Abstract

With the invention of the printing press, fairy tales became limited by the idea of an "original" (Pettitt, 2009; Blamires, 2003). However, in the past century, the retelling and changing of fairy tales has become incredibly popular in all forms of media, such as print, film, ballet, musicals, etc. Despite Western populations' familiarity with these tales, the demand for such retellings continues to rise, with the storytellers finding great financial success with each "new" version they provide. Researchers have many varying opinions on the reasons for such intense responses to retold fairy tales, but there is a gap of research on the actual changes made to the retold tales and what they mean. Through the use of Narrative Criticism, three of the most popularly retold fairy tales (Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and Snow White) were analyzed for the biggest alterations, and what those alterations are meant to convey to consumers. Findings revealed that the biggest changes across all three retellings were those of character, narrator, audience, and setting. These changes indicate a switch from the authoritative nature of the first printed versions to an inferential nature with the subsequent retellings, with authors leaning into the Narrative Paradigm and forcing audiences to instead ruminate on the changes made in the familiar tales, and to decide for themselves what those changes mean for their personal lives.

Degree

College and Department

Fine Arts and Communications

Rights

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