German 270: From the Grimms to Disney.

Professor S. Cocalis

Spring 2009

Study Guidelines for the Final Examination

Final Examination:     Tuesday, May 19. 10.30 am. Bartlett 65.

Make-up date:             Sunday, May 17. 1-3 pm. Herter 229.

All make-up assignments for the last segment are due on May 13 by 5 pm in box outside Herter 525.

The final examination will count 100 points of your cumulative grade. The format of the test will be similar to the first test, consisting of a multiple-choice, fill-in, and match author-title part (40 points: 40 questions @ 1 point apiece) and a short-essay part (6 essays @ 10 points apiece). You will have a choice on the short-essay questions. Please answer them as thoroughly as possible. Long is better than too short.

The final examination will refer to the basic information concerning Perrault, the Grimms, and Disney that was covered during the semester, but the focus will be placed on the material covered in class since April 3.

The new material covered will include:

Hans Christian Andersen:

• general biographical information (Zipes article, class, articles on autobiographical elements in “Little Sea Maid,” century/country, values)
• “The Little Sea Maid”: elements of the story, moral of the story
• other tales by HCA

Disney’s Little Mermaid:

• how it differs from Andersen’s tale
• Ashman & Menken’s role
• themes it stresses
• how it fits into/breaks with the pattern of Disney’s other classic fairy tales
• gender issues related to the LM
• Sells’ interpretation of LM

de Beaumont’s original story “Beauty & the Beast”:

• when/where was it written
• what tradition of fairy tales
• basic details
• characterization of B & B

Disney’s Beauty & Beast:

• changes to original
• how that changes meaning of story
• issues of gender relevant to B & B (Jeffords, MMM clip)

Disney’s Cinderella:

• compared to Perrault’s and the Grimms’ versions
• what is different about this film in terms of Disney’s usual changes to European originals
• Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Brandy & Whitney Houston)

Grimms’ “Iron Hans”:

• original story
• context of the Grimms

Robert Bly’s Iron John:

• Bly’s introduction
• his version of the tale
• changes/meaning
• context of the 1990s
• Zipes on Bly’s Iron John
• the Men’s Movement of the 1990s

The Disney Corporation: material covered in class and previously in critical essays

Mickey Mouse Monopoly: (on line: /courses/germ270/materials/films)

• section on gender
• section on race
• section on Disney Corporation

Essays by:

• Sells
• Jeffords
• Giroux
• Rowe
• Zipes
• Cartwright & Goldfarb
• Miller & Rode

“The Squirrel”: when and where did it appear in class?????

“Bambi Meets Godzilla”: ???????????