Monday, February 10, 2014

The Sociopsychological Analysis of Folktales by J.L. Fischer

In J.L. Fischer essay “The Sociopsychological Analysis of Folktales" he talks about the social and psychological factor of folktales. The major analysis in the article deals with the introduction, situations of innovation in folktale, symbolism, and the structure of the tale. In certain society some people consider folktales as an important myth while others listen to it as entertainment. Folktales are considered as a major division of “expressive culture". Folktales include drama, rituals, music, graphic and plastic art, and dance. But when folktales are considered as a major division of "political culture" it includes technology, economy, politics, and social structure. It is really interesting how stories are only told according to the social situation. For a folktale to be categorize as a folktale "a narrative must be dramatic in the sense that it states some sort of conflicts which is eventually solved"(pg.237) which is true because in every folktale there is a problem that will be solved. Folktales teaches a lesson and also gives advice on how handle problems. Symbolism is also shown is folktales. ''Symbolism in folktales concerns the symbolism of the scenes or image presented"(pg.243). Any folktales are symbolic “as an instance of languages.” The idea of symbolism in folktales are arrogantly protected and also violently attacked. Folktales were part of an oral tradition that kids heard while growing up.
''For most human history,'literature,'both fiction and poetry, has been narrate, not written- heard,not read. So fairy tales, folktales, stories from the oral tradition, are all of them the most vital connection we have with the imaginations of the ordinary men and women whose labor created our world." This quote related to the article because it  is true that most literature or book has been first narrated than written, just like folktales. Folktales were narrated by the situation around them but it was also narrated by an imagination in how we see the world.

No comments:

Post a Comment