From Myth Motifs to Contemporary Texts
Susan Swords Steffen
December 16, 2001
Myths and stories told with mythic motifs express
fundamental truths about what it is to be human and to live in the world. These mythical stories are teaching tales that not only entertain
but also introduce children and adolescents to important truths that they must
encounter on the path to intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and moral
maturity. These truths are saturated with the worldview of the
culture, and thus integrate children into the culture. Jane Yolen
argues that in addition to providing children with a “landscape of illusion”,
and understanding of culture, and a framework for therapy, myths and their
motifs can be the key to understanding the “abstract truths of human
existence.” (Yolen, 18) According to Bruno Bettelheim, all folk tales [myths]
teach the same thing: one must leave
home to find one’s kingdom, that kingdom cannot be found at once; tests and
trials must be undergone on the journey; helpers are needed along the journey;
and these helpers will require something in return. (DeVos, 16).
As we have learned through our study of Cupid and
Psyche, these same mythic motifs appear not only in traditional literature, but
also in contemporary children’s texts so that readers can also experience these
“true” stories through a variety of types of literature. By reading contemporary texts against mythic
motifs from traditional tales, the important truths of the myths are reinforced, and
readers’ understandings of the contemporary texts are enhanced. Cupid and Psyche along with their other
mythic brothers and sisters are in fact everywhere if we only know how to look
for them.
To make effective use of mythic motifs, teachers must
be familiar with the fundamental mythic elements that appear in myths and folk
tales. And, they should also have experience in identifying and analyzing these
elements in the contemporary children’s texts that are typically found in the
elementary and secondary curriculum.
Unfortunately, pre-service teachers frequently have little experience
with myths and folktales and are so unfamiliar with mythic motifs that they
often cannot recognize them in traditional texts let alone apply them to
contemporary texts. Reading and closely
analyzing a particular myth like Cupid and Psyche, examining specific motifs as
they function in other traditional tales, and exploring the use of these in
contemporary children’s texts can provide an introduction to this approach that
will not only teach them the concept of mythic motifs but will also prepare
them to use this approach in their own classrooms.
The following bibliography proposes a set of
traditional and contemporary children’s texts to be used in introducing,
analyzing, and practicing the application of mythic motifs with pre-service
teachers enrolled in a college level children’s literature course. Experience with these texts will provide
students with an introduction to traditional literature, an introduction to a
theoretical approach to the analysis of texts, and a bridge between traditional
literature and contemporary fiction written for children.
Works Consulted
Bettelheim, Bruno. The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales. New York:
Vintage, 1976.
De Vos, Gail and Anna E.
Altmann. New Tales for Old: Folktales as literary Fictions for Young
Adults. Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, 1999.
Yolen, Jane. “How Basic Is Shazam?” In Touch Magic: Fantasy, Faerie, and
Folklore in the Literature of Childhood.
Little Rock, Arkansas: August
House Publishers, 2000.
This bibliography represents a selection of texts to
be used to explore three of the mythic motifs used in Apuleius story of Cupid
and Psyche: the monster husband, the
violated taboo, and the impossible tasks.
Each section includes picture book versions of traditional tales, which
use the motif and a selection of contemporary children’s texts, which can be
gainfully read against an understanding of the motif. Each section is necessarily selective, and most texts could be
placed in any of three sections. I have
tried to select texts where the particular motif is obvious, but is also used
to reflect contemporary interests and values as we have discussed in this
course.
Just
a note: it was much easier to find
useful examples of monster husbands and impossible tasks in children’s
literature than of violated taboos. There were also many fewer children’s
versions of violated taboo folktales and fairytales. This seems to be reflective of the values of independence and
intellectual curiosity that are prevalent in children’s literature today. We do not want to punish our children for
much of anything, especially if they are gaining self knowledge and self esteem along the way, and we certainly do not
want to punish them for being curious and independent.
I.
The Basic Myth of Cupid and Psyche
Craft, M. Charlotte Cupid and Psyche. William Morrow and Company: 1996.
Orgel, Doris. Princess and the God. Orchard Books, 1996
II.
Monster Husband
Traditional
Tales
Beauty and the Beast. Retold by
Marianne Mayer. Seastar, 2000.
Dragon Prince: A
Chinese Beauty and the Beast Tale. Retold by Laurence Yep.
HarperCollins,1999.
Beauty and the Beast. Retold by
Jan Brett. Clarion Books, 1989.
Beauty and the Beast. Retold by
Nancy Willard.
A Frog Prince. Retold by
Alix Berenzy. Henry Holt, 1991,
Hearne, Betsy, ed. Beauties and Beasts. Oryx, 1993.
Contemporary
Texts to Read Against the Motif of the Monster Husband
Avi. Tom, Babette and Simon: Three Tales of Transformation. Macmillan, 1995.
Three stories about characters who experience both outward and inward transformations.
Block,
Francesca Lia. The Rose and the
Beast: Fairy Tales Retold. Harper Collins, 2000.
Rewritten fairytales including Beauty and the Beast
and Bluebeard focus on all that is dark, ironic, and weird in American
adolescent life at the beginning of the 21st century.
McKinley,
Robin. Beauty: A Retelling. Scott Forseman, 1985.
A contemporary retelling of the classic story which emphasizes Beauty’s intelligence, love of learning and equestrian skill.
McKinley,
Robin. Stone Fey. Harcourt, 1998.
Maddy, a young girl whose job is to mind sheep in the mountains of Damar, is seduced by a fey she encounters while searching for a lost sheep.
Napoli,
Donna Jo. Beast. Dutton, 2000.
An interesting retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story from the point of view of the Beast, who in this story is a Persian prince enchanted by a fairy.
Napoli,
Donna Jo. Jimmy the Pickpocket of
the Pond. Dutton, 1995.
This sequel to Prince of the Pond tells the story of one of the frog children who is turned into a boy in yet another take on beast transformation.
Napoli,
Donna Jo. Prince of the Pond: Otherwise Known as the Fawg Pin. Dutton, 1992.
The prince who is transformed into a frog in this version of the story adjusts to his new life in the pond, marries, starts a family, and lives happily ever after.
Paterson,
Katherine. The King’s Equal. Harper Trophy, 1999.
Prince Raphael, who behaves like a beast most of the time, must learn to be the equal of the beautiful and intelligent princess he needs to marry to be able to ascend the throne.
Scieska,
Jon. Frog Prince, Continued. Puffin, 1994.
A parody of the traditional story that comments on the ironies of happily ever after in real relationships.
Steig,
William. Shrek! Sunburst, 1993.
Shrek, the ugliest ogre, sets out on a journey to win the hand of a princess even uglier than him.
Watts,
Leslie Elizabeth. Princess
Stinky-Toes and the Brave Frog Robert.
HarperCollins, 1997.
This parody of the frog prince includes all the classic fairytale motifs but gives a contemporary and humorous twist to each one.
Willey,
Margaret. Clever Beatrice. Atheneum, 2001.
A poor young girl who must save her family from starving, Beatrice goes off to live with the local giant and gambles with him to win a bag of gold for her mother.
III.
Violated Taboo
Traditional
Tales
Daughter of Earth: A Roman Myth. Retold by
Gerald McDermott. Delacorte Press,
1984.
Pandora’s Box. Retold by
Lisl Weill. Atheneum, 1986.
Persephone: Bringer of Spring. Retold by
Sarah Tomaino. Thomas Crowell, 1971.
Pomegranate Seeds: A Classic Greek Myth . Retold by Laura Geringer. Houghton Mifflin, 1995.
Talking
Eggs. Retold by Robert San Souci.
Dutton, 1989.
Contemporary
Texts to Read Against the Motif of the Violated Taboo
Babbit,
Natalie. Tuck Everlasting. Sunburst, 1988.
Winnie happens upon the fountain of youth which is protected by the Tuck Family. She struggles throughout the book with whether or not to drink from the fountain and accept the gift of eternal life.
Barron,
T.A. Seven Songs of Merlin. Ace Books, 2000.
Merlin misuses his magical powers, which he is supposed to employ to heal the lands of Fincayra, to bring his mother to the island. She is immediately cursed with a death shadow, and Merlin must journey to the Underworld to save her.
Lester, Julius. When the Beginning Began: Stories about God, the Creatures and Us. Harcourt Brace, 1997.
Lester’s retelling of the Genesis stories based his own readings of the Hebrew tests. Of particular interest is his interpretation of the violation of the taboo of eating the apple as a failure to take responsibility.
Rowling,
J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s
Stone. Scholastic, 1998.
While most motifs from most myths appear somewhere in the Harry Potter series, the motif of the violated taboo can be found in the first book in several places. Harry and company violate Hogwarts’ rules by being out of bed and then must serve detention in the Forbidden Forest. Also, the use of the Sorcerer’s Stone to brew the elixir of eternal life is a taboo with major consequences for all.
Sendak,
Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are.
Harper, 1968.
Max’s bad behavior sends him to his room, which in turn takes him off to the land of the wild things where he learns to be civilized (if only be getting his wiggles out).
IV.
Impossible Tasks
Traditional
Tales
Rumplestiltskin. Retold
by Paul Zelinsky. Dutton Books, 1986.
Molly Whupple. Retold by
Walter de La Mare. Farrar Strauss and
Giroux, 1983.
One Eye, Two Eyes, Three
Eyes. Retold by Eric Kimmel.
Holiday House, 1990.
Contemporary
Texts to Read Against the Motif of the Impossible Tasks
Alexander,
Lloyd. The Remarkable Journey of
Prince Jen. Yearling Books, 1993.
Prince Jen journeys to a neighboring kingdom to learn the secrets of governing. He and his faithful servant start out bearing six gifts but lose them all in a series of adventures along the way.
Barron,
T.A. Ancient One. Tor Books,
1994.
Kate travels back five hundred years to search for a stolen power crystal in order to save an ancient redwood tree from evil loggers.
Barron,
T.A. Lost Years of Merlin. Berklely, 1999.
To learn who he is, the young boy Emrys must find all the lost treasures on the island of Fincarya.
Jacques,
Brian. Pearls of Lutra. Putnam, 1997.
The inhabitants of Redwall, led by Tansy the hedgehog are on a mission to solve six very difficult riddles so that six stolen rose colored pearls of unrivaled beauty can be retrieved. All of the Redwall novels include series of impossible tasks that the inhabitants of Redwall must complete to hold the forces of evil at bay.
L’Engle, Madeleine. Wrinkle in Time. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1990.
Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin must journey through the universe behind the shadow of an evil power to find Meg and Charles’ missing father, Mr. Murry. In fact, almost all the Cupid and Psyche motifs appear in this book and would make an interesting analysis for future students in this course.
Levine,
Gail. Two Princesses of Bamarre.
Harpercollins, 2001.
Addie, the younger and less accomplished princess, must journey to find the cure for the Grey Death and save the life of her older sister.
Napoli,
Donna Jo. Spinners. Dutton, 1999.
A retelling of the story of Rumplestiltskin from the point of view of Rumplestiltskin.
Rowling,
J.K. Harry Potter and the Goblet of
Fire. Scholastic, 2000.
As usual, Harry and company are faced with a series of impossible tasks, this time in competition for the Goblet of Fire. Any of the Harry Potter books can be examined through the motif of impossible tasks, and once the series is completed this will probably make an interesting way to read the entire work.
Steig,
William. Brave Irene. Farrar Straus and Giroux, 1986.
“Plucky” Irene overcomes many obstacles to get a new ball gown in the palace on time during a blizzard.
Vande
Velde, Vivian. Rumpeltiltskin
Problem. Houghton Mifflin, 2000.