Just ran across a scribbled note from 2002 — a conversation with my son Connor, then seven, after we read Jack and the Beanstalk together.
CONNOR: I don’t like that story.
DAD: How come?
CONNOR, frowning hard: I hate Jack.
DAD: Why?
CONNOR: He breaks into the giant’s house and steals his gold. Then he breaks in again and steals his goose. Then he breaks in again and steals his magic harp. And when the giant chases him to get his own things back, Jack cuts down the beanstalk and the giant gets killed! And he didn’t do anything wrong! I hate that stupid Jack.
That’s exactly what I thought when reading it with my girls. Only took me 30-something years to figure out it wasn’t a very nice story.
Comment: Sarah – 30. November 2009 @ 11:07 am
[chuckling] Our version had the giant representing the oppressive bully-thieves of the corrupt government-culture, so it was was only ill-gotten gains stolen and connived from the People, that were cleverly being stolen back by resourceful Youth. Sort of like Aladdin?
Comment: JJ Ross – 30. November 2009 @ 12:40 pm
Funny – I’d never really read the original. I prefer to pick books with female heroines for my girls, and the Kate and the Beanstalk version we’ve read had this whole back-story of the giant having had killed Kate’s father who had owned those items.
So in this case, the protagonist is (unknowingly) reclaiming what’s hers. Oh, and the dead giant’s wife ends up happily working as a domestic at Kate’s castle. Yeah, a bit of a deviation from the original…
Comment: nonplus – 30. November 2009 @ 12:54 pm
Yes, the subtext that the Giant had killed Jack’s father was added in some versions in the early 20th century out of discomfort over motives and moral.
Comment: Dale – 30. November 2009 @ 12:58 pm
I had that same reaction. Of course, I was in my upper 20s reading the story to my 2 year old son…
Comment: chrisod – 30. November 2009 @ 1:06 pm
Good for your son. I was much less critical — I would always accept the protagonist as a “good guy” by definition.
Have you seen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods”? Act I is several fairy tales woven together, up to “happily ever after.” But Act II deals with the consequences of the actions taken in Act I. For example, the giant’s wife makes her way down to earth and demands the right to punish Jack. I think it’s a humanist masterpiece.
Comment: geekymoms – 30. November 2009 @ 1:40 pm
I always felt the same, both about Jack and about the above post about Into the Woods (such a musical theatre geek!)
I see General Assembly in Minneapolis on your schedule. I think I will be going since it is close this year. Are you speaking?
Comment: Ei – 30. November 2009 @ 5:07 pm
Oh, we LOVE Into the Woods!
Comment: JJ Ross – 30. November 2009 @ 5:09 pm
@Ei: Yes, I’m the Sophia Fahs Lecturer for 2010. I’ll probably just perform Tim Minchin songs.
@geeky: It’s funny — I’m a big Sondheimer, but I haven’t seen Into the Woods! I’ll have to rent that.
Comment: Dale – 30. November 2009 @ 5:45 pm
Um… dudes… its a frakking GIANT!!!! Fee Fie Fo Fum and all that! Grinds yer bones to makes its bread!!! It’s a monster! Didn’t any of you guys play D&D?
Comment: blotzphoto – 01. December 2009 @ 4:47 pm
Bernadette Peters as the Witch, Joanna Gleason as the Baker’s Wife, in case there’s more than one to choose from — bright green cover art.
Comment: JJ Ross – 01. December 2009 @ 9:05 pm
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Pingback: Daily Digest for December 1st « Bridget K McKinney – 02. December 2009 @ 2:59 pm
Another good take on a fairy tale is the animated movie “Hoodwinked”. It’s the classic Little Red Riding Hood story told and retold from the perspectives of a variety of characters. A good object lesson in putting oneself in another’s shoes.
Comment: codysmom – 02. December 2009 @ 7:15 pm
Wow, my holiday viewing schedule is now full.
@blotz: That was just plain heightist. And an affront to those who have made the lifestyle choice to forego non-bone-based bread products.
Comment: Dale – 02. December 2009 @ 9:39 pm