: Now is the time to listen rather than talk! Students generally find the feedback from their peers and tutors to be extremely useful in supporting their work. It may be a good idea to make notes of any important points raised during the discussion. Make sure you make good use of this important feedback as you progress with your written work!
7. CRITICAL REFLECTION - Conclusion/ evaluation: What have you concluded from your study of the tale? What are the strengths and weaknesses of your approach?
8. Bibliography: You should include a bibliography of any works used to inform your poster, and a complete bibliography should support your critical reflection of the text.
9. Presentation: Your poster should be neatly presented on A1 sized paper. You may buy poster paper and glue the text and images to it, or you may decide to use a computer programme to present your work and then print it in the Library (make sure you check the opening hours/ availability).
Component Description Weighting Due Date
PART 1:
Seminar Poster Presentation Prepare a poster that gives an overview of your work in progress. You need to supply a bibliography for this component. 30%
PART 2:
Written Re-telling Written re-working of the story, 30%
PART 3:
Critical Reflection & Bibliography Discuss the decisions you have taken in your new version of the story, placing your discussion within the context of literature and critical work on the tale you have chosen. You need to supply a bibliography for this component. 40%