HIST2132W — Fairy Tales and Folklore
Examination of fairy tales and folklore in European history from the early modern era to the present, with a primary emphasis on tracing changes in the social and cultural use of fairy tales over time. Sources drawn from a diverse corpus of tales and retellings, as well as scholarly interpretations from historians, ethnographers, and folklorists. Explores key developments, such as the transformation of 17th-century French tales written as political allegory into the Grimms' 19th-century reinvention of the fairy tale as a staple of middle-class childhood. Other topics may include the oral tradition and literacy; changing ideas about gender, class, and religion; and themes of violence, nationalism, and sexuality.