Date of Award
Fall 12-22-2020
Thesis Access
Open Access Honors Thesis
Thesis Location
Honors College Thesis
Department
Honors College
Faculty Advisor
Silvia Giorgini-Althoen
Abstract
Fairy tales are often thought to be solely for children as a means of education and entertainment. The literary fairy tale provided a medium that allowed authors to express their opinions under the guise of a story. This has not always been the case as literary fairy tales have been utilized as political instruments by authors and intended for a highly educated audience. Using fairy tales as a facade provided protection for authors, as outright criticisms against those in power usually resulted in dire consequences such as imprisonment or even death for the objector. The literary fairy tale provided a medium that allowed authors to express their opinions under the guise of a story. Understanding this allows one to interact with firsthand accounts of society and history. Analyzing Giambattista Basile’s and Charles Perrault’s variants of the tale commonly known as “Sleeping Beauty” give insight into the sociohistorical atmosphere of Italy and France during the seventeenth century.
Recommended Citation
Gottlob, Nicholas, "A Tale of Two Nations’ Histories The Application of Literary Fairy Tales as a Firsthand Account of History" (2020). Honors College Theses. 67.
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/honorstheses/67
Included in
European History Commons, European Languages and Societies Commons, French and Francophone Literature Commons, Italian Literature Commons