Rapunzel Analyzed Through Archetypal Lens-Blog Post #5

Please select a fairy tale that you were not familiar with before this class and select a critical lens to use in an examination of the story.  Using your chosen critical lens, provide a thorough interpretation of the fairy tale in a well-organized blog post.  
Rapunzel Fairy Tale

“Rapunzel” Through The Archetypal Lens

Before reaching this unit in the course I had heard of the Rapunzel tale before, I knew it was about a woman with very long hair who lived in a tower, but I didn´t know anything else. After reading and analyzing it I found it to be very interesting, and also dark at some points. Rapunzel, analyzed through the archetypal lens is quite similar to other tales because of its common kinds of characters, development of the plot, and resolution.

All of the characters in Rapunzel represent some archetype: the neighbor, owner of the Rapunzel plant, represents evil; the mother represents a capricious, delicate character, who will die if not given the necessary item; the father, a good man is a caring character, willing to do whatever it takes to save his wife’s life; Rapunzel represents the typical values perceived about women, beautiful, delicate, and depending on men, and the Prince is the character who saves the woman from her misery.

The plot develops in a predictable way. First there is a problem, the couple isn’t able to conceive a child, and turns to an outside force in order to be able to. Then the helper asks for something in return of the help, and the gravity of the problem increases. Later the problem is gradually resolved until a sudden turn of events leads to misery for one, or more, of the characters. And finally, the happy ending, typical of most fairy tales.

The resolution, or ending, of the Rapunzel tale is the “Happy Ending”, extremely popular and common in fairy tales. When the prince finds his loved one again they reunite, the Prince’s blindness is magically cured, both go back to the Prince’s Kingdom, and live happily ever after.

Rapunzel, examined through the archetypal lens, is filled with common preconceptions about characters, values, and the feminine gender. Its plot and resolution also are a derivation of the standard plot for fairy tales.

Continue The Story, Bernard. BNW. Blog Post #4

Blog Post #4

Alternate Ending: Huxley's ending in Brave New World leaves the fate of several characters unclear.  Select one of the following characters and write the end of the story (and beyond) from their POV.  This piece of writing is narrative in form, NOT an essay!  Plan and write accordingly.

Bernard

              Bernard finally escaped the system which he had always criticized and never been fond of. While on the plane towards an unknown island destination he gazed out the narrow window and reflected on the last few weeks. They were the most intense of his life. He felt melancholic for a little while, and even thought of ingesting one of the last few Soma pills he had left, but decided not to, as he would be succumbing to the World State once again. He felt sorry for John, who he had heard, committed suicide after an incident with a group of on-lookers at his lighthouse. He wished they had been closer and that he hadn’t used John as a way to gain popularity. He thought of Lenina as well, but wasn’t too worried about her, as she would go on with her dull, vapid lifestyle back in the World State. Helmholtz didn’t worry him either, Bernard knew that he would enjoy his new life away from the manipulating, controlling government of the World State.

              Still on the plane Bernard wondered what his new life would be like, he questioned whether he would like his new companion, whether he could survive in this island, or even if he would have to live as a Savage. What worried him the most was the latter aspect. All this wondering got him anxious, feeling like he couldn’t breathe. Soon, two flight assistants came to restrain him, put two Soma pills in his mouth, and forced him to swallow. Instants later Bernard was in the process of falling asleep while hallucinating.

              About two hours later Bernard woke up, confused and still dozy, he walked towards the plane’s door. As soon as he stepped outside he felt a hot, humid breeze hit his face, it looked like he was in some tropical island. He took a look around, but he couldn’t see anything but the landing track and thick tropical forest. A few seconds later an agent from the World State appeared from the front of the plane and asked Bernard to please start walking towards the forest. Bernard couldn’t hide his suspiciousness, he didn’t think that a civilization would be in the middle of a forest, but he kept on walking, with the World State agent a few feet behind him. They reached a thicker part of the forest, where light could barely reach the ground. The agent asked Bernard to take a break, sit, relax and hydrate for a while. He extended his arm to Bernard, and in his hand was a bottle of water. Bernard kept gazing around, marveled by such an exotic nature. He grabbed the bottle form the agent’s hand and drank a small sip, then he quickly drank the rest of the bottle. A few seconds later Bernard started to feel dozy again, with blurred vision he looked at the agent, who was walking away. In a matter of seconds Bernard was lying on the ground, with cold, pale skin, motionless, and not breathing.