Comparing Hansel And Gretel

Although he describes her as a “life-bloated, baffled, long-suffering hag” (11), Grendel realizes that “she would gladly have given her life to end my [his] suffering… with useless, mindless love” (102). He also believes that “she must have some human in her” (11), furthering Grendel’s character as one that derived from humankind at the very least. The novel acts as a witness to the fact that Grendel did have a childhood. Although his childhood brought on some struggles, this is a part of all life, including that of people. He finds his purpose in life when “at an early age [he] is forced to deal with a brutal and meaningless reality” (Butts) and he begins he finds his purpose. Throughout Gardner’s novel, Grendel tries to learn “how best to deal with the world” (Butts). As Grendel grows up, he learns from and is influenced by many different people who act as his teachers and role models. These interactions are Grendel’s closest alternative to the relations that the average human has. Grendel has three unique influences in his life: his mother, the Shaper, and the dragon. Grendel views his mother with disgust and she provides the inspiration and motivation for him to do better with his own life. The Shaper’s influence brings out Grendel’s ability of

Like a puppy nipping, playfully growling preparing to battle with wolves." [Page 16] In his early years, Grendel shares the naivete of all things youthful, unchained by the perceptions and limitations the mature mind places on reality in its attempt to instill order to a disorganized world. He has, at this point in his life, no rational concept of reality as a whole, he sees it in vague shadow-shapes and imaginary cohorts. In this condition he finds a certain playful joy. While it is an admittedly childish state of mind, he is quite happy at play, as are most children. When the change and growth comes, it brings him down from the ignorant bliss he feels in his immaturity.

On August 13, 2011, 7 people were killed and 58 were injured during a stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis (Crandall, Parnell, & Spillan, 2013). The crisis occurred just prior to the start of a concert by performing country artist Sugarland. Concert goers, approximately 12,000 of them, were assembled outside awaiting the start of the concert (Crandall, et al., 2013). Around 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start of the concert, officials at the state fair were made aware of a potential severe storm with estimated winds at 60 miles per hour (mph) approaching the concert area (Crandall, et al., 2013). According to Crandall, et al. (2013), the concert officials requested for a delay in the concert, however, the band managers

While comparing the two poems, "Gretel in Darkness" by Louise Gluck and "Hansel and Gretel" by Anne Sexton with the original Brothers Grimm tale "Hansel and Gretel", different perspectives, point of views and messages are shown.

The Danes’ stories are described as “magnificent [and] golden.. [and] lies”. While some aspects of the truth remain in these stories, ultimately, the full story does not remain. Yet, Grendel is still impressed by these tales, and how life seems more “magnificent”. The contrast between these “lies” and how they are described demonstrates the deceiving nature of twisting the truth. In summary, these lies course Grendel into viewing the Danes and their storytelling skills with awe.

For example, “He had heard…Trouble from day one.” This shows that Gretel has a difficult nature and can give everyone around her a considerable amount of grief. This could be caused by her

When comparing the two poems “Hansel and Gretel” by the Grimm Brothers as well as “Gretel in Darkness” by Louise Gluck, although the characters remain the same the perspectives, tones, point of views and messages are very different.

The term “cognitive dissonance” describes the emotional negativity that results from an inconsistency of thought; when two things that should add up just don’t. It is by this perpetual struggle that man defines himself. Cognitive dissonance shapes the way we think and often manifests itself as the type of behavior that creates even more confusion. Grendel’s character is a somewhat extreme representation of this process. He often acts in a way that is incongruent with his emotions, and despite having realized the absurd nature of his

The first instance that symbolism occurs is when the author uses Gaston, a bug that is found in a peach, who describes the father. “What’s he saying?” asks the daughter. The father replies “Well he’s a little confused. Now inside that house of his he had everything in order.” This excerpt from the story illustrates that Gaston is used to symbolize the father, and that he had his life all together, and now it has fallen apart. Another instance of symbolism occurs when the father explains “It’s where he [Gaston] used to live. Gaston is out in the world and on his own now.” The daughter then asks “He had everything, now what has he got?” The father answers with “Not very much I’m afraid.” These quotes symbolize the father is losing everything, like the bug, and does not have much money. The father takes into consideration of how he can relate to the bug. For example, he is on his own, with nobody close to him. The symbolism of the bug from the peach used in these quotes emphasizes that the father in this story does not have very much, and is lonely, yet he still can see the worthy in things. This description can relate to how he has an impact on his

It was said by an anonymous author, that war changes the inherently good and unique spirit of the human race into the brute savages that they once had been. In The True Story of Hansel and Gretel characters have never known freedom from this war torn Europe. Bloodshed and violence are all that these characters have lived with and therefore we see no other traits other than those that are a direct result of these unfortunate and gruesome circumstances. Throughout this book, the actions of Major Frankel, although looked upon as always evil, give the reader a sense that before these atrocities were committed he had an inherently good heart.

There are many conventions that are present in the story Hansel and Gretel, by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, that make it of the fairytale genre. There are good and evil characters, problems present and an overall Good vs Evil storyline. On the fourth page it says: “When the moon appeared… they could not find any crumbs, for the many thousands of birds…had pecked them up.” This is an example of a problem. Hansel had put crumbs on the ground to find their way back because he knew that his parents would not come back to collect them and take them back home. When they woke up the crumbs were gone because the birds had eaten them. Now Hansel and Gretel could not find their way home, back to their family. This is one of the conventions that are included

In “Hansel and Gretel Duet”, Gretel’s rapid maturity through her experience with the witch causes her to become angry and hostile. It is discovered that the original tale was wrong in saying that when Hansel and Gretel returned home, their mother was already dead; in fact, it is Gretel herself who kill her mother. She tricks her the same way she did the witch, asking her to “climb [into] [the oven] and check [the temperature]”, and pushing her in and burning her to death. Instead of being seen as beneficial, Gretel’s newfound maturity is viewed as harmful and destructive, as it leads her to commit murder. Thus, Fry’s twisted sequel alters the outlook on maturity in the original Hansel and Gretel, turning Gretel’s loss of innocence from an advantage to a

Hansel and Gretel is one of the Brothers Grimm best known fairytales with good reason: it resonates deeply with children and their greatest fears: being abandoned by their parents, being lost, and being eaten, and represents a horrific parental ethical dilemma: discard your children to save yourselves, and, finally, teaches us that both good and evil moral behaviors have consequences. This is an old fairy tale with great depth and lessons that echo through time into modern day. This essay attempts to find possible modern meanings, sacred representations, and moral patterns behind the story of the lost children and their journey through the dark forest.

When Hansel and Gretel kill the witch, it can be seen the stepmother also dies simultaneously, suggesting that both the witch and the stepmother and metaphorically the same villain. Her scheme to get rid of the ‘wicked children’ due to food shortage arguably turns her into a witch as she often ill-treated the children and did not show them any love or affection. This is further highlighted as in in the updated version of Hansel and Gretel, the evil witch uses the same phrase when waking up the children as the stepmother as she “shook Gretel and cried, “get up lazybones!” (Grimm 47) further emphasising that the mother and the witch both serve as the personification and the symbol of evil. It is females who are perceived as the bad elements of

The resentment within the young girl’s family is essential to the novel because one can understand the young girl better as she makes her decision.