Jasmine Ward

Professor Rick Dollieslager

English 111- GO1H

December 15, 2014

 

                                                                      Guardians of the Fairy Tale: The Brothers Grimm

 

            Albert Einstein once said, "If you want your children to be intelligent read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent read them more fairy tales." The brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were German scholars known for their study of different languages. The brothers' stories were anything but sweet and gentle. The Grimm brothers were collectors of fairytales and protectors of Germanic culture, heritage, and language, many people could even describe them as the first "Europeans." Authors in their fairytales have adaptations to change, shift, and build on the traditional tales with the use of symbols, figures, and archetypes to create stories that can not only span a full-length novel, but can also be adjusted to fit a contemporary audience.

            "Once upon a time there lived in Germany two brothers who loved a good story- one with magic and danger, royalty and rogues" (Grimm 47). In the early 1800s, brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published a book of fairy tales, largely gathered from storytellers in central Germany. The brothers were inspired to write their own stories, but the early editions were not even aimed at children. Their goal was to "save the endangered oral tradition of Germany" (Grimm). Their stories read like dreams come true. "Soon the fairytales came to rule the bookshelves of children's bedrooms" (Grimm 50). The Grimms' wrote more than 200 tales and published 35 books. The origins of the tales reached throughout Europe and into the Middle East and Orient. According to the Grimms, the collection served as a "manual of manners" and are said to be "great comforters" (Grimm 50).

            The Rose is one of ten Children's Legends added as an appendix to the Grimms' Children's and Household Tales. In this story, there was a poor woman who had two children. The youngest child had to fetch wood from the forest every day. One day, when she went farther into the woods than usual, a young boy who was very strong came to help the girl carry the wood to her house, but in the blink of an eye he was gone. The child told her mother, but she didn't believe her. The next day, the child from the woods gave the girl a rose and told her that when it was in full bloom, he would return. The mother put the rose in water. One morning, the mother went to her bed and found her dead where she laid looking very happy. On that same day, the rose had fully blossomed.

            In my opinion, I feel that the boy from the woods was an angel that only the child could see and the rose represented love between the two. The rose blossomed when the girl died because it showed that the boy from the woods was the angel that came to take the girl to a happier place. This fairytale reflected my life in so many ways from beginning to end. A common rose can symbolize many things such as beauty, love, youth, and virginity. Modernly speaking, the rose represents love from one to another. For example, a couple weeks after my uncle died, a man who looked just like him came up to me and gave me a flower and said "Everything's going to be okay." Let my memories comfort me. I believe that man was angel sent from God to give a few words of comfort to help me realize that my uncle was in a much better place. Some people don't believe in angels or God, but I believe God has an angel for everyone and only that person can see their own angel. Every time I see a rose I smile because it makes me appreciate all my loved ones and our memories.

            The two stories were fairly related, not only because they had the same author, but because they had true meaning and understanding behind them. The Rose story is among many great fairy tales written by the Grimm brothers. The brothers represented a pure form of natural literature and culture. Their collection of fairytales were "true to life" and "appeal to readers throughout the world. Children remain enamored. The Grimm stories have impacted my life as I made a connection with The Rose story. In addition, it has affected many other people lives as well. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

O'Neill, Thomas. "Guardians of the Fairy Tales: The Brothers Grimm. Living in the            World: Cultural Themes for Writers. 1st ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2014. 44-57.          Print. 15 Nov. 2014

The Brothers Grimm. "The Rose." Fairy Tales. 1812. Project Gyenberg, 2008. 15 Nov.      2014

            <http://www.gutenberg.org>. Web