In A. Bayette's novels, traditional fairytale discourse is the source of many borrowings, defining the plot, composition, system of archetypical images and stylistics of its texts. The archetype as an invariant of a fairytale plot or motif is also actualised in the form of a whole series of binary oppositions constituting the archetypical core of the folklore tale: sleep - waking, captivity - liberation, destruction - restoration, prohibition - violation of prohibition.
The role status of characters can also be conditioned by traditional opposition: for example, the author of wishes is a forced executor of wishes. However, the main binary structure that defines the originality of the art picture of the world of fairytale novels Bayette, can be conventionally presented as a confrontation between static and dynamism.
Staticism is understood as a predictable adherence to a certain algorithm of actions in the limited space of a classical plot, and dynamism is understood as freedom to break a given scheme, freedom to creatively transform a fairytale canon. Turning once again to the fairytale, the author, just like its heroes, rethinks what is known to create their own worlds and encourage the reader to create their own stories.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Reconstruction of Fairy-Tale Canon in A.S. Byatt's Short-Genre Fiction
- The Fairy Tale Canon and its Reconstruction
- The "Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye" Collection: A Case Study
- The First Short Story: "Glass Coffin" and its Reinterpretation of the Traditional Fairy Tale
- The Second Short Story: "The Story of the Elder Princess" and the Breaking of Stereotypical Plots
- The Third Short Story: "Dragon Spirit" and the Adaptive Properties of the Fairy Tale
- Conclusion: The Author's Vision of the Fairy Tale and its Potential for Contemporary Fiction
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay aims to analyze the reconstruction of traditional fairy tale motifs and images in A.S. Byatt's short story collection, "The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye." The study will examine how Byatt utilizes elements of the fairy-tale canon while simultaneously challenging and subverting traditional narrative conventions. Through this analysis, the essay will explore the author's approach to the genre and its potential for contemporary fiction.
- The reconstruction of traditional fairy-tale motifs and images
- The author's subversion of traditional narrative conventions
- The role of fairy tales in contemporary fiction
- The themes of self-determination, freedom, and responsibility
- The intertextuality and dialogical nature of Byatt's work
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- The essay begins by examining the historical and theoretical context of the fairy tale canon, highlighting the influence of folk tales on modern fiction.
- The second chapter delves into the specific characteristics of Byatt's "Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye" collection, focusing on the individual stories and their relationship to traditional fairy tales.
- The third chapter analyzes "Glass Coffin," the first story in the collection, exploring how Byatt subverts the expected happy ending of the classic "Sleeping Beauty" tale.
- The fourth chapter examines "The Story of the Elder Princess," where Byatt challenges the stereotypical role of the older sister in fairy tales and emphasizes the importance of individual agency.
- The fifth chapter briefly discusses the story "Dragon Spirit," highlighting the adaptability of the fairy tale form to address contemporary issues.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This essay explores the reconstruction of the fairy-tale canon, intertextuality, short-genre fiction, A.S. Byatt, "The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye," fairy-tale motifs, narrative conventions, self-determination, freedom, and responsibility.
- Quote paper
- Alina Müller (Author), 2011, Reconstruction of Fairytale Canon in A. S. Byatt's Short-Genre Fiction, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/514349
