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    Snow White by the Brothers Grimm

    Number of Pages: 5

     

    Summary of the research paper:

    In five pages this fairytale is examined from an anthropological and sociological perspective that considers cultural elements as they relate to the tale such as pagan aspects and the Grimm brothers' mindset relevant to the 19th century. Eight sources are cited in the bibliography.

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    feminine virtues that reflects the patriarchal viewpoint of nineteenth century Germany. However, by examining this fairy tale from a sociological/anthropological perspective, it can also be argued that there are also  subtle suggestions of older influences on the tales construction. The Grimm Brothers, Jakob and Wilhelm, students of German dialects, became world famous in 1812 with the publication of their  collection of 210 German folk tales (Metzger, 1989). Yet, while the brothers purified the stories of much of their earliest sexual content and modified the tales somewhat to reflect  nineteenth century sensibilities and morals, they could not fully purge these tales of their earlier cultural elements. Since their publication by the Brother Grimm, millions of children  have listened, spellbound, as an adult initiated them into the "primeval mysteries of baked witches and shape-changing wolves, of gallant princes and dreaming damsels" (Zaleski, 2001). As Doyle (2001)  points out, such literature (as folk/fairy tales) offers insight into the psychology of cultures. However, the majority of the tales have been influenced by a variety of cultures. The Grimms  gathered their stories from oral traditions -- these tales did not emerge in "pristine form from the Ur-soil of German myth" (Zaleski, 2001, p. 35). Some of the  tales have circulated for so long their origins are in ancient Egypt, others made their way to Germany via France (Zaleski, 2001). According to G. Ronald Murphy, professor of German  at Georgetown University, Grimms fairy tales do not represent a single, unadulterated heritage, but rather are a blend of three religious streams: classical Greco-Roman (with traces of Pharaonic Egypt), Nordic-German  and medical Christian (Zaleski, 2001). Wilhelm himself stated that the fairy tales are "fragments of ancient faith whose purpose was to awaken the feelings of the human heart" (Zaleski, 

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