Rapunzel Sources for your Essay

Rapunzel the Grimm Brothers\' Fairy


As will be seen, however, the unexpected arrival of the prince causes her to swing too far the other way, which in turn precipitates an even greater swing back, towards thanatos (only to finally be reconciled with the arrival of Rapunzel's twin children). As Manuel Aguirre remarks, "the motif of the maiden locked up in a tower to prevent her having sexual contact is familiar from both folktale (Rapunzel) and myth (Danae)," so care must be taken to uncover what, in particular, this story of a maiden in a tower is saying about that maiden and her relation to the world (Aguirre 42)

Rapunzel the Grimm Brothers\' Fairy


The prince is immediately associated with eros when he first notices Rapunzel, because he is attracted by "a song, which was so charming that he stood still and listened" (Grimm & Grimm 1857). As Asha notes in his essay "History, mystery and chemistry of eroticism: Emphasis on sexual health and dysfunction," eros "does not necessarily denote somatic, sensual pleasures, but love, affection, friendship and other related non-sexual expressions" (Asha 142)

Rapunzel the Grimm Brothers\' Fairy


In turn, this will reveal what Christine Jones calls the portrayal of "emotional response in the fairy tale," meaning how the tale uses its own peculiar logic to express something about the human psyche (Jones 13). The story begins in the home of Rapunzel's parents, which overlooks "a splendid garden […] full of the most beautiful flowers and herbs," and these two locations serve as the setting for the first segment of the story (Grimm & Grimm 1857)

Rapunzel the Grimm Brothers\' Fairy


Before examining the characters of the prince and the enchantress in more detail, it will be useful to examine how the story is divided up by location, because this will give a clue to the functioning of the characters within these locations as well as demonstrate the transition which occurs over the course of the story. In turn, this will reveal what Christine Jones calls the portrayal of "emotional response in the fairy tale," meaning how the tale uses its own peculiar logic to express something about the human psyche (Jones 13)

Rapunzel the Grimm Brothers\' Fairy


" In turn, the enchantress squirrels her away to desert and then remains to confront the prince. This may further be explained by what some post-Freudian theorists have called "the process of 'binding'," by which they mean that "binding is the central task of Thanatos" because it represents the reductive drive to bind and fix meaning and attention over the course of development (Kristiansen & Opdal 495)

Rapunzel the Grimm Brothers\' Fairy


Thus, the changes in location denote the three distinct phases of Rapunzel's transition from newborn child to mother, a transition that is made possible through the reconciliation of the oppositional drives of eros and thanatos as represented by the prince and enchantress. It is important to note that this claim is supported by the structure and function of the story itself, because too often discussions "of Eros and Thanatos veer toward pop psychology," so the remaining analysis will focus on pointing out evidence for this interpretation within the text (Lang 129)

Rapunzel the Grimm Brothers\' Fairy


Just as Rapunzel's unnatural birth at the beginning of the story represented a rupture in the normal functioning of life and death, precipitating the confrontation between eros and thanatos in the form of the prince and enchantress, so too does the natural birth of the children represent a reconciliation between the two opposing forces. As Geraldine Perriam notes in her study of fairy tales, "within the fairy tale, it is possible to be subversive, controversial, and challenging, provided the ending can be regarded […] as happily resolved for at least some of the central characters, most usually the hero and heroine of the story" (Perriam 41)

Barbie as Rapunzel

Year : 2002

Rapunzel

Year : 2009

The Story of 'Rapunzel'

Year : 1951

Rapunzel

Year : 2010

Rapunzel or the Magic of Tears

Year : 1988

Rapunzel: The Blonde Years

Year : 2008

Rapunzel Nabunzel

Year : 2010

Rapunzel, Rapunzel

Year : 1979

Rapunzel

Year : 1897

Rapunzel Jackson

Year : 2014