1. What is the meaning of Once upon a time ?

-A marker that the story is now happening in the here and now.
-Gives us the safety of knowing that this isnt real, and thus we feel safer to explore it and
confront it.
-Its a safe space for all of us, especially children.
-Ultimately get us to talk about things, come to an understanding, gives us ability to continue
working through things without debilitating, paralyzing fear.
-Power of reading, the immersive world of reading.
2. How/ why did Maria Tatar become fascinated by fairytales as a child?
-Recalls the bore/burden of weekly sermons found excitement, wonder in fairytales
-Read Brothers Grimm with her sister; loved the images in the book; found wonder in them
3. According to this interview with Maria Tatar, what was the most important motivation
for the Brothers Grimms to collect fairytales? Do we learn anything new about the
Brothers Grimm in this interview?
-Interesting anecdote from one of Grimms sons home life was very silent
-Grimms quite cosmopolitan; recognized their need to capture these popular stories before they
disappeared
-Grimms had not planned for these stories to be told to children, but they were thrilled by it
nonetheless.
4. How do fairytales help us work with fear and hope?
-No matter how much horror, the hero/heroine survives and finds a way out.
-Ugly duckling, transformation ultimate form of hope.
-Hyper-dysfunctional family is a fundamental element of fairy tales.
5. What does Tatar say about different and also new versions of fairytales?
-Highlights the importance of new versions; important to give new twists on original stories.
-Almost every narrative refers to fairy tales or a fairy tale motif.
-Fairytales belong to the childhood of our culture.
-Something primal about fairy tales.
-Comparison to The Kardashians:
-Comparison to Sex and the City:
-Comparison to Harry Potter:
6. Why do we need the brutality and absurdness of fairytales? Why is terror in fairytales
considered transformative?
-Violence in fairytales is surreal, makes no sense, so extreme that it seems it cant be real BUT
it gets us talking and trying to figure out how to make sense of the story
-Takes stories back to the fireside when humans exchanged information, passed along wisdom.
-Wisdom encapsulated in the tales.
-Weve made the mistake of trying to pin one particular moral to each story (i.e. Charles
Perrault).

-Pathology, violence physiologically lights something up in our brain allows us to learn things
about ourselves and how our minds work.
-Beauty of the stories is that they dont have a single message or moral. Thus, gives us an
opportunity to draw out our own.
-Gives us opportunity to talk about controversial topics of society they can be productive in
helping us to develop a moral compass.
-Transformative elements in terror: We must face our contemporary demons, both within and
without, which stories help us to do. Stories provide a platform for us to do this.
-The show Grimm is a contemporary, crime show.
7. Why are these motifs relevant to adults?
-There is an inflection point in society w/ internet; offers more access, but no one knows how to
monetize it (i.e. institutions of the arts- publishing, media, film)
-Thus, move to go back and reinvent ourselves to go back to the old.
-Comfort in the old helping us to navigate the future.
-We bring stories from our childhoods into our adulthoods; a souvenir from these fairy tales.
8. How is the contact zone bedtime story described? Why/how is this an opportunity for
children as well as parents?
-The contact zone is more complex than we think.
-Nostalgic element for adults, education and psychological bonding between kids and parents.
-Kids being educated, learning and understanding how to be adults.
-Formative experience for children.
-Beautiful experience to share together.
-Often doesnt put children to sleep, but wakes them up.
9. How is happily ever after discussed? What does this mean for small children? For
adults?
-For small kids great way to end the story, feeds this human need for hope.
-Utopian moment of story is not wrong, especially during a time when there are many things
wrong in the world.
-Helps to combat negativity, fear, lack of hope. Tells that life is worth going on.
-If were courageous, use our wits, do the right thing it will turn out all right.
-For kids can be a conversational moment of story telling; doesnt have to end upon happily
ever after.
**Interesting Comparisons:
-The Kardashians
-Speaks of a scene of envy in which the sisters are wearing bikinis and Kris, the
mother, reveals some jealousy of the days when she was younger.
Sex And The City Fairytale allusions:
-Carrie loses her shoe

-Referral to Happily ever after

Hunger Games: