Dissecting a Story - Part 4
Dissecting a Story - Part 4
Minus the explanation, our lab write up looks like:
Purpose: To determine a unique characteristic found in a new story. The new story has already been identified as a fairy tale. Fairy tales contain distinguishable traits related to plot, characters, setting, and themes. Upon reading, the student will identify if it uniquely compares to other fairy tales or warrants individual attention.
Materials: "The Singing Bone"
Hypothesis:
- Villianous characters use magic
- Some kind of trickery is involved in the story
- These can be combined for data collection into evidence of magic and trickery used to assist or impede
Procedure:
- Read the story.
- Record data.
- Determine meaning of data.
Data:
Little man appears and says, "I give you this spear because your heart is pure and good, with this you can boldly attack the wild boar, and it will do you no harm." - magic spear given to good guy
"He buried him beneath the bridge, took the boar, and carried it to the king, pretending that he had killed it," - elder brother tricks younger brother and king
"the bone began of its own accord to sing -" - magic truth
Discussion:
Data 1 - - magic given to another for good heart
- magic can be used to assist and protect
- a person's value can be recognized by others, even when overshadowed
- the good brother is the weaker brother
Data 2 -- trickery used for evil purposes
- humans can be fooled, but God cannot (see later in text)
- brother physically stronger, but emotionally afraid
- deceit is multi-layered - deceiving brother, killing brother, then deceiving king
Data 3 -- truth lives
- Unnoticed brother produces his own magic
- Magic reveals the truth, although first credited to God (see "as nothing remains hidden from God")
- villanious character is punished as a result of the truth
- the one with a pure heart is finally recognized for his goodness
Finally, we come to the Conclusion. Was our hypothesis valid? How does it compare to other experiment results? What generalizations can be made as a result?
Conclusion:
Within this story, characters use magic or trickery to assist them in a task. The difference is in the object of the enchantment - is the character to be helped or harmed? Both brothers are eventually harmed by effects of deceit or supernatural powers, although the design may have been otherwise. Within other fairy tales, villanious characters have used wizardry to defeat their "opponents"; however, the hero always finds a way to manipulate this deception. Good wins over those with bad intentions.
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These pages were created November 14, 1997. This is the first draft. Please provide your comments and suggestions so that I can improve upon it.
Send comments and suggestions to: drthaler@bellsouth.net