Universität Wien

123041 PS PS Literary Studies (2024W)

Once Upon A Time Revisited: Fairytales Across Cultures and Identities

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 12 - Anglistik
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle
We 08.01. 12:15-13:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 25 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Wednesday 09.10. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Wednesday 16.10. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Wednesday 23.10. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Wednesday 30.10. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Wednesday 06.11. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Wednesday 13.11. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Wednesday 20.11. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Wednesday 27.11. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Wednesday 04.12. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Wednesday 11.12. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Wednesday 15.01. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Wednesday 22.01. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Wednesday 29.01. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Once upon a time, there were tales which cast a powerful spell on generations, shaping our imagination with their enchanting narratives and iconic characters. Yet, beneath the surface of these beloved stories, beneath the familiar narratives of damsels in distress and knights in shining armour, lie complex and often dark origins…

In this proseminar, we will examine fairytales and retellings of fairytales across cultures and identities. Throughout, we will analyse novels and stories by writers, among them Angela Carter, Neil Gaiman, Marissa Meyer and Naomi Novik, and interpret them with the help of critical theorists, such as Bruno Bettelheim and Jack Zipes. We will delve into the historical, cultural, and literary contexts that shaped the development of these narratives, uncovering the often violent and disturbing elements that underpin the familiar. By analysing a diverse range of tales from different contexts, we will examine how fairytales and their retellings reflect and shape societal values, gender roles and power dynamics, with a particular emphasis on the re-imagination of the genre under the influence of feminism. Moreover, we will trace the genre’s journey from oral tradition to written expression and explore its subsequent adaptation to film and television.

Course outcomes:
- Students will demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the historical and cultural contexts of fairytales across cultures.
- Students will be able to analyse how gender, class, and other social identities are represented and reimagined in fairytales and their retellings.
- Students will get an understanding of the evolution of the genre from oral and written forms to its contemporary manifestations in film and television.
- Students will develop their practical skills in the analysis of literary texts and academic writing.

Content Warning: This course will explore mature themes, including violence, assault and death. The texts we will engage with may be disturbing or upsetting. Trigger warnings will be provided, but students should be aware of the course content before enrolling.
Please take care of yourselves and remember to prioritise your well-being. If you need support, please do not hesitate to reach out to the university’s counselling services : https://www.studierendenberatung.at/en/

Assessment and permitted materials

- Active participation in classroom discussion: 10 points
- Five in-class quizzes (each worth 2pts): 10 points
- Expert input during one session: 15 points
- Research proposal (700 words) and annotated bibliography: 15 points
- Proseminar paper (3500 words, +/- 10%): 50 points

Overall score: 100 points max.
Pass-mark: 60 points

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Students must fulfil and pass each of the course requirements and score at least 60 points in order to pass this course. You may miss a maximum of two classes.
Grading scale:
1 (very good): 100-90 points
2 (good): 89-80 points
3 (satisfactory): 79-70 points
4 (pass): 69-60 points
5 (fail): 59-0 points
The course requirements will be discussed in detail during the first session. The plagiarism detection software Turnitin will be used on the written assignments. AI tools may not be used for your research proposal and proseminar paper.

Examination topics

This is an interactive course with continuous assessment (“prüfungsimmanente Lehrveranstaltung”). In addition to handing in a research proposal, annotated bibliography and proseminar paper, participants are expected to be an expert during one session, pass the quizzes, read all texts and actively participate in class throughout the semester. Participants are also expected to hand in all tasks and assignments on time.
There will be no written exam.

Reading list

Primary Literature: Please purchase all books in bold. Other primary texts will be provided on Moodle.
Tales from Charles Perrault's Mother Goose Tales
Tales from Grimm's Fairy Tales
Tales from The Thousand and One Nights
The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter (1981)
"Snow, Glass, Apples" by Neil Gaiman (1998)
Selected Stories from Angela Carter's Book of Fairy Tales (2005)
Cinder by Marissa Meyer (2012)
Uprooted by Naomi Novik (2015)
A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston (2015)
Selected Stories from Fierce Fairytales & Other Stories to Stir Your Soul by Nikita Gill (2018)
Selected Stories from Mermaids Never Drown - Tales to Dive for edited by Zoraida Cordova and Natalie C. Parker (2023)

Secondary Literature:(excerpts)
The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales by Bruno Bettelheim (1976)
Don't Bet on the Prince: Contemporary Feminist Fairy Tales in North America and England edited by Jack Zipes (1986)
The Fairy Tale: The Magic Mirror of Imagination by Steven Swann Jones (1995)
Postmodern Fairy Tales: Gender and Narrative Strategies by Cristina Bacchilega (1999)
Breaking the Magic Spell: Radical Theories of Folk and Fairy Tales by Jack Zipes (2002)
Why Fairy Tales Stick: The Evolution and Relevance of a Genre by Jack Zipes (2006)

All secondary literature will be provided on Moodle.

Association in the course directory

Studium: BA 612; BEd 046 / 407
Code/Modul: BA10.1; BEd 08a.1, BEd 08b.2
Lehrinhalt: 12-3041

Last modified: Th 05.09.2024 17:06