Gretel is a female character and she supports the females of the tale. She raises her voice for the sake of feminism. She goes against the social unjust of male dominant society. She claims that the original version of the tale is distorted by trick and deception. She is critical, logical, and objective and demands equal rights and justice for females also. She says that male deceives and changes the reality. According to her, for better result, female must be part of the conversation and her point of view must be considered. Truth should not be accepted in a given form rather than be changed by male. She claims that males are violent and on the basis of violence they want to win the competition. In the male dominant society, females are treated as helpless and so females are exploited. She raised her voice against the exploitation of females. In this way, she plays a very active and major role in the story “Gretel”. Her character is ideal and she is admirable for her bold and courageous step.
Bruno Bettelheim: psychological explanation of the tale ‘Hansel and Gretel’.
This version of Hansel and Gretel is a psychological story. It is an essay about the hidden meaning of the fairy tale “Hansel and Gretel” on the basis of human psychology.
According to Bettelheim, the story describes children psychology. Children are anxious when they are deserted in the jungle first time. When they grow up, they must learn to live separately from their mother. This is why they are left in the forest and they returned home because they are not old enough to live separately.
The second time these hungry children try to solve their problem by concentrating only on food. Another message is that greed leads to destruction. In this story, the witch becomes over greedy and she wants to eat Hansel like an animal. So, she represents the destructive aspect of human consciousness. The children recognize the greed and they manage to escape from the witch. The witch is also a symbol for mother. At the beginning of life, children get food from their mother. The witch’s behaviour forces the children to start growing up and acting like adults.
The white duck that helps Hansel and Gretel get home is a symbol of a new beginning. The duck can only carry one child at a time and this shows that children must know to live without their brothers and sisters. Birds play an important role to control the events that occur in the life of Hansel and Gretel. When Hansel and Gretel return back to their home, they have grown up in age and they can now help their father. The help they give is symbolized by the jewels.
This version of Hansel and Gretel is a psychological story. It is an essay about the hidden meaning of the fairy tale “Hansel and Gretel” on the basis of human psychology.
According to Bettelheim, the story describes children psychology. Children are anxious when they are deserted in the jungle first time. When they grow up, they must learn to live separately from their mother. This is why they are left in the forest and they returned home because they are not old enough to live separately.
The second time these hungry children try to solve their problem by concentrating only on food. Another message is that greed leads to destruction. In this story, the witch becomes over greedy and she wants to eat Hansel like an animal. So, she represents the destructive aspect of human consciousness. The children recognize the greed and they manage to escape from the witch. The witch is also a symbol for mother. At the beginning of life, children get food from their mother. The witch’s behaviour forces the children to start growing up and acting like adults.
The white duck that helps Hansel and Gretel get home is a symbol of a new beginning. The duck can only carry one child at a time and this shows that children must know to live without their brothers and sisters. Birds play an important role to control the events that occur in the life of Hansel and Gretel. When Hansel and Gretel return back to their home, they have grown up in age and they can now help their father. The help they give is symbolized by the jewels.
Some Qs & As
1. What does the bird and the expanses of water symbolize in the fairy tale ‘Hansel and Gretel’?
The expanse of water symbolizes a transition, and a new beginning on a higher level of existence for the two children, Hansel and Gretel. It symbolizes transition from immaturity to maturity and from dependence to independence. Siblings can’t live together forever. They have to develop their personal uniqueness; individuality. This consciousness comes only after having a near-death experience in the jungle where the two children were nearly killed by the witch and while crossing the expanse of water.
2. What are the roles of the birds in the story?
Each bird has an important role in the story. In the beginning of the story, Hansel looks back at the dove, which symbolizes the superior kind power. It means the kind of trial Hansel and Gretel go through will ultimately teach them the essential power of god’s kindness. It is a snow-white bird that leads the children to the gingerbread house suggesting that this is the right place for them to arrive at. The white duck guide the children back to safety across the expanse of water. Even the birds that ate the bread crumbs play a great role in the story. Had these birds not eaten the crumbs, the two children wouldn’t have gone through a transformative experience. Because the children risked their lives in the forest – encountering and killing the witch – they are changed individuals whom every parents would be very proud to have. Thus, the different birds offer a clue to the path the children must follow to gain their reward. These birds have a purpose, they would not first prevent Hansel and Gretel from finding their way back, then take them to the witch, and finally provide passage home.
Raj Kumar Gautam, Assistant Teacher, Arniko HSS, rgautam78@yahoo.com; February 26, 2014
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