Fairy Tales: The creepy stories that have shaped literature

“It's not the prince at all, but my father drunkeningly bends over my bed, circling the abyss like a shark, my father thick upon me like some sleeping jellyfish. What voyage is this, little girl?” Can anyone guess what that is? When you first hear it, the tone is dark. That is true but it is also a fairy tale. Wait what you say? You heard me correctly. This is the story of Briar Rose and how her father sexually abused her. It doesn’t seem like a happy story but that is because it’s not. That is only what the story has come to mean to us today. As writers, we have gained information from folk lore and fairy tales to help us with our own stories. These iconic tales of princesses being rescued by handsome princes and all of their dreams coming true were burned into our minds ever since we were born. As children we loved to watch Disney movies and see how they all ended with happily ever after. We never looked deeper and saw the true colors of the stories. There is death, betrayal, and poison hiding in those pages. These morbid tales have helped literature to become what it is today.

            Does everyone here know the tale of Snow White? First off, she is a princess. She frolics in the forest and sings with animals, but not everybody feels the same way about her. Her stepmother, more commonly known as the Evil Queen, was jealous of her beauty so what does she do? She sends a huntsman to stab her and rip out her heart so that she can be the fairest of them all. This story is considered a children’s tale and yet it has this thematic element. We don’t focus on this because the first thing we think is that the Queen is evil but yet that is no excuse for murdering and innocent child because a mirror tells you that she is more beautiful. Also, the Queen goes a step further and poisons the child when the huntsman comes back without Snow White’s heart. This is one of the most morbid stories I have ever heard but as times go on, authors begin to shift the story so that it is a happy tale.

            Today media and authors have made adaptations to these classic tales. In other words, they have modernized them. For example, there is a popular show on ABC called Once Upon A Time. The plotline of the TV show is the lives of the fairy tale characters in modern times. This show collected much information from various fairy tales to make the project a reality. Another modern take on the stories is the Land Of Stories series written by Chris Colfer. This series gives a whole new meaning to fairy tales. All of your favorites are there but they have completely different stories. Take Goldilocks for example. In the fairy tale she is an innocent little girl walking into a cottage of bears by accident while in the modern take, she is a bandit running from the law for all of the crimes that she has committed. While the characters in these two stories are the same, they could not be more different.

            The authors who wrote these classic stories used famous characters and morals to create the stories that we know and love today. Although these tales were originally dark and mysterious, as time has gone on, they have become tales of adventure, true love, and most surprisingly happiness. They were molded by writers through the ages to make them more appealing to each new generation. These once ominous fables are now what many authors look to for guidance when writing stories. They have produced many great stories that wouldn’t have been possible without them. Although these tales have started as simple and eerie, they have evolved into so much more as time has gone on. They created a base for literature and we use all aspects of them in our own stories today.

Works Cited Page

“Briar Rose” By Anne Sexton

http://www.poemhunter.com/best-poems/anne-sexton/briar-rose-sleeping-beauty/

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell By Chris Colfer

http://www.thelandofstories.com/

“Once Upon a Time” Created by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz

http://abc.go.com/shows/once-upon-a-time

Thornton Wilder Reviews, Part 2

The Skin of Our Teeth Review

            In the history of the world, humanity has endured many disasters, natural and manmade, but we always find a way to pull through and get back on our feet. In the play The Skin of Our Teeth, by Thornton Wilder, we experience the struggles of the Antrobus Family as they deal with life threatening situations and the simple disasters of family. Wilder’s use of this theme as well as unexpected plot choices makes The Skin of Our Teeth a play that you can’t take your eyes off of.

            The first act is set in Excelsior, New Jersey during the ice age. Wilder’s choice to take a true time in history and bring it back in the future so that people of our time could experience it was brilliant. The creative quality of the idea was truly fantastic. The maid who works for the Antrobus’ is named Sabina. She opens the act by worrying about if Mr. Antrobus will come home or if he has died out in the freezing cold. Sabina says, “The fact is I don’t know what’ll become of us. Here it is the middle of August and the coldest day of the year” (Wilder 71). The family is faced with a deadly fate and is struggling to get through it, but it’s not just the ice age that is bothering this family. Mrs. Antrobus and Sabina have a strong tension from the start. Sabina says, “But it was I who encouraged Mr. Antrobus to make the alphabet. I’m sorry to say it, Mrs. Antrobus, but you’re not a beautiful woman, and you can never know what a man could do if he tried” (75). This statement shows the tension between these two but also touches on another notion. Sabina speaks of the alphabet and Mr. Antrobus inventing things. This part of the play symbolizes moving forward in life and making advancements. I liked this because it shows that even through the toughest of times, people will always find a way to look on the bright side. Two other characters I enjoyed was the two children, Henry and Gladys. Mrs. Antrobus says, “Henry! HENRY. Put down that stone...Gladys! Put down you dress!” (79). Henry and Gladys are very rambunctious in the first act and they remind me of how hard children, including myself, are to deal with. Even though the odds are stacked against them, the Antrobus family does make it through the ice age but there is still another disaster awaiting them.

            The second act takes place on a boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Mr. Antrobus has just been elected president and they are at a convention for the Ancient and Honorable Order of Mammals, Subdivision Humans. Mr. and Mrs. Antrobus both give speeches and their own watchwords for the new year to come. Mr. Antrobus says, “The watchword of the closing year was: Work. I give you the watchword for the future: Enjoy Yourselves” (96). Mrs. Antrobus has a bit of a different view by saying, “My husband says that the watchword for the year is Enjoy Yourselves. I think that’s very open to misunderstanding. My watchword for the year is: Save the Family. It’s held together for over five thousand years: Save it!” (97-98). I enjoyed this because both of them have somewhat conflicting views which made me want to know more about their relationship. The tension between the two was definitely increased by this. A new character that is introduced in this act is the Fortune Teller. She plays a big role in this section of the plot. She says, “Everybody’s future is in their face. Nothing easier. But who can tell your past, --eh? Nobody!” (100). My interpretation of this statement is that everything from your past is over and can’t be changed but your future can be full of possibilities. I also believe that Wilder is trying to tell us that you must take into account what has happened in the past to make your future brighter. This connects to the theme of dealing with the problems you are faced with and then doing it all over again when more come. Looking back to Sabina, she has just won a beauty pageant that Mr. Antrobus was the judge for. Her goal in this pageant: to take him away from his wife. Sabina herself can achieve this easily, but the actress who plays her does not wish to do so. Sabina says, “Ladies and gentlemen. I’m not going to play this particular scene tonight. It’s just a short scene and we’re going to skip it” (108). In many parts of the play, Wilder chooses to make the characters come out of the action and act in their own person. I liked this choice because it let the actors directly interact with the audience. In this particular situation, I believe that Sabina’s statement shows how things can be difficult to do but that doesn’t mean that they can be ignored. The actress doesn’t want to play the scene but that would mean that the entire production would suffer. They do skip the scene and move onto the next where we learn that there is a storm warning that foretells the end of the world. A huge flood is coming but Mrs. Antrobus cannot seem to find mischievous Henry. When he is finally found, the family hops on a ship that also carries two of a kind of each animal, just as Noah’s Ark did. This allusion helped me to understand why the convention was held and the seriousness of the flood. Sabina, pleading for forgiveness, is also let on with the family. The act ends with the family making it out alive and arriving at a new world they must build up to be their own.

            The third act takes place during a time of war. This play was written during World War II so this setting for the third act makes sense. The act opens with Sabina entering in a uniform yelling to inform the Antrobus’ that the war is over. Soon thereafter, the stage manager, an actual character in the play named Mr. Fitzpatrick, comes on to inform the audience that many of the actors for the final scene have taken ill and that there must be a short rehearsal. I believe this signifies having to make quick changes at short notice because sometimes when faced with a demanding situation, you must act quickly to find your way out. Once the conflict has been resolved, we are led back to the Antrobus home. Mrs. Antrobus and Gladys emerge, Gladys with a baby in hand. Sabina says, “Goodness! Are there any babies left in the world! Can it see? And can it cry and everything?” as Gladys responds with, “Yes, he can. He notices everything very well” (124). I really enjoyed this part because I feel that it suggests the thought of being born into the world and learning more as you grow up. Sabina, referring to Mrs. Antrobus, says, “You’re going to study history and algebra…and philosophy” (126). This notion touches upon the fact that we are all learning each day to try to improve or world. Another part of this act deals with the fact that Henry was opposite Mr. Antrobus during the war. This family tension creates a huge plot twist in the story which I loved. Throughout the acts, we see that Henry is a dynamic character. He is one of my favorites because I see a bit of myself in Henry seeing as he is a child who is still trying to figure out where he belongs. As we come to the end of the act, what I feel is one of Wilder’s best choices emerges. Sabina comes in back in her maid’s outfit from act one and reopens the play with the same monologue as the beginning. She informs us that Wilder has yet to finish writing it. I really enjoyed this part because it left it very open ended and tied into a reoccurring theme in the play that the past is set in stone but in the future, nobody can know what will happen.

            In conclusion, The Skin of Our Teeth is one of the best plays I have ever read. I really enjoyed how Wilder took you halfway between reality and fiction. All of the characters were very well developed and their interactions with each other enhance the world of the play. The theme of constant and cyclic struggle is something that everyone can relate to which makes it a good read for all. The Skin of Our Teeth is a play that makes you think about the struggles that plague the world but as shown in the play, we will all endure and keep moving forward.

Thornton Wilder Reviews, Part 1

Our Town Review

            Our Town by Thornton Wilder is a play that comments on life and its importance. As I first began to read it, I thought that it was a bit boring and was really just going through a day in the life of these people. Going a bit further in the text, I began to realize the real meaning of it and its purpose as a piece of writing. Many of its aspects, including its set and plot, helped to create the perfect tone for the story that was to come.

            Act I has to do with the life and times of the people living in the community of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire. The Stage Manager who gives some backstory of the various people in the town explains it at the start. We meet two families, the Gibbs’s and the Webb’s, who respectively have two children: George and Rebecca as well as Emily and Wally. As the children are sent off to school, the two mothers enjoy gossiping and talking of their dreams to see the world. There are also many brief appearances by characters such as Professor Willard and Mr. Webb describing the town. The Stage Manager also explains a bit more after being asked questions by various characters strategically placed in the audience. We then travel into the relationship between George and Emily as they talk to each other and become closer. Both of their stories of growing up are emphasized by their conversations with their parents. As we begin Act II, we learn that George and Emily, three years later, have fallen in love and are going to be married. There is an encounter between George and Mr. Webb where they discuss marriage and the responsibilities that come with it. We then travel back in time to see an encounter between Emily and George where their feelings were made clear to each other. We then travel back to the wedding as they both get extremely nervous and their parents calm them down. The two end up going through with the marriage and they are both content. Act III begins with Emily’s funeral as she has just died in childbirth. Some of the people who have already died, including Mrs. Gibbs, welcome her into death. Most of the people who have died are quite indifferent to the goings on of earth while Emily is very inclined to travel back and revisit her life. After being advised not to, she still asks the Stage Manager to have her travel back to her twelfth birthday. As she observes it, she realizes nobody is noticing anything and she believes that everything is going too fast. She begins to appreciate the life she had and feels sorry that the people that were living it don’t feel the same way. Once she has traveled back to the cemetery, George who is devastated by her death visits her. Emily sees now that the living don’t understand the importance of life and that to be fully content, you must truly live it instead of just being in it. The play ends with the stars coming out and everyone in Grover’s Corners going to sleep.

            This play truly captures the essence of life and all that it inhabits. The main themes that are presented in the text are life, love, and death.  These themes are conveyed in this quote in the text: “This is the way we were: in our growing up and in our marrying and in our living and in our dying” (Wilder 32). These three themes are some of the most common ones among writing. I really liked how Wilder was able to compact them all into one piece of work to create something unique. If any of the acts inside the play had stood on their own, I don’t think they would have been as powerful. Act I really portrays community. I liked how realistic it was. There were definitely times where I saw myself as the children, sleeping late and not wanting to get up for school. From the gossiping mothers to the growing up of George and Emily, there is something all of us can relate to. Act II was mostly about love. Personally, I think this might have been my favorite act because the way Wilder goes from it being their wedding day to them being in high school telling each other about their feelings. Having this occur really helped me to view the entirety of their love for one another. Act III pertains to death, although I didn’t find it to be what I had imagined. I thought that the entire act would be gloomy and sad but to my surprise, it was more inspiring than anything else. Having there be some sort of afterlife I thought was really awesome. Seeing Emily’s reaction when she went back made me realize how much of our lives is just go do this and then that without really taking the time to enjoy anything. Like she said, “It goes so fast. We don’t have time to look at one another” (Wilder 100). This occurrence is horrible but it happens almost every day. It inspired me to enjoy and notice life while I still have it. Another theme that occurs in the play is time or the artificiality of theater. While most of the events that occur in the play could actually happen, there are many things that show that this piece of writing is indeed a play. One of these things is the Stage manager himself. He acts as a narrator in the story and directly interacts with the audience. He also affects time and can bring us wherever he wants. We could go into the past or flash forward to the future. This another factor that makes up this theme.

            I felt that the choices made pertaining to set and staging were really quite clever. Not having much of a set at all and minimal props really gives you more room to enjoy the actual content of the play. What I mean by this is that there are less distractions or mishaps that could occur while the play is being performed. Though without a set, this could be a potential problem for the staging, but I think that Wilder did a really nice job having the characters pantomime things in order for the message to get across. Such an instance where this occurs is when Howie Newsome would carry milk to each home. There really was no rack of milk cartons but he pretended to be carrying something and the sound of clinking bottles was heard. Even without a fancy set or props, the message and understanding of the play was not disturbed.

            In the writing, Thornton Wilder has an excellent cast of main characters such as the Stage Manager, George, and Emily, but also includes an array of minor character such as Professor Willard and Simon Stimson. In my personal opinion, I thought that the Stage Manager was one of the best characters. I liked how Wilder made him describe everything in detail and how he actually became some of the characters in the story himself. It was a really interesting use of his character. George and Emily’s character development was spectacular. We got to see what they were like as children and also as a married couple. It really helps the reader to truly understand them. The minor characters really help with the telling of the story. Such characters as Professor Willard are put in for further information about the town as well as for humor because he is speaking about topics nobody would really care about. Also, characters like Simon Stimson are more connected with the story and they help the reader understand more about the town and the main message of the entire work.

             Thornton Wilder, the playwright, was the son of a newspaper owner and a poet. Just based on this play which was one of his earliest, you can tell that Wilder is a fantastic writer. Being the son of a poet, this might have sparked some of his interest in writing and I believe that his father might have been a model for the character Mr. Webb for he owns a newspaper as well. The way Wilder forms his dialogue is really incredible because it makes me feel like I am right there in the room having a conversation with these characters. It fells that natural. Also, using the Stage Manager’s lines, he really paints a picture of the setting of the entire play. His writing style is really intimate and you can really relate to it and understand it. I is simple enough to understand but also unique enough to be one of a kind. Also, with his involvement in both of the world wars, it is very obvious why he would choose such a theme as life to be in one of his plays. Being in a war, you never know when you are safe so you have to live in the moment. That is what is touched upon at the end of the play when Emily realizes how precious life is. The way he writes, which is very conversational but also has a formal touch to it, is really terrific.

            Overall, I thought that Our Town was one of the best pieces of work I have ever read. I could really connect to it and it inspired me in writing as well as life itself. All of the content of the play was phenomenal and Thornton Wilder is now one of my role model as a young writer. The play was a huge success when it first came out and it’s not hard to see why. I encourage all people to read this play because it has something to teach everyone.

A Random Haiku Poem

shattered CD-
dad taps his fingers
to the lost beat

The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer

The Land of Stories is an amazing young adult series about fairy tales written by author, and Glee star, Chris Colfer. The three stories follow Connor and Bailey as they are sucked into their storybook and meet all of the fairy tale characters you know. Turns out, they might even have one in the family. The first book centers on them finding a way to get out of this new world and get back home. The second book is all about Sleeping Beauty and how the evil Enchantress has returned. The third book is about a massive war between the fairy tale world and he real one. Each story has something to offer that anyone who loves fable or myths will enjoy. Chris also has a teen book called Struck by Lightning. It centers on Carson who is a high school writer who can't wait to get out of his terrible small town and make it as a writer. Both books and series are spectacular and I encourage all to read them!

To learn more about The Land of Stories, go here: http://www.thelandofstories.com/

Inspiration for Xeno

While looking at the title of this post you might be wondering who the heck is Xeno? well, I am happy to answer that question. Xeno is the main character in a new science fiction story that I have just begun to create. Xeno is a newly created robot in a war ridden land that has a minor glitch: it has feelings and refuses to fight. Now, Xeno didn't just pop out of nowhere. Xeno's character was inspired by two pretty famous Disney robots: Baymax from Big Hero 6 and Eve from WALL-E. I used Baymax as inspiration by taking his lovable personality and making it my own. Eve comes in when I began to think of the actual look of Xeno. I did want it to have a sleek body just like Eve's and I wanted it to be the newest technology. In terms of the story, Xeno is a new type of robot that is supposed to have improved fighting skills and make a major change in the war. Unfortunately, this doesn't work out because they gave Xeno too much new technology and gave him the power of emotion. I haven't completely figured out how the story will play out but I am super excited to see where it goes. I promise that when it is finished, it will be available to see right on this very page! I hope you will enjoy it!

Thanksgiving Break: a Poem

The dinner table is like a blank piece of paper

until a 23ft pile of food is set.

The creak of the wooden table

wafting the scent of freshly cooked meat.

My stomach growling at me

making my fingernails dig into the table,

waiting for the so familiar taste of Mom’s pumpkin pie.

The plates in front of us tasted like chocolate,

while Julia Child in the kitchen, creating delicacies from France.

I guess the dinner table isn’t like a blank piece of paper at all.

There wasn’t a library nearby so we didn’t learn much.

But for real, we had nothing to do.

The vibrant rain of yesterday kept us trapped inside.

We were as energetic as sloths.

I would sink into the walls of my house,

until it was only my hands that could be seen.

Alex can’t get out.

When he does, hopefully things won’t be the same

and friendly raccoons will play with him out in the sun.

Bon appetit I heard my mother calling.

But for now the walls will laugh at him.

The plain white tablecloth would stay empty those nights.

After: All I Know of Freedom by Carol Emshwiller

After is a series of nineteen stories of apocalypse and dystopia that I have just began to read. One of my favorite stories that I have read so far is All I Know of Freedom. This story is of a girl who escapes her new parents and goes to frolic freely through the world. She doesn't know how to read but she knows what the word school means and knows that she will be able to learn there. She finds a school and enters and finds a friend named Eppie. She tells her that there is a ship leaving earth soon with a bunch of girls and boys so that they can reproduce once they get to a new planet. They say that the world will be ending soon and they have to leave. The girl had found a dog who had become her best friend named Mr. O' Brien after the only man she had ever met. Eppie says that she will have to get rid of him but she doesn't want to. She goes and tries to find someone who will keep him on earth and meets a woman that thinks that the people who are leaving are crazy. She offers to house the girl and the dog if she takes care of her farm with her. She decides last minute to go back to her and leave her new friends behind. I really liked this story because the girl had made her own decision and stood by what mattered to her. It inspired me.

RBTL's New Season

If you live in the Rochester area, I am sure that you are familiar with the Auditorium theater. The new 2015-2016 season was just announced and I am super excited for what is to come! Hits such as Newsies and Matilda will be coming our way as we experience a season full of great songs and unstoppable fun! I hope to see you there!

For more information, visit this link: http://www.rbtl.org/subscribers.aspx

A Poem for Young Actors

Because today I will sit in the wings,

nervous and anxious for what is to come

biting my nails and running my fingers through my hair—

waiting is like a burden

a burden that just keeps pushing you down

until you have nothing to give when it is over—

and because yesterday I sat on my bed

racing my eyes back and forth across the page,

trying to retain the countless words

all clumped together into a monstrous mass

staring me down,

willing me to fail;

me attempting to bold it in my brain

with the help of a yellow tool

soaking the page

and because in a few minutes,

when I walk out onto the stage

and the spotlight is shining in my face

and I see all of their expecting faces,

I know something will click

and in that moment, a wave of confidence will wash over me

and nobody’s opinion matters anymore.

My Writing Side

Perfection. That’s what he strives for. Every punctuation mark and structure choice must be flawless. I will never live up to his standards. He jumps up to the highest cloud in the sky, but needs to go into space to be satisfied. I’m always one step behind him. He is difficult to deal with, with his frantic personality and whatnot. So many ideas keep flowing from his mouth but in turn they clog up my brain until there is nothing else I can think about. Self-control is a big issue. Sometimes he can be a little angel but most of the time he is a ball of fury, scolding me and urging me to keep going. I wish he would leave sometimes, but I know he never will. He takes time to rest and go to sleep once in a while, but not often. I could be spending time with my friends, out to dinner let’s say, and he will jolt awake and throw a tantrum because I have a fork instead of a pencil in my hand. He is definitely not my friend. Not my enemy either. I definitely don’t see him as an idol, but he keeps me writing. I guess he isn’t a bad influence after all. He’s the reason why.