Blog Entry 1: September 1

Why did I choose this as my FYS? What are you hoping to learn from this seminar? What is your favorite fairy tale and why?

• I chose this as my FYS because I wanted to know the history of where fairy tales come from and why did Walt Disney change the original Grimm fairy tales. As many people do, I grew up with the Disney version of fairy tales wondering where they came from and why was this tale chosen over the countless other tales that are just as good. In this FYS, I want to learn more about Grimm fairy tales and what was cut out the Disney Classics. I also want to learn about different perspectives of each fairy tales. I think it's interesting how everyone has a different perspective on everything read, on the movies they watched or simply their view on the world. In something so universal like the fairy tales there are millions of ways to interpret the stories, however it's easy to take the story at face value without finding the hidden meaning behind it all. I hope to better understand where so many fairy tales came from and what does it truly mean behind all the magical symbolism. My favorite Disney fairy tale is Aladdin. I was eight years when I first saw Aladdin on VHS in day care. When I first saw the movie I feel in love with it. My favorite character was the genie. I loved that his character was constantly using humor to make light or a really bad situation and doesn't take himself to seriously. I also loved how clever Aladdin's character is. He outsmarted the genie, all of the guards in Jasmine's Castle and Jafer like it was nothing. He tricked the genie into using his magic without making a wish. He walked into Jasmine's castle pretend to be guard and tricked at least a castles worth of guards. I don't like Jasmine's character however, I feel her character is very underdeveloped. They don't explain how why her mother is around, why can't leave her castle, and no realizes that Jafar is using his staff to control people until Aladdin.