Common features:
- Formulaic language.
- Once upon a time… /they lived happily ever after…
- Usually starts with the same beginning and ending.
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- Growing up/from child to adult.
- Usually we follow a child who has a lot of challenges and in the end meets his or hers destiny that was meant to be. (Home out home)
- Flat or stereotype characters.
- Rich/poor. Prince, princess. Names.
- The old woman, the poor man.
- Animals can have human features.
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- 3, 7 or 12 tests.
- 3 magical characters. (Sleeping beauty – 3 fairies, Snow white – 7 dwarfs)
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- Helpers (fairy godmother, side character)
- Opponents (witch, ogre, evil stepmother, dragon)
- Magic gifts (dress and pumpkin from Cinderella, the cat from Puss in boots)
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- Single plot, no side stories.
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- Unknown time and place.
- “Once upon a time, in a land far, far away…”
Subgenres
- Ordinary folk tales
Example: Folkeeventyr - Jocular tales
Example: Funny stories - Animal tales and fables
Example: Narnia - Myths
Example: The Fall - Legends
Example: Hercules - Literary folk tales
Example: Kunsteventyr - Urban/modern legends
Example: Modern folk tales that uses a lot of fear - Fantasy
Example: Alice in wonderland
Freudian reading
- Interpreted sexually.
Jungian reading
- Interpreted spiritually.
Biographical reading
- Interpret the author’s life in the text, but never mentioned.
New criticism
- Reading and analyzing without knowing text or author.
