In this course we will study the ever-evolving forms of fairy and folk tales. We will focus on how themes and interpretations of fairy and folk tales evolve to reflect different societal concerns and look at a variety of retellings of fairy and folk tales in mediums from picture books to movies and everything in between. The course will also focus on the themes of both romance and horror through a feminist lens as many of these stories were told and retold among women and served to both reinforce class structure and provide dire warnings against wandering too far away from gender and sex norms. Students will present a deep-dive on a non-European fairy or folk tale as well as create their own creative retelling of a fairy or folk tale.
Readings
Hallett and Karasek Folk and Fairy Tales (4th edition)
Assessment
Course requirements will likely include a seminar presentation, one term paper, regular attendance and active participation in class discussions, and a final creative piece.
Prerequisites
ENGL 200/6 and ENGL 290/3
Additional information
ENGL 491, like all 400-level ENGL courses, is repeatable: that means you may take as many sections of it as you like and they will all count toward your degree, as long as the topics are different.
