CULTURAL DIARY REVISITING FAIRYTALES

CULTURAL DIARY

REVISITING FAIRYTALES

Lina Sempéré, 1ère 5

06/10/18

INTRODUCTION

Fairytales (like Cinderella, Snow White, and Beauty and the Beast) have been told for hundreds of years. They teach children about good and bad or right and wrong. But many of these stories also show old ideas about society, gender roles, and relationships. "Revisiting Fairytale” means looking at classic fairy tales in a new way that matches today’s values. This means changing characters or themes to talk about moderntopics like equality, identity, and fairness. This helps make old stories feel fresh and important today. First, I will start by talking about my two favorite documents from the sequence, and then, I’ll talk about two documents that I chose because they linked with the sequence.

DAMSEL

The first document on which I liked to work is the trailer of the movie "Damsel". I enjoyed it because the story looked exciting and mysterious. The fantasy setting, with dragons and castles, really caught my attention too, because I really like Science Fiction. Overall, it made me curious and excited to see the whole movie!

This trailer is relate to the sequence "Revisiting Fairytale" because it contains a lot of fairytale's elements, but the story is different. We can see that in this story, it's not the pince who saves the princess because she saves herself, and the plot twist is that the prince is in fact the vilain. Those two events debunk of the prince charmin's myth and of the damsel in distress' myth. This trailer/movie breaks those myths normally present in fairytale by changing roles to convey a message.

LITTLE RED RIDING WOLF

I liked to work on Little Red Riding Wolf because it gives a new twist to a classic story. The idea of mixing the original Little Red Riding Hood with the wolf's

point of view is really interesting. I find this story funny and original, I liked the way that Roald Dahl tried to convey a moral message. The moral adds depth to the story, making it not only fun to read but also meaningful.

Little Red Riding Wolf is a “revisiting fairytale” because it takes the old story of Little Red Riding Hood and tells it in a new way. We still recognize parts of the original story, like the character of Little Red and the wolf, but now their roles are different. Also the story and the moral are not the same. In the classic Little Red Riding Hood, the moral is about being careful with strangers, but in Little Red Riding Wolf, the message is different. By making the wolf a kind character, the story teaches us not to judge others too quickly. Moreover, it debunks the myth of the helpless little girl. Women don't need to be saved, they are as powerful as them.

SHREK

Shrek is a story about a big and green ogre who loves his quiet life alone in a swamp. When fairytale creatures invade his home, he goes on a journey to get it back. Along the way, he meets a princess named Fiona and a funny donkey, and he learns about friendship, love, and being himself. The story shows that true beauty is inside.

For me, Shrek is a revisiting fairytale because it takes traditional fairytale ideas and changes them in funny and surprising ways. Instead of a charming prince, the hero is an ogre who likes to be alone. The princess, Fiona, isn’t a typical “perfect” princess. The story includes well-known fairytale characters, like the Gingerbread Man and Pinocchio, but they act in silly, unexpected ways. By changing these usual fairytale roles, Shrek makes us see that heroes and happy endings can come in all forms, not just the traditional “perfect” ones.

LET IT GO

In Frozen, Elsa sings "Let It Go" She sings about letting go of her fears and embracing who she truly is. She decides to stop hiding her powers and be free, no longer caring about what others think. This song is about self-acceptance and freedom.

For me, he lyrics of "Let It Go" are linked to the theme of revisiting fairytales because they show Elsa breaking free from traditional fairy tale roles. In classic fairy tales, princesses are passive or controlled by others. Howover, Elsa, chooses to embrace her powers and be herself. The song represents her independence and self-acceptance, which challenges the idea of needing a prince or being saved. Instead of hiding her difference, she celebrates it, offering a new, more modern version of a princess who is free and strong.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, revisiting fairytales gives us the opportunity to question traditional narratives and reimagine classic characters in ways that reflect modern values. By updating these stories, we can explore themes like independence, self-empowerment, and the breaking of stereotypes. These reimagined fairytales are not only entertain but also inspire change by offering new perspectives on identity and freedom. Through these stories, we see that everyone has the power to rewrite their own tale.