Goldflower and the Bear: a Communist battle

This version of LRRH, written by Chiang Mi in China in 1979 is more an allegory of Soviet-Chinese relations than a simple fairytale. On the surface it appears as a simple fairytale should: young girl saves herself and brother by bravely facing down and outwitting an evil creature determined to eat them. In fact Goldflower even outwits the creature in the same way as LRRH outwits the wolf in the early French versions of the tale - by feigning an urgent need for a bathroom. However when you look at the cultural context of this tale, a hidden agenda is discovered and a lot of the author's choices begin to make sense.

The most obvious difference between this Chinese version and the original version of LRRH is the use of a bear rather than a wolf as the evil creature . During the 1960s, a decade before this story was written, relations between the Soviet Union and China became strained due to different beliefs about Communist theory. Then in 1979, the year "Goldflower and the Bear" was written, China launched the Sino-Vietnamese war by invading Vietnam. Vietnam was a Soviet ally and during this time Soviet-Chinese relations became even more tense. It is therefore interesting to note that the antagonist of this tale is not a wolf but a bear - an animal which is often used to depict the Soviet Union.

Goldflower is shown as a resourceful young girl, who can perfectly take care of not only herself, but also her little brother in the face of danger. Instead of being described as a 'dear little girl' as she is in the Brothers Grimm's version of the tale, she is described as 'clever and brave.'
Written in the aftermath of the cultural revolution in China during which time most intellectuals in China were put into labor camps, bringing the education system in China to a halt. However by describing a peasant girl as clever, the author is perhaps suggesting that anyone can be clever - not just the intellectuals.

Finally at the end of the tale, after the heroine Goldflower has killed the "wicked old bear" i.e Soviet Union, the mother returns as "the sun was rising red in the east." Numerous propaganda posters during the cultural revolution used the image of the red sun to describe the Communist leader Mao Zedong. He was often referred to as 'the red sun in the center of our hearts.'
A new day has dawned with Mao ruling over all.

There is perhaps a lot more cultural significance to the tale of "Goldfinger and the Bear" than one would have first assumed after reading this tale. As the fairytale draws to a close, Goldfinger and her brother are safe at home, knowing that the evil bear is gone once and for all. China and its brand of communism are safe, having outwitted and bravely faced the brute strength, power and might of the Soviet Union. China will prevail and be strong.

Two and a half reasons why Thurber appears more humerous than the Brothers Grimm

The picture of James Thurber on Wikipedia shows that he had awesome hair. And everyone knows the saying, “Those who have awesome hair tell awesome stories.” His contemporary retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, which he titled, The little Girl and the Wolf, is certainly an example of his story-telling ability.

The moral of Thurber’s fairy tale is that “It is not so easy to fool little girls nowadays as it used to be.” This point is made after Red pulls an automatic out of her basket and shoots the wolf dead. There are a lot of major differences between Thurber’s version and the Grimm’s version. I am not a psychoanalyst (remember, I’m Irish) so I am not willing to make any sweeping claims about Red’s sexual exploration or her urge to kill her father, but I am willing to consider how Thurber’s audience and how the culture surrounding the time-period might be incorporated into his version of the story.

I think there is a pretty good chance that this fairy tale is addressed exclusively for adults. Thurber spent most of his career writing and drawing for the New Yorker, a magazine geared towards adults. Also, while one could argue that his collection of fairy tales was a contemporary update for children, one major flaw stands out from this point of view. The moral does not make any sense if the reader does not know the original ending to the story; or at least know how naïve Red acts. Since Thurber spent much of his life writing humor and satire for a very sophisticated magazine; there would be little surprise if this was also geared for the same audience who read the New Yorker in the mid-20th century.

Two other major cultural themes are also probably at work. The first is Feminism. Thurber lived through the First Wave of Feminism. The First Wave is characterized by a push for political, economic, sexual, and reproductive rights for women. Red is not as naïve as she was previously in Thurber’s version. For once, Red is able to notice that it is a wolf and not her grandmother in the bed, even at some distance. The Second Wave of Feminism is typically estimated to start in the 1960s, and Thurber’s death was in 1961. So, while he probably wrote this piece before the second wave was in full swing there is a chance he was a forerunner for the ‘women’s liberation” movement. Whatever his personal views, Feminism probably had a role in Red’s behavior.

The second major factor is more of a guess than a fact, but I think a rise in violent crime might also be involved. Red: 1) Is carrying a concealed weapon. 2) Pulls it out and shoots a wolf. 3) Is unfazed by such action. Thurber lived in a big city, New York City, through prohibition and the rise of organized crime, World War II, and well into the “modern era.” Guns were a part of these changes, and their new-found prevalence could also surface in having Red shoot the wolf on-sight.

Song of the blog: “All about Us,” by t.A.T.u.

I also chose to look at Roald Dahl’s poem “Little Red Riding Hood and The Wolf.” However, I believe that the audience Dahl intended for this poem is an adult. It is clearly a satire of the original tale of Little Red Riding Hood and much different from the Grimm’s version or other typical nursery tale forms of the story. He intended for this poem to be a joke although they did end up being published in the 1980s in a book called Revolting Rhymes. The fact that it was originally made as a joke further explains its intention to amuse adults rather than children. An adult reading this poem and observing Little Red Riding Hood take a gun out of her pants and then shooting the wolf while proceeding to wear his fur as a coat would most likely laugh. However a child might be horrified at such a story.
I think that Dahl most likely made this poem to amuse his friends who perhaps often read sugar-coated versions of fairy tales to their children. By the 1980’s most fairy tales were pretty tame and aimed at teaching children a lesson without subjecting them to large amounts of violence. It is doubtful that a story made for children at this period of time would include Little Red Riding Hood pulling out a pistol.

Post #3

Dahl’s version was written in 1982, and according to “Poetry Archive,” his rhymes were written as a joke, not intentionally meant to be published. Due to his own comments, I believe that his version of Little Red Riding Hood is a parody on fairy tales as a whole, not specifically representing the culture of the 80’s, the time period in which the poem was written.

In line with his other stories, I believe that children are the audience for his poem(s). His amusing take on the fairy tale gives children a fresh and interesting way of looking at a more serious story and getting a good laugh at it.

Assignment: 27 January 2009

Please respond to the following by midnight tonight. On Wednesday, read over the other posts in your sub-group and comment on at least two.

You have read Shavit's essay comparing the Perrault and Grimm versions of “Little Red Riding Hood.” Using Shavit's method, consider one of the other versions you read for this week (Dahl, Calvino, Thurber, Chiang Mi). With a little research (you may use Wikipedia, since this is not a research paper), outline who you think the audience is and what the fairy tale’s retelling says about the culture and time in which it was written.

Hansel and Gretel: the movie

In my opinion, the most important aspect of the tale of 'Hansel and Gretel' is the forest. Not only can it look imposing, dark and frightening from the outside but its sameness on the inside - the seemingly ongoing tree trunks, the muffled sounds absorbed by the leaves and branches and the strange animals rustling nearby but out of sight - can create a great sense of fear in adults, let alone young children, and would cultivate the sense of abandonment if lost inside. My film of 'Hansel and Gretel' would therefore place great emphasis on the forest.
The forest in Hansel and Gretel would be a pine forest, full of great evergreens - their dark color would hopefully give the film an even darker atmosphere.
Hansel and Gretel would be twins aged around 7 or 8 years old and would live with their father, the woodcutter, and their new stepmother. In order to ensure the viewers know that the stepmother is in fact their stepmother and not their real mother, Hansel and Gretel would look like their father - blonde, blue-eyed etc. compared to the dark, more witchy qualities of the stepmother.
The movie could begin with a shot of the dark forest, and a voice over (perhaps from Hansel and Gretel's real mother) warning them never to enter the forest without an adult. This fear of the forest would be paramount to the children - who would really feel the sense of abandonment and lonliness once in the forest. However then the film could move to the present day and Hansel and Gretel sitting at the kitchen table looking at a crust of bread, with the stepmother looking into an empty pantry. The father, having been injured in an accident in the forest, is lying in bed unable to work for the foreseeable future.
After a few weeks with little food and no change, the stepmother orders the children to go to the nearby town (on the other side of the forest) for a doctor. She tells them she has to stay with the father to look after him. Although scared they go into the forest and begin to follow the path. However the path comes to an end and they have to venture into the dark forest without a guide. However Hansel still has some bread left over and begins to crumble it to make a trail for them to follow on the way back.
Night falls and they still haven't reached the other side of the forest. They lay down to sleep and when they wake up the next morning all the bread crumbs have gone, eaten by birds in the early morning. They wander blindly through the forest for many days, eating berries for food until they come across a clearing with a small house. As they approach, an old crone hobbles out and says that she will go with them and help their father, once her back has healed. (However her back is not really injured - she is just faking) She keeps Hansel and Gretel locked in her house for many weeks, working them to the bone helping her get well. It is only one night when Gretel sees her chopping wood outside that she realizes it is a trick.
Hansel and Gretel then decide to escape and follow a little white bird to the outskirts of the forest. Once they get there, they are able to find their way home.
They have been gone for many months and their father is well again. However the stepmother is still alive and there is no knowing whether there will be a happily ever after.

Post #2

If I were to produce a version of Hansel and Gretel, I would set it in a European forest, most likely somewhere close to the Scandinavian Mountains. I believe that Hansel and Gretel would be around the ages of 7 and 5. I believe this because during the Middle Ages, it would not have been uncommon for children, especially males, to become independent and take the next step forward in their lives. With this being said, the notion that the children have to fend for themselves in the forest is not so outrageous.

As for the father and the (step)mother, I believe that the woman would be thin and petite, and the father, small and lean. I would portray them in the film like this to show that they are not necessarily bad people, and that they are just behaving in such a way to give their children an opportunity that they can not provide them, and/or uphold European standards of the time.

The main problem that would feed into the Hansel and Gretel story would be that the children need to be sent forward and become independent due to some illness, most likely the bubonic plague. It is not necessarily the parent’s choice to send them away, but they want what is best for their children.

The woman/witch that they encounter in the movie could be an outcast from society who was deemed a witch and ran away. One possible situation is that she befriends them and tries to teach them her sorcery, and they run away. When they come back, the plague is gone and has killed the mother, and the children and father live together in good health.