Maria Tatar explore le pouvoir profond des histoires, particulièrement dans le domaine de l'enfance. Son travail universitaire examine les liens complexes entre le folklore et l'imagination humaine, révélant comment les récits traditionnels façonnent notre compréhension du monde et de nous-mêmes. À travers ses analyses perspicaces et ses collections de contes de fées classiques, elle met en lumière l'importance durable de ces récits dans la formation de la culture et de l'identité.
In this illuminating work, a leading expert in the field of folklore guides readers through 26 fairy tales, exploring their historical origins, their cultural complexities, and their psychological effects on children. 350 full-color photos, paintings & illustrations.
Analyzes the forms the tale of Bluebeard's Wife has taken over time, particularly in Anglo-European popular culture. This book documents the fortunes of Bluebeard, his wife, and their marriage in folklore, fiction, film, and opera. It is intended for both literary scholars and general readers.
Versions of the Snow White story have been shared across the world for centuries. Acclaimed folklorist and translator Maria Tatar places the well- known editions of Walt Disney and the Brothers Grimm alongside other tellings, inviting readers to experience anew a beloved fantasy of melodrama and imagination.
Exploring how adults mistreat children, this book focuses on adults not only as hostile characters in fairy tales themselves but also as real people who use frightening stories to discipline young listeners.
Throughout the book, Tatar employs the tools not only of a psychoanalyst but also of a folklorist, literary critic, and historian to examine the harsher aspects of these stories. She presents new interpretations of the powerful stories in this book. Few studies have been written in English on these tales, and none has probed their allegedly happy endings so thoroughly."--BOOK JACKET.
In "The Heroine with 1,001 Faces," Maria Tatar critiques Joseph Campbell's male-centric view of heroism, highlighting the often-overlooked contributions of female figures in social justice. Through storytelling and domestic arts, these heroines, from ancient to modern times, embody courage and resilience in their quests for change.
In a compelling exploration of society's fixation on sexual violence, Maria Tatar delves into the disturbing representation of the violated female corpse, a recurring image in art, literature, and media. She prompts us to examine the implications of these depictions, particularly in the context of sexual murder (Lustmord). Tatar's study spans from Weimar Germany to contemporary culture, highlighting the intersection of art and murder within the sexual politics of the time. The Weimar Republic, a period marked by political turbulence and avant-garde modernism, serves as a focal point for her analysis, revealing how male artists and writers, driven by societal fears, portrayed women as adversaries to be controlled through artistic expression. Tatar illustrates how these artists often identified with real-life murderers, exemplified by George Grosz's provocative pose as Jack the Ripper. She investigates actual cases of sexual murder that captivated public attention in Weimar Germany and discusses how the representation of murdered women reflects societal anxieties linked to war trauma and cultural production. By examining the shifting roles of victim and perpetrator, Tatar uncovers how narratives can transform the criminal into a victim of seductive evil. Her work fosters a critical dialogue on the portrayal of sexual violence in cultural media, inviting readers to understand the underlying forces at play.
Exploring the influence of Franz Anton Mesmer's animal magnetism, the book delves into how his ideas about magnetic fluids and the hypnotic trance shaped the understanding of the unconscious. Rather than focusing on the scientific or medical aspects, it highlights the significant impact of mesmerism on literature, revealing how this concept resonated with key European and American thinkers. Maria Tatar offers a unique perspective by connecting Mesmer's theories to literary developments, enriching the discourse surrounding both mesmerism and its cultural implications.
Nearly every culture tells the story of Beauty and the Beast in one fashion or another. From Cupid and Psyche to India's Snake Bride to South Africa's "Story of Five Heads," the partnering of beasts and beauties, of humans and animals in all their variety--cats, dogs, frogs, goats, lizards, bears, tortoises, monkeys, cranes, warthogs--has beguiled us for thousands of years, mapping the cultural contradictions that riddle every romantic relationship. This book brings together tales from ancient times to the present and from a variety of cultures, highlighting the continuities and the range of themes in a fairy tale that has been used both to keep young women in their place and to encourage them to rebel, and that has entertained adults and children alike
Analyse von Aussagen und Sachverhalten aus Grimm'schen Märchen im Hinblick auf eine mögliche Entsprechung in der Realität.
