Studies in Literary Themes and Genres Series: The Fairy Tale [Hardcover]

Steven Swann Jones (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 11, 1995 | ISBN-10: 0805709509 | ISBN-13: 978-0805709506 | Edition: 1

One of the best known and enduring genres, the fairy fales origins extend back to the preliterate oral societies of the ancient world. This books surveys its history and traces its evolution into the form we recognized today. Jones Builds on the work of folklorist and critics to provide the student with a stunning, lucid overview of the genre and a solid understanding of its structure.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Fairy tales, one of the oldest and most popular of literary forms, possess distinctive formal characteristics that have remained consistent from the first printed edition of Boccaccio's Decameron in the fourteenth century to today's high-tech productions, such as Disney's Aladdin. Jones identifies these essential ingredients as the use of fantasy or magic, the confronting of a problem and its successful resolution, the use of a sympathetic protagonist, and a thematic core. His concise and effective analysis of each element includes examples of fairy tales, discussion of such factors as gender roles, and consideration of the thematic emphasis on concerns of young people, such as fear of abandonment, cruel siblings, tyrannical authority figures, and prospective mates. Drawing upon the work of such scholars as Bruno Bettelheim and Joseph Campbell, Jones examines clearly and succinctly the psychological and sociohistorical aspects of fairy tales. Some of his most interesting arguments are found in his tracing of the fairy-tale influence in The Wizard of Oz, The Cat in the Hat, and Where the Wild Things Are. Donna Seaman

Review

'Concise and effective analysis.' - Booklist --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Twayne Publishers; 1 edition (January 11, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805709509
• ISBN-13: 978-0805709506
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,008,111 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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