Discussion in class about Bluebeard

Last class when we had a discussion about the tale Bluebeard, I have changed the way I view him. I almost in a sense feel sorry for him but that still doesn't justify his actions.. In the discussion, I brought up the fact that its never mentioned in the tale why he killed his FIRST wife. This made me wonder if he was just a heartless killer or if she had lost his trust as well. Someone brought up a point that maybe he uses the key as a test for his wives and if they fail, their punishment is death. Its true that if his wives obeyed him, then none of this would happen but its only human nature to be curious about things. My belief is that maybe he was soo in love with his first wife and she did something so bad that made him lose trust in her and have a strong rage that resulted in her death. Ever since then, he was on a mission to find the right one and to confirm her, he uses a test i.e. the key in doing so. The reason I feel bad for him in a way is because its difficult in the first place to find love because of his appearance. The fact that everytime he thinks he finds love, and its not, almost makes you want to take his side. However, the fact that he is a murderer keeps me from treading that fine line. Theres no excuse for murder in my book.

Bluebeard: The Tale and Its Variants

Before becoming a part of this English class, I had never read or even heard of the story of Bluebeard. After reading it for the first time, I could see why it would be unpopular to some, especially children because of the graphic references to the dead bodies found. After I finished reading the tale and the different versions, I was intrigued how it was unique from other tales I've read. Instead of the cliche plot in which a girl is trying to find love in a male interest, the girl is this story is actually trying to get away from hers. However, I was displeased with Perrault's version because instead of putting the blame on the actual "villian", Bluebeard, he points the finger at the wife for going against his orders to not go through a certain door. He does so by showing the bad consequences for her disobedience as well as showing the consequences of the past wives. It doesn't surprise me much that he decides to justify Bluebeard's actions simply just because hes a man. In this case I think its really ridiculous. Its sad he tries to emphasize that a person's close call to death forced by another being is justifable. No one deserves to be killed by another person, no matter what they've done in my opinion.

My writing process

My writing process for the Fairytale analysis went very well. To make sure my thoughts were organized, I made a graphic organizer brainstorming ideas that I wanted to include in my paper. In doing so, I was allowed to finish the paper in a timely manner. After I came up with my thesis, I started writing my first rough draft. After I finished, I read it thoroughly and was not a 100% satified with my thesis statement, so I decided to rewrite it. I believe I had a strong thesis statement after I wrote my second draft. I didn't change a lot from the first draft because I thought that my body paragraphs referred back to my thesis statement and were very detailed. After completing my second draft, I took it the writing center. I was very pleased with my consultation with the English staffperson. She thought my paper was strong except for a few grammar mistakes. She even felt bad because she said she didn't have much to correct. I hope I make a good grade on this paper.

Domesticating Dreams

The article "Domesticating Dreams" by Naomi Woods has given me a new perspective of Walt Disney's Cinderella. After analyzing his version, I am not quite fond of the story anymore. As a child, Cinderella was my favorite movie growing up. Reading Woods' article has given me insight of Disney's "ideal" woman in which I totally disagree with this standard. The portrayal of Cinderella as a domestic goddess just because she's cheerful as being a house wife disgusts me. I believe in the empowerment of women and I believe theres more to women than just cleaning and taking care of the household. Walt Disneys sends a message out to his audience that if you behave in such a manner as Cinderella. you will be rewarded i.e. your prince charming will come to your rescue. Another thing, why does the reward have to be a male figure? Just goes to show you how the partriarchal comes into effect in the story. I have a little sister who is 6 that is obsessed with Cinderella. She talks of going to a ball and always says "I wish i was taller so I can dance with the prince." It use to be funny to me because she really thinks shes Cinderella. I wish I could explain to her the true meaning behind the story but because of her age, I don't think she would quite understand.

Fairytales in Pop Culture

Today I was listening to my IPOD on shuffle and came across a song entitled "Fairytales" by once pop teenage singer named Jojo. I had brought the CD YEARS ago and did not even realize it was on my IPOD until today. As I listened to the lyrics, it conveyed a melancholy tone which seemed ironic because when we hear the word "fairytales", we think of happiness. In this song, the singer sings about how she doesn't believe in fairytales since her heart has been broke. She's given hope on the possibility of living happily ever after. The introduction to the song in which she is speaking starts off like this:

"You know the story

You read the books

Boy meets girl

And they fall forever in love

But I know better

So here goes a tale

To the realest of the real"

Then the song goes into how she once upon a time believed in the concept of fairytales and why that belief no longer exists. To actually listen to the lyrics of this song is shame because this song can be applied to young girls in the real world. A lot of girls from a young age are made to believe love is like a fairytale and prince charming is around the corner. Sadly, this is not true and as they get older, they have to learn out the hard way. They end up getting their feelings crushed by some jerk and realize that those Disney fairytales they adored doesn't have the same outcome in most cases in life. It's human nature for girls to love fairytales at a young age but I also think it's a mother's responsiblity to warn their daughter to not expect a knight in shining armor when they start dating. It's important for girls to differentiate between fairytales and REAL life so they'll know what to expect and be wary of when they get older. These are just thoughts I'd thought I'd share.