How And Why Texts Are Valued Across Contexts

How And Why Texts Are Valued Across Contexts

Fairytales are both universal and popular, with the ability to be transposed across time and culture. Through Snow White Tale Of Terror, an appropriation of the Grimm’s Brothers original Little Snow White, we are able to observe differences in context and purpose. Each text is effective in establishing contrasting social comments on each society at the time they were created, which we in turn value as historical timelines. Through the representations of characters, and feminine rivalry, the composers have allowed us to generate our own opinions, allowing the universality of the fairytale to be observed.
Contextual influences play a major role in the purpose of each text, creating the most distinct differences. In Germany, The Grimm Brothers set out to preserve their traditional oral teachings, which had been passed down through the females of the family. Although it was originally an effort to salvage their culture, it was discovered that their tales appealed to children. The tales were then altered from the original’s told to adults for entertainment, to a more didactic tale, teaching moral worth to children. These values were popular and acceptable throughout Europe in the 1800’s, maintaining protestant ethics and patriarchal sex roles. Tale of Terror, also aimed at a more adult audience, seeks to comment on society through a post modernist and feminist perspective. This makes us consider the fact that the text is not real, and therefore allows a greater acceptance of each event and more flexibility, manifesting the universality of fairytales. The original text’s setting is maintained in Tale of Terror, which is a period piece, allowing us to connect the two texts together as they are set in the same time and place. The chronological nature of Little Snow White is removed in the appropriation, with a fractured storyline and chaotic events following a post modernist view of the world. We come to appreciate each text as individually significant; the purpose being...