Literary Devices in Grimms' Fairy Tales
Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
Mapping Happily Ever After Fairy tales mostly happen in "once upon a time" land, which we doubt you could find on a map. However, observe: • Exhibit A: lots of characters are kings, queens, princ...
Narrator Point of View
Fairy tales tend not to narrate what happens to you or me. They tell us about That Person Over There Who Is Often Royalty (Or Soon To Become Royalty). Using the third person narrative voice is the...
Genre
We'll resist the urge to say duh. These are the fairy tales upon which all subsequent fairy tales are modeled. Okay, not all, but a lot. So these are pretty conventional, happily-ever-after stories...
Tone
In these tales, stuff just kind of happens, and the narrative voice usually doesn't linger on the events. For instance, when Gretel pushes the witch into the oven, we're told: "The witch began to h...
Writing Style
Gosh, these tales are just filled with old-timey, quaint things like spinning (who even knows how to spin anymore?), agriculture (lots of farmer characters), and the feudal system. Because it's awe...
What's Up With the Title?
Technically, in the original German, the collection was titled Kinder- und Hausmärchen, which translates to Children's and Household Tales. This is not, as you can see, the most attention-grabbing...
What's Up With the Ending?
How do most of these tales end? Say it with Shmoop: "and they all lived happily ever after." Well, most of them. Most of the time. If you're virtuous and good, you'll definitely get a happily-ever-...
Tough-o-Meter
With the exception of some quaint phrases and plant names you've probably never heard of, the language of the Grimms' fairy tales is pretty easy to understand (though your mileage may vary by trans...
Trivia
Jacob and Wilhelm were so close that they continued to live in the same household even after Wilhelm got married (to Dortchen Wild, who was one of the storytellers who told them the tales that ende...
Steaminess Rating
Yes, there is a bit of hanky-panky in these tales, but it all happens behind the scenes. All those children who get enchanted or banished have to come from somewhere, if you know what we mean. Wink...
Allusions
The Bible (The Twelve Brothers.32)Folk Christianity, or the interpretations and practice of Christianity that deviate from the official teachings of the Church, but reflect the everyday religious l...