It is important to understand that the Grimm’s fairytales have been translated into over 100 different languages. Along with authors purposely changing the content some elements can simply get lost in translation. For the purpose of this project, we will be focusing on the Americanization of the tales.
Throughout the 20th century many Hollywood based authors reworked these stories for mass media and popular consumption. In order to make these tales more popular, American authors modified their messages making them more cheerful and romantic. One example of an altered story is Little Red Riding Hood. In the original version a mother sends her daughter into the woods to deliver food to her grandma. A wolf ends up tricking the young child and eating her grandma. In some popular American versions, the wolf locks the grandma in the bathroom rather than eating her. The story of Cinderella has also changed. In the original story, various characters go to great lengths to get the glass slipper to fit their feet. Some of the sisters even cut off parts of their feet. Yet, in popular American versions authors emphasize the romantic parts of the story such as glamorous balls and the theme that love can overcome all hurdles.
The changing of these stories is undoubtedly controversial. On one side it can be argued that the original stories should never be modified, and the Wilhelm brothers put great thought into the content and message they wanted to portray. On the other hand, should there be gore and what may appear as disturbing occurrences in stories that many children read in the home and at school. There is no right or wrong answer to this conundrum. Do you think these tales should be changed or should they only be told in original form?
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