Folktales Retold: A Critical Overview of Stories Updated for Children

by Amie A. Doughty

Overview

Folktales and fairy tales are living stories; as part of the oral tradition, they change and evolve as they are retold from generation to generation. In the last thirty years, however, revision has become an art form of its own, with tales intentionally revised to achieve humorous effect, send political messages, add different cultural or regional elements, try out new narrative voices, and more. These revisions take all forms, from short stories to novel-length narratives to poems, plays, musicals, films and advertisements. The resulting tales paint the tales from myriad perspectives, using the broad palette of human creativity.

This study examines folktale revisions from many angles, drawing on examples primarily from revisions of Western European traditional tales, such as those of the Grimm Brothers and Charles Perrault. Also discussed are new folktales that combine traditional storylines with commentary on modern life. The conclusion considers how revisionists poke fun at and struggle to understand stories that sometimes made little sense to start with.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786480463
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	03/14/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	219
File size:	7 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Amie A. Doughty is an associate professor of English at the State University of New York, College at Oneonta. She is a member of the Popular Culture and Children’s Literature associations and lives in Oneonta.
Amie A. Doughty is an associate professor of English at the State University of New York, College at Oneonta. She is a member of the Popular Culture and Children's Literature associations and lives in Oneonta.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments     
Preface     
Introduction: Unraveling the Folktale Tradition     

1. The Folktale Revision as a Form     
2. Humor in Folktale Revisions     
3. Cultural and Regional Folktale Revisions in Picture Books     
4. Breaking the Picture Book Rules     
5. Feminist Folktale Revisions     
6. Postmodern Folktale Revisions     
7. Narrative in Folktale Revisions     
8. Folktale Revisions on Film     
9. Revising the Folktale Tradition     
10. The Adult Connection     

Conclusion: Reweaving the Folktale Tradition     
Notes     
Bibliography     
Index     

Editorial Reviews

a good reference”—Children’s Literature Association Quarterly; “excellent”—SFRA Review.

From the Publisher

"excellent"

SFRA Review

a good reference

Children's Literature Association Quarterly