Once Upon a Time...

Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved fairy tales. My mom used to read them to me as she was tucking me into bed and I can remember that for every Christmas, birthday or gift giving holiday, the only thing I wanted was a Disney VHS tape. My older sister and I used to watch them over and over again, pretending like we didn't already know what was going to happen in the end. Everything was so magical and exciting; I couldn't take my eyes off of the television screen!

Me loving Disney movies at an early age :)

So of course when I saw this option as a First Year Seminar (FYS), it went to the top of my list. Although I didn't know if we would be watching the movies, reading the fairy tales or even making up our own, I knew I couldn't go wrong! I started off when I was younger watching the Walt Disney versions of many fairy tales that were originally written by the Brothers Grimm, so when I began reading some of the Grimm versions in middle school, it was fascinating to see how the stories evolved.

My favorite fairy tale of all time would have to Beauty and the Beast. As a child, I remember my mom reading this story to me but most of all, I watched the Disney version over and over again. It was hard for me to comprehend how the beautiful Belle was able to fall in love with the huge, towering beast when I was this young, but now I can see how this is possible and the lesson that was to be learned. However, all the candles, clocks and teacups singing and dancing were so enchanting! The Disney version of this movie was very entertaining for children and I know that I will be showing my children this movie and reading the story to them when the time comes.

In this FYS, I hope to see the transformation that occurred from the original Brothers Grimm stories to the Walt Disney movies. Also, I hope to learn more about German history and where fairy tales began. It will be interesting to see how some of the stories have been totally transformed to be more socially acceptable and aimed more toward families and their children.