Skip to Main Content

GNED 1201 - K. Toews

Assignment Overview

Mid-Term Project Overview

Value: 20% of final grade
Due: Sunday, October 26, by 11:59 p.m.
Length: 750–850 words (Option Two includes an additional 200–300-word reflection)

Students will explore the theme of death through either an analytical essay or a creative writing project. Both options require close engagement with non-North American folktales, fairytales, or parables.

Option One: Analytical Essay

Goal: Analyze how a non-North American fairytale, folktale, or parable represents death.
Choices:

  1. Single-text analysis: Examine one tale and make an argument about how it conceptualizes death.

  2. Comparative/renditions analysis: Trace the same tale across time and analyze how its portrayal of death has changed and why.

Key requirements:

  • Include a clear thesis, structured paragraphs, and a concise conclusion.

  • Apply close reading and original interpretation—avoid plot summary.

  • No outside scholarly sources are required beyond the chosen tale.

  • The essay should demonstrate thoughtful organization, detailed textual analysis, and strong writing.

A librarian will lead an in-class session to support research and source selection.

Option Two: Creative Project

Goal: Write your own original folktale or parable about death.

Requirements:

  • Write a 750–850-word story inspired by at least two non-North American folktales/parable.

  • Include a 200–300-word reflection discussing:

    • Why you framed death in your chosen way;

    • How the two tales influenced your writing;

    • Any intended moral or lesson.

  • List the two inspirational tales on an APA-formatted reference page.

Submission Guidelines

All submissions must:

  • Be polished, proofread, and follow APA formatting;

  • Use 12-point Times New Roman, double-spacing, and 1-inch margins;

  • Include an APA title page and references page;

  • Be submitted as a .doc or .docx file (no PDFs or Pages files);

  • Use the file name format: FirstnameLastname_MidTermEssay.

Note: Only Word documents will be graded.

Evaluating the Credibility of Fairytales, Folktales, or Parables

Identify the Story’s Cultural and Historical Origins

  • Check the source or collection:

    • Is the story included in a well-known folklore anthology?

    • Examples: The Brothers Grimm, Andrew Lang’s Fairy Books, Aesop’s Fables, Italo Calvino’s Italian Folktales.

  • Trace the earliest recorded version:

    • What year or century does the earliest version appear?

    • Was it passed down orally before being written?
Use Folklore Classification Systems

  • Aarne–Thompson–Uther (ATU) Index:

    • A standard classification system for folk narratives based on recurring themes and motifs.

    • Example: Little Red Riding Hood falls under ATU 333 (The Glutton / The Devourer).

    • Students can look up ATU classifications to see if their chosen tale has variants across cultures.

  • Stith Thompson’s Motif-Index of Folk Literature:

    • Organizes recurring folktale elements (e.g., magical transformations, supernatural helpers).

Compare Different Versions of the Story

  • Look for variations across cultures:

    • Does the story appear in multiple traditions (e.g., Cinderella in China, Egypt, and Europe)?

    • How do different cultures retell the same core narrative?

  • Analyze major changes over time:

    • Does the version you found match the older variants?

    • Was it altered in a way that removes cultural or historical context?

Consider the Collector or Translator’s Influence

  • Who documented the story?

    • Early European collectors (Grimm Brothers, Perrault) sometimes sanitized or changed folk stories.

    • Western scholars might have altered meanings to fit their audience.

  • Compare translated vs. original versions:

    • Are there modern adaptations that differ from the original?

Verify Source Credibility

Primary vs. Secondary Sources:

  • A primary source would be an old manuscript, oral tradition records, or original folklore books.

  • A secondary source (modern retelling, children’s book) might be useful but should be compared to the original.

Check If the Tale Has Undergone Modern Adaptation

  • Has the tale been commercialized?

    • Disney adaptations often remove darker or culturally specific elements.

  • Compare the literary version vs. oral tradition:

    • Oral storytelling often preserves different details than written versions.

 

Finding Fairytales, Folktales, and Parables in the Library

Library Search Examples

Example Search 1:

To find resources related to children and fairy tales, folktales, or parables, you can use the following search query:

children* ("fairy tales" OR folktales OR parables")

Perform this search in the MRU Library Catalog

Explanation:

  • The asterisk (*) after "children" serves as a wildcard, capturing variations like "child," "children," "childhood," etc.

  • The terms "fairy tales," "folktales," and "parables" are grouped with the OR operator to include any of these genres in your search results.

This search will help you locate books, book chapters, and online resources related to children's fairy tales, folktales, and parables available in the MRU Library collections.

Example Search 2

To explore how death is portrayed in folktales, fairy tales, or parables involving children, use the following search query:

Search Query:
folktales OR "fairy tales" OR parables
AND children*
AND death OR dead OR "the dead" OR dying

Perform this search in the MRU Library Catalog

Explanation:

  • "folktales OR 'fairy tales' OR parables" → Searches for any of these genres.

  • AND "children"* → Ensures results include references to children or childhood.

  • AND "death OR dead OR 'the dead' OR dying" → Expands results to include different ways death is discussed.

 

Suggested Books

To locate reference books on fairy tales, folklore, and children's literature, try the following search query:

Search Query:
(encyclopedia OR handbook OR collection)
AND ("fairy tales" OR folklore OR folktales OR parables)

Examples

Databases

Online Resources

Librarian

Profile Photo
Erik Christiansen

Contact:
Email: echristiansen@mtroyal.ca
Phone: 403.440.5168
Office: EL4423C
Website