English Literature and Fairytales

<p>Discover how fairy tales have been shaped by their time and culture. In this course, you read English-language fairy tales, analyse their themes and symbols, and explore how they reflect and influence society - both then and now.</p><p>In this course, you learn about fairy tales as a literary genre, narrative technique and cultural phenomenon. You mainly read fairy tales from the English-speaking world, both old and more modern, but you also encounter variations of the same tales from different cultural contexts. </p><p>Throughout the course, you work with key themes and theories associated with the genre. These include how fairy tales are structured, how they relate to the norms and ethical issues of their time, and how they can be interpreted from feminist, queer and postcolonial perspectives. You also study important symbols and metaphors that frequently recur in fairy tales. </p><p>As you analyse and discuss the texts, you will have the opportunity to reflect on the role fairy tales play in today’s culture and society - and why they continue to fascinate, challenge and influence us.</p>