Veggie Tale

I didn't really interpret this tale as a fairy tale. It does have the transformation but that didn't seem like enough. I didn't really feel
like it was a Kunstmärchen either. There is no desire to travel and no passionate desire to know or get something beyond one's reach. The mother does want to know the truth about the baby but in a way she already knows or at least suspects. I feel that either way she is not that passionate about finding the truth. The tale reminds me the most of mythology. It recycles the idea of the innocent human being raped by the miraculous being. When I first began reading the story I thought of the mythological stories of Zeus and his affairs with earthly women, most specifically Zeus/Leda. Usually rape tales end contain a supernatural child, a freak child, a demigod or tragic ending. Usually the tales point to a dominate patriarchy or powerful empire and lust or rape as love. The "rape" in the beginning demonstrates plant's dominance over man and beast but also the supernatural or unexplainable over man and reason. The mom doesn't want to except what happened because it is not reasonable and she won't ell anyone either. The "foolhardy theoreticians" and "pedants" are unable to grasp the supernatural at the end of the tale. They hypothesize that the mom and husband are hysterical. They are "sinners" because they try to separate the "real" and divine/spiritual through reason and scientific practice. The rape also seems like a love scene because they seem to connect in the eyes and they are compelled by a yearning and a magical force. The story also resembles the Christ story to me because the "rape" seems parallel to the impregnation of the virgin, the daughter has some type of spiritual connection to her father ( the father is there but not there "vegetational fatherhood") and knows more than the mother and the daughter dies because of those who don't believe and those who witness the event are considered crazy. I don't know. What do you guys make of the first page and the ending? There is a large emphasis of the supernatural, spiritual, consciousness, the limits of scholars, and what we choose to believe. I guess that makes it a Kunstmärchen.

The Vegetational Fatherhood

I find this tale very interesting, because of all the symbolism that is interwoven into it. When reading the story at face value it seems like a crackpot story about a rose that impregnates a women and they have a daughter who undergoes metamorphoses and ends up being thrown out a window on her wedding day. So, I tried to read between the lines, and examine what this story is really trying to say.
I interpret the Rose to signify the virginity and the purity of the mother. This idea is further enhanced by the sexual encounter that the women experiences, after which the rose is gone. She has undergone a change that has resulted from her sexual encounter. The story reads "she awoke as though intoxicated with the feeling of some dark knowledge in her limbs. Her mouth was burning from a strangle glow. Her lap was covered with rose petals, her clothes in disarray." After this she gets pregnant and gives birth to a daughter.
The daughter at first grows like a flower. She "blossomed more and more gloriously with each passing day." She paints the picture of the rose labeled "Father," and acknowledgment that she is coming of age and realizes the nature of human reproduction. When she reaches puberty, she undergoes a metamorphoses into a flower. This represents her ability to have children (as evident by menstruation). Now that she has come of age, she is now interested in men and wishes to get married.
The ending of the story really stumps me. Perhaps she is unfaithful, but that does not account for the fact that the mother collaborates the husbands story and they both end up in an insane asylum. It is interesting that the story says "according to Emma's exact testimony, it was beyond all doubt that Dr. Rosenberger had flung his wife over the balcony railing." This seems to suggest that the metamorphoses of the wife is in fact symbolic. The reason for throwing her out the window is beyond me.

The Romance of the Vegetational Rose

When I read "The Vegetational Fatherhood," I immediately thought of the medieval dream allegory, The Romance of the Rose. This extremely long poem was written in two parts by two separate authors, namely Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun. The two viewed courtly love and women in very differing ways, as is apparent in their respective portions of the work. The poem is styled as an allegorical dream that personifies all of the emotions and feelings associated with courtly live (i.e. Jealousy, Fair Welcome, Lust, etc.). Simply put, it is a manual on the Art of Love. The poet/dreamer falls asleep and dreams about a Rose (the woman of his affection) that is secluded in the Garden of Love. The chivalric knight must abide by all of the rules of courtly love in order to woo said rose, or fair maiden.
The fairy tale begins with an introduction on the mesmerizing effects that plants have on people. From the beginning, we are told that "you would have to be a person without feelings not to sense the sympatetic current that emanates, for example, from a beautiful rose in full bloom. Could it be that the rose itself plays a role in this?" Just as the Rose in The Romance of the Rose represents Woman that stires male desire, the rose in this tale also enduces similar effects. A few paragraphs into the poem we learn that the woman "dreamed a love dream" and wound up giving birth to a girl. I immediately drew a parallel between the fairy tale and the Romance; not only is the entire tale centered around the "Rose," who is a beautiful woman and the object of Dr. Rosenberger's affection, but she is also conceived within a dream.

The Vegetational Fatherhood: Fairy Tale vs. Kunstmärchen

The Vegetational Fatherhood by Mynona has a number of elements that are characteristic of fairy tales, and also a number that are characteristic of Kunstmärchen. I found that the story was similar to traditional fairy tales because of the element of transformation. “The rose transformed itself into a handsome young man…” and the daughter transforms into a rose every night during prayer time. The Vegetational Fatherhood is also like a fairy tale in that it has an element of religion. For example, at one point on page 583 Mynona writes that creatures who pick flowers and plants are sinning. Also, the mother and daughter pray together every night. I think that the fact that the daughter transforms into her rose-self during prayer time emphasizes the piety of nature.

The Vegetational Fatherhood contains a number of Kunstmärchen characteristics, as well. First of all, the roses are often personified, “This rose fixed its magic eyes…” Also there is definitely a sexual (inappropriate for children) aspect, “The rose transformed himself into a handsome young man, who embraced and enjoyed the woman…she utterly abandoned herself to him. ..Her lap was covered with rose petals, her clothes in disarray.” As discussed in class, Kunstmärchen often have a sense of irony. In the story, the mother chooses Dr. Floris Rosenberger to be his daughter’s husband. The name suggests flowers and roses, which may have been why her mother chose and trusted him for her daughter. In the end though, Dr. Rosenberger was the cause of the rose-daughter’s death. Lastly, The Vegetational Fatherhood is like a Kunstmärchen because of its tragic ending: not only does the rose-daughter get thrown off a balcony by her new husband and die, but her (somewhat) innocent husband and mother get thrown into an insane asylum.

Assignment 10 - 7. April 2009

Hi Alex, Alexandria, Jasmine, Allison and Tim,


For this week, read the tale The Vegetational Fatherhood and try to interpret this tale.

You could talk about the idea behind the story, the characters, the fact that it does/does not fit into the catagory ,,Kunstmärchen", the message it wants to convey/fails to, or about anything other thing that catches your attention...there are no specific expectations...you can work with this tale any way you want.

Looking forward to your posts!

Ann

Naked Saint

This tale is like a fairy tale in that it exists in an indeterminate space, a transformation takes place, and the main characters end up together and live happily ever after. The story is similar to folktales in that the characters are talking flowers. The story is a Kunstmärchen because it evokes a strong irrational desire (desire to travel), a longing, it contains an idea of selfhood (Hyacinth wants to be alone), the misunderstood is crazy, the misunderstood has a fractured relationship, the misunderstood is searching for the extraordinary, and it deals with dreams and religion Hyacinth seems to go on a pilgrimage and only a dream can get him where he wants to go.

I think that the language is poetic and it evokes a power that is only in music. The story uses musical terminology to make things magical. We know in the beginning that the story takes place in a magical place because “the running brook jingled a ballad.” There is a lizard that sings about the lovers. The holy place of Isis is loaded with musical terms a dream “conducted” him, in the background are “loud tones” and “modulated chords” and “distant music surrounded the secrets of the lovers’ reunion.”

A Wondrous Tale of a Naked Saint

A Wondrous Tale of a Naked Saint does not resemble your average fairytale on the surface, however small elements in this tale do resemble the fairy tale genre. While, the tale does not open with "once upon a time in a far away land" as many fairy tales do, it does open with a timelessness that does make it very fairy tale-ish. With no set time or place the reader has no idea where they are.  Other fairy tale elements within the tale include the use of magic and abnormal beings.  The magic spell the saint is under is very characteristic of a fairy tale, as are the creatures/strange beings that wander around the forest.

In terms of music, while the writer does a good job of establishing what is music and of having powerful lyrics, I am not sure just words could ever fully replace music. I struggle in imagining how the songs would go. I can't picture the melody or back beat, all I feel when I read is cold words.  I think that things wold be a lot worse if the language was not so poetic, but I do not thing words can take the place of music. 

Langauge vs. Music

Within A Wondrous Oriental Tale of a Naked Saint I would argue that language, the poem is merely used to point out the power of music. It is obvious that Wackenroder would say that music is stronger than language because the suffering naked saint is distracted and upset by his talkative visitors, but he is cured and set free by the song of the lovers. Even though the naked saint was exposed to language on a daily basis, it was the use of language within the music that set his soul free.

I, on the other hand, think that poetic language has just as much power as music does. The message of poetry is very clear, and poems, like music, do have their own rhythms. The rhythm in poetry, however is dependent on the language within the poem, so the message is what really gets heard. Often times in music, words are written to fit a pre-written song. Although the music might sound beautiful, what is the value of the music when the language, the message communicated through the song is weak?

A Wondrous Oriental Tale of a Naked Saint as a Kunstmärchen

A Wondrous Oriental Tale of a Naked Saint is a Kunstmärchen for a number of reasons. First of all, the story takes place in the Orient and in class it was discussed that Kunstmärchen often have an element of exoticism. Also, Wackenroder writes: “Stories of childhood and antiquity from this region [the Orient] are replete with strange signs and enigmas that the mind, though it thinks itself smart, has yet to fathom.” This reflects Romantic ideas—ideas that were a reaction to values seen throughout the Enlightenment. A Wondrous Oriental Tale of a Naked Saint is a critique of reason, in general. The story also has many supernatural elements: the wheel of time, the transformation of homes into supernatural palaces, the naked saint’s transformation and journey into the sky, etc.

A Wondorous Oriental Tale of a Naked Saint

This tale has a lot in common with the fairy tale genre. The first thing that struck my attention is we are instantly transported in the beginning to a world where fantastic beings exist. Wackenroder says "There are also strange beings that are frequently found in the wilderness of this regions." Fairy tales often have some type of creature/being in them, and it is not considered impossible but simply are part of the world in which they live. There is also mention of transfiguration (especially important for later) mentioned in the beginning. It states "naked saints who have taken human form after having drifted from the realm of the firmament and consequently do not know how to act like human beings." Another element of the fairy tale is the timeless/placesless aspect of it. It starts by saying "at one time...," so the reader is really given no idea where or when this story is taking place. There are magical elements to the story as well, like the saint being under some sort of magical spell that causes him to constantly see and be capitavted by the wheel.
The music in this story serves a very important purpose. It is a cataylst that allows for the naked saint to be freed, and undergo a transfiguration into a celestial entity (transfigurations often happen in fairy tales). I feel that the "song" is more important for its poetic structure and lyrics, rather than the tune. This creates an interesting tension in the story. The author only gives the reader information regarding the lyrics of the song, BUT "as soon as the naked saint heard the first notes of the music, the rushing wheel of time disappeared." So, for Wackenroder, who probably had sometype of music notes in mind when writing this, the actual music is more important. The reader, however, cannot be in the author's head and therefore are forced to accept that the lyrics are what make the song so appealing and allow the saint to be freed from the spell.

The Naked Saint

Wackenroder's literary tale, "A Wondrous Oriental Tale of a Naked Saint," fits into the fairy tale genre while also possessing many elements of the Romantic period. The story opens with a paragraph on the "marvelous things" of the Orient, which introduce the reader to a sense of wonder and enchantment, a common theme of the traditional folktale. We are introduced to a wilderness, or perhaps enchanted forest, where "supernatural creatures" and "strange beings" are found. Another fairy tale aspect of the "Naked Saint" is its concept of time; the tale never explains the time period in which we find the naked saint and his eternally spinning wheel. The tale also describes an "ethereal music" that flowed from two lovers' skiff. The music, much like kissing an ugly toad or a selfless act of kindness, breaks the naked saint's spell of madness, his rushing wheel of time disappears and a transformation occurs. The element of music serves not only as a different spin on the fairy tale's traditional spell-breaking-trope, but also as a medium of poetic language. The power of music evokes a sense of wonder and amazement in this tale. It is translated by the author into a poetic language that is accessibly to the reader who cannot hear the music for him/herself. The only part of the music that we can personally comprehend is the written lyrics; it is the job of the author to create an image of the power of the sound, the primary medium of music. In describing the music's effects as causing a "bright ethereal figure" to soar high into the air, "carried by the soft crescendo of the horns and the song." Through Wackenroder's exquisite use of poetic language, the reader can sense the intimate relationship between language, poetry and the evocative power of music.

Assignment 9 - 31. March 2009

Hi Alex, Jasmine, Allison, Tim and Alexandria,

Here is this week's assignment. Please take note of the deadlines.

Read Wackenroder's A Wondrous Oriental Tale of a Naked Saint and do the following:

1. Using elements from this tale, explain how it fits into the Fairy Tale/Kunstmärchen genre.

2. Trace the relationship of music and poetic language. Is the power evoked by music also accessible to language or does language merely point out to music and/or what music does.

Deadline for posts: 10.00 a.m. on Wednesday

Deadline for comments on a minimum of two posts: Midnight on Wednesday


Looking forward to your posts!

Ann

good going with the responses!

Question 2 Response: Heroine in the The Robber Bridegroom

The Grimm’s The Robber Bridegroom presents the heroine as an intelligent, versus disobedient, female. For instance, the heroine recognizes from the very beginning that her bridegroom should not be trusted, even though she is going against her own father’s judgment: “The maiden, however, did not love him the way a bride-to-be should love her bridegroom, nor did she trust him. Whenever she looked at him or thought about him, her heart shuddered with dread.” Also, in no way did the heroine disobey her bridegroom—if anything she was obedient for him against her own intuition. For example, she did not want to visit her bridegroom, but he asked her to and she obeyed. It was not her fault that she saw the terrifying sight that she did. If I remember correctly, the bridegroom returned home drunk and never even mentioned his bride-to-be’s expected visit, as if he had forgotten. Lastly, it was clever of the heroine to save the finger and present it at the end of her dream recap, in front of all her guests on the day of her wedding.

Elements of Horror

Maybe I am wrong, but I feel that the versions of Bluebeard we read are filled with gore more then horror.  Horror, I feel is more elusive and tricky then the straight gore of cutting someone's finger or hand off, like in "The Robber Bridgeroom" and "Mr. Fox".  I feel horror and suspense can be found in the story, by the simple plot of the unknown secret behind the door and the setting of the dark house in the woods.  I really do not see the necessity of chopping off appendages to further the plot.  These gory moments drew me away from the plot and really grossed me out.   

Question 1 Response: Elements of Horror

The most obvious and common element of horror found within the Bluebeard stories that we were assigned to read for class is that of the murder of young, beautiful, rich women-- women with any sort of power over men during those times. One does see variations between each version, though. For example, in the Grimm’s The Robber Bridegroom, the bridegroom or Bluebeard character finds women, murders them, and then eats them. The element of cannibalism is also included in this version, which changes one’s perception of the Bluebeard character. In other versions, such as the Grimm’s Fitcher’s Bird, Perrault’s Bluebeard, and Joseph Jacobs’s Mr. Fox, for example the wife or fiancé is murdered as a result of her own curiosity and disobedience. In The Robber Bridegroom, on the other hand, the female fiancé is completely innocent and would have been killed (although she wasn’t in the end) solely as a result of her bridegroom’s human blood lust. This changes the traditional Bluebeard story in that it eliminates any blame that might be directed onto the main female character within the story, and directs all on the cannibalistic men.

Another element within the various versions, that can be interpreted as horror by many women today—and clearly back then as well, since it is such a reoccurring theme-- is the idea of marrying a man that you do not love, or wish to marry. One sees this in the Grimm’s The Robber Bridegroom and Fitcher’s Bird, and also initially in Perrault’s Bluebeard. The only two that do not contain such a theme are Jacob’s Mr. Fox (1890) and Atwood’s Bluebeard’s Egg (1983). The most obvious reason why this theme may not be present in these two versions, especially in Atwood’s version, is the time during which it was written. Atwood’s version was written much later on, when marrying a man you do not wish to marry is not nearly as common as it was years ago (rising in social status and arranged marriages). This element of horror does change the perception of the main female character in the Bluebeard stories, in that when the female does not want to marry the Bluebeard character, it gives her, her intuition, her opinion, etc more credit.

Fitchers Bird

I read this story as a story of female disobedience. The sorcerer directly tells the first sister that "you can go anywhere you and look around at everything, but don't into that room that this little key opens. I forbid it under the penalty of death." She "planned to walk rightby it, but curiosity got the better of her." This shows that she knew she should not enter the room, and yet her curiosity caused her to disobey her husband. This is repeated for the second daughter a well. IT also happens with the third. She also is deceptive and has her husband carry her sisters saying they were baskets of gold. She " took a skull with grinning teeth, crowned it with jewels and garland of flowers, carried it upstairs and set it in an attic window, facing out" It is important to note that she was supposed to be plannign with wedding arranagments, not plotting her escape. She dresses like a bird, gets the sorcerer and all his friends in the house, and light in on fire. Now while I am not saying the bride is wrong for escaping, obiosuly she is not. I am just pointing out that escaping and making an elaborate decoy while supposidly getting ready for the wedding, is disobedient.

Bluebeard Terror

The only shocking part of the Bluebeard stories is when the young wife discovers her husbands deep dark secret. For me, the most grizzly and truly disturbing of these is from "Fitcher's Bird." The Grimms version has a very disturbing scene where many bodies are discovered that are chopped up and an axe is on the chopping block. If I saw this in a horror movie, I would imagine seeing pools of blood that are not dried (since the Grimms, unlike Perault do not say that it is dried), and also the gleaming axe is sitting in darkness with the only ray of light causing the blade to shine. In the case of Grimms, this leads to the charcters death, as well as her other sisters. The Peraults version is less grusome in my opinion, because the bodies are not dismembered. The next version, the Robber Bridegroom, the wife actually witnesses her bridegrooms horrific actions firsthand. This is the only story that has this happen. However, for me it may be more personal for the character, BUT is not as scary as the wife being alone, openign a door that was forbiden, and suddenly getting the shock of her life. The Robber Bridegroom scenerio of a the bride to be going to the bridgegrooms house, is alos like Mr. Fox. This however blends the witness type with the forbidden room type.
These horror elements work in two separate ways. When the wife enters the forbiden room, it works to show that she is beign disobedient and therfore moves the plot because her life is threatened. I would like to point out that there is some irony in the thought that the wife is being punished for being disobedient. She SHOWS obedience by staying at the house when she is away AND returning all the key/items to him EVEN THOUGH she knows it will displease him and she will be punished. However, in the Bridegroom/Fox versions it shows that her suspicions/apprehension about marrying her husband was right, and that she needs to get away.

Bluebeard's Heroine

In the Brothers Grimm version of Bluebeard, "Fitcher's Bird," the first women the reader encounter's is not presented with any hint of personality or character. When she goes to the door and "was about to hand him a piece of bread, he just touched her and she jumped into his basket." The same description is given of the second daughter and both of them meet the same fate. The third daughter, however, is a much more dynamic character. She is even described as "clever and cunning." And she even "put the egg in a safe place." She definitely celebrates the self-preservation and cunning aspects of femininity. She succeeds is putting her sisters back together, quite literally, and bringing them back to life. She also forges a plan to get them home safely. After the third daughter has set the precedent for being cunning and clever, the first and second daughters follow suit. They trick the sorcerer while he is on his way to her house by crying from the basket as if they are the third daughter. When they are all together in the end, they orchestrate for their brothers and relatives to "set fire to [the house] so that the sorcerer and his crew burned to death." In the end, feminine cunning wins and curiosity indirectly kills the sorcerer instead of the cat.

Elements of Horror

The elements of horror in the various versions of Bluebeard set this story apart from other stories that we have previously read. In Charles Perrault's "Bluebeard," the most startling element of horror, albeit the first, is when Bluebeard's wife disobeys her husband and opens the forbidden door: "... she began to realize that the floor was covered with clotted blood and that the blood reflected the bodies of several dead women hung up on the walls (these were all the women Bluebeard had married and then murdered one after another)." The narrator even says that "she thought she would die of fright." This element of horror, the vivid description of the blood-stained room, serves to startle the reader and add an element of surprise to the story. Like many fairy tales, the story presents a prohibition that someone will undoubtedly cross. But this blood-stained setting leads the reader to a different frame of mind that most other fairy tales. In the Brothers Grimm's version, "Fitcher's Bird," the narrator provides an even more indepth description of the muderous abode: "... a large bloody basin filled with dead people who had been chopped to pieces. Next to the basin was a block of wood with a gleaming ax on it." In presenting the murder weapon itself, the image is more vivid and believable. The idea of seeing bodies chopped to pieces is more unappetizing than an image of whole bodies hanging from a wall. In this story, as well, the description of the blood-spattered room adds an element of horror that serves to shock the reader.

Assignment 8 - 24. March 2009

Hi Alex, Tim, Jasmine, Alexandria, Allison and Jasmine,

For this week, please complete two separate posts.

Question 1: Compare the elements of horror in the various versions of Bluebeard that you read for today. Please name the elements you are comparing and discuss how they function in the story. Do they help move the plot along? Elaborate the story? Startle the audience? etc.

Question 2: Tatar offers two readings of the heroine's character: either as a celebration of self-preservation and cleverness or as a disobedient female. Using a version other than the Perrault, consider how the heroine gets presented. Use quotes to support your reading.


DEADLINE for Posts: Midnight on Tuesday

DEADLINE for Comments on atleast two other posts: Midnight on Wednesday

Again, please post two separate entries!

Ann

The Devil's Three Golden Hairs

Throughout the movie I feel the target audience was the working class and the poor.  The movie provided such a stark contrast between royalty and the common working man.  The most apparent ways I saw a contrast was in their clothes and intelligence.  The king and his staff wore those lavish blue costumes made of wonderful cloth, with ruffles and other lavish details.  The commoners however, were tattered clothes, made of harsh cloth, that almost looked like brown and beige rags.  The contrast in intelligence came in little ways, like the valid questions the commoners raised in reference to their robbers tax.  The king's servant had no answers for the working class people. The collector kept giving the blacksmiths the same round about answer over and over again, even though they had a valid question.

This film reminded me of Snow White because there was little to know magic.  Sticking to the focus of focusing in on the working class, magic is an unrealistic option.  In the real world there is no fairy godmother to swoop in and rescue a person, likewise there is no magic in DEFA films.

I believe the use of film adds comic relief.  The scene where the main character accidently sets the kings hut on fire when he is really running away from a mouse I thought was great.  That is an instance where is that scene was written in a book, it wold not be funny.  I struggled a bit with this film, simply because the vice overs sounded a bit out of place.

The Devil's Three Golden Hairs: DEFA style

As I watched this movie, I imaged its target audience as the working class society of Soviet occupied Germany. DEFA provided the leading medium for re-educating the German populace after being subjected to over a decade of Nazi rule. The humor and political commentary is clearly geared towards adults of the working class. DEFA makes a mockery of the king (who symbolizes lavish living) and honors the honest workers (i.e. the blacksmiths and Jacob). The working class members wish to "prove that there are actually robbers" by becoming robbers themselves, which serves to poke fun at the aristocracy and king who tax them on rubber in order to support a seemingly unnecessary army. We see how the king is at the root of the kingdom's problems, which allows the film to herald socialist ideology.
The film reminds me of the DEFA version Snow White, as well. When the king takes Jacob down the elevator so that he may be received by the Princess, the scene reminds me of the mirror in Snow White. The mirror is a piece of technology rendered absurd, and the elevator ride is portrayed in the same fashion with cheesey music and a cheap-looking iron cage. The devil's lair, and the devil himself, are portrayed in the same absurd fashion. His cave is just a bunch of smoke and fake shrunken heads. And the devil looks like an over-grown four year-old in a caveman costume... plus a tale.
I think the film medium serves an important role in how the target audience is chosen and how the images are relayed. The scene where Jacob "fights" the dog in the grass comes to mind. In writing, this scene would just seem silly. But put on screen, it's rather funny. And when Jacob gets attacked by the hungry children, their father tells him that the king's men made the well stop and the mill stop working. Yet again, the film medium serves to highlight the plight of the lower class at the expense of the boorish aristocracy. The special effects with the devil's golden hairs are also highly entertaining.

DEFA Version of Devil's Golden Hair

I think that the target audience of this movie is the proletariat in the Soviet Union. I feel that the movie is full of social commentary about capitalist society. The king/aristocracy represent the bourgeois and upper classes that prosper and live lavishly while the lower classes are being exploited. The victory of the working class, Jacob's ability to beat the devil and the King, is a reminder as to why socialism "is the answer." Also, although the King is directly responsible for the suffering in his kingdom, the peasants believe that the devil is to blame. I cannot help but think that DEFA is linking the two figures together, thereby commenting that capitalism is evil and leads to horrible things. In the end they are punished, as the commoners have their revenge. The devil is fed massive amounts of wine, and meat, stuffing him tremendously. This is ironic because excessive consumerism which he supports is a punishment to him. Keep in mind that this movie was also made in 1977 GDR, so it is just about to celebrate its 30th anniversary. This film would reinforce socialist ideals that the Soviet Union would exemplify in the time of such celebration.
This movie also reminds me of the Snow White DEFA film. In the Snow White version, the mirror is made out to be a piece of technology. One can see in the devil's layer that all the things that try to make the devil frightening are really just a punch of smoke and machines. It is also like the Snow White film because they both place emphasis on workers, and that there is dignity in work. The images of labor and the laboring class are presented because they should generate feelings of respect.
Film is very beneficial to this fairy tale. First, by reinforcing the message of class awareness, scenes are presented in which the upper class are presented as incompetent idiots. The tax collector, the king, the devil, etc. The things that they worry about and whine about are nothing compared to the hardships facing the working class. Technology is also useful with the three golden hairs, the special effects are very cool. Again, the movie is made in a commical fashion, so there is humorous dialogue, and imagery. This can be seen when the devil is being stuffed.

Assignment 7 - 17.March 2009

Hi Alex, Jasmine, Allison, Alexandria and Tim,

Here's the assignment for this week. Please note that the deadlines are different from the usual.


After having viewed the DEFA film "The Devil's Three Golden Hairs", do the following:

1. Try to interpret from the movie, who the target audience might be. Keep in mind, that the film was made in 1977 in East Germany.

2. Compare the movie with the DEFA version of Snow White.

3. Explain how the medium 'film' is used to tell the story. You could consider talking about the plot, dialogue, etc.

Do try to touch upon all three points in your blog.

Deadline for posts: 11.00 a.m. on Wednesday

Deadline for comments on at least two posts: Midnight on Wednesday

Looking forward to your posts!

Ann