Contrast
Perspective of Hansel and Gretel by Grimm 1812 version
Story:
A poor woodcutter
lived on an edge of a large forest. He didn't have a bite to eat and
barely provided the daily bread for his wife and two children.
Comment:
Woodcutter was poor
and lived by a large forest, but could not provide bread.
It seems the
woodcutter could not live off the land(the forest) by cutting and
selling wood. Woodcutter vs Forest.
Forest
symbolizes an environment, world or city, that individual struggles
with his skill(what he is good at and makes living), the forest is
symbol of food source, plenty, also a death zone for Hansel and
Gretel, dangerous, lost, a place where their parents abandon them,
kids are on their own , if they run out of their pebbles which
symbolizes kids' wits, or they stupid using their bread crumbs then
they are in trouble.
the woodcutter, the
man, the husband, the Father symbolizes the provider role for
his family.
The Mother
supposes to play the loving, caring role, but she is the character
decides and forces her husband to push her children out into the
forest.
The Witch,
the ancient woman who lives deep in the forest, somehow the
woodcutter never knows her cake roof sugar window bread house, and
she holds 2 kids hands led them into her house also contrasts the
mother, that bread house contrasts with the woodcutter's home
(hunger, cold and fear, struggling home in a real world) but in the
bread house 2 kids sleep full tummies in beautiful beds for the night
like in heaven, and second morning the Witch also symbolizes evil and
danger of the forest about to devour them, the dark side of the
world, cannibalism[1]. And that world imprisons the kids
till they are consumed, not like their home kicks them out when the
pots are empty. Poor kids, Hansel and Gretel being so young and
fragile have to struggle to find their home and cry bloody tear, wish
they are eaten by the wild animals in the forest, not being tortured
and frightened in that bread house.
Story:
Then the old
woman called, "Gretel, come here right now to the oven."
And when Gretel
came, she said, "Look inside and see if the bread is nicely
brown and done, for my eyes are weak, and I can't see that far. If
you can't see that far either, then sit on the board, and I'll push
you inside, then you can walk around inside and take a look."
But once Gretel
was inside, the witch intended to close the door, and bake her in the
hot oven, and eat her as well. That is what the wicked witch was
thinking, and that is why she called Gretel.
However, God let
Gretel know this, so she said, "I don't know how to do that.
First show me. You sit on the board, and I will push you inside."
So the old woman
sat on the board, and since she was light, Gretel pushed her all the
way inside, then quickly closed the door and secured it with an iron
bar.
Comment:
Hansel and Gretel
are 2 kids sometimes witty and playful like cats, innocent and
vulnerable like dove, they usually never last long in the forest, for
them to survive and come back home with pocketful of jewels and
pearls is truly a miracle and satisfying ending, but they have to do
everything on the verge to save themselves many times, their sudden wits or
stupid courage, or the wickedness they exposed to that they have
learned, or luck, that they must play the strong role, not victims, to kill
that witch, to survive that world.
Note:
[1]cannibalism: that man is considered as labor unit or other resource material, not as human being suppose to have basic living standard and rights. besides EU, there are about 15 million American children truly understand Hansel and Gretel folktale, and there are many children in our highly competitive global economy world see Hansel and Gretel is their story, thanks to Grimm brothers, and when I get on the NY Subway I wouldn't dare to look at passengers faces, they live and work in a jungle daily worry their work and life, they are the Hansel and Gretel toasted by the witch, they died in that oven long ago, they never grow up as adults, they fear, fear and constantly search for a solution to survive in this large forest. Exp:
Left-behind children: Link According to the 6th Population Census in 2010, there are approximately 61 million of Left-behind children in China, that is 21.88% of children in China. The 60% of left-behind children do not know the occupation of parent.The 30% of them can only meet parent once or twice a year, while 15% of them cannot meet parent once a year. Nearly 25%, which is 1.5 billion of children receive contacts from their parent less than 4 times a year.
Street Children: Link
US Statistics on Poverty [Google Search Result] 43.1 million people (13.5 percent) were in poverty, including 14.5 million (20 percent) children under the age of 18. 42.2 million Americans lived in food-insecure households, including more than 13 million children.
Child-Selling:
Child Labor: Link
Migrant worker: Link
Note:
[1]cannibalism: that man is considered as labor unit or other resource material, not as human being suppose to have basic living standard and rights. besides EU, there are about 15 million American children truly understand Hansel and Gretel folktale, and there are many children in our highly competitive global economy world see Hansel and Gretel is their story, thanks to Grimm brothers, and when I get on the NY Subway I wouldn't dare to look at passengers faces, they live and work in a jungle daily worry their work and life, they are the Hansel and Gretel toasted by the witch, they died in that oven long ago, they never grow up as adults, they fear, fear and constantly search for a solution to survive in this large forest. Exp:
Left-behind children: Link According to the 6th Population Census in 2010, there are approximately 61 million of Left-behind children in China, that is 21.88% of children in China. The 60% of left-behind children do not know the occupation of parent.The 30% of them can only meet parent once or twice a year, while 15% of them cannot meet parent once a year. Nearly 25%, which is 1.5 billion of children receive contacts from their parent less than 4 times a year.
Street Children: Link
US Statistics on Poverty [Google Search Result] 43.1 million people (13.5 percent) were in poverty, including 14.5 million (20 percent) children under the age of 18. 42.2 million Americans lived in food-insecure households, including more than 13 million children.
Child-Selling:
Child Labor: Link
Migrant worker: Link
