Grimm's Fairy Tales, Hensel and Gretel's Reading Notes

Answer 1

Hensel and Gretel was a Grimm's fairy tale full of profound meaning.

* * 1. Survival and Wisdom in the Story **

1. * * Wisdom to deal with crises **
- In the face of the crisis of being abandoned by their parents, Hansel and Gretel showed extraordinary wisdom. The first time he was brought to the forest, Hansel picked up the white pebbles in advance and used the reflection of the pebbles under the moonlight to find his way home. This kind of wisdom was their survival instinct in desperate situations, reflecting that even children could come up with ingenious responses when faced with threats to survival.
- The second time he was abandoned, although Hansel could not collect stones like the last time, he cleverly crushed the bread and scattered it on the road to mark it. Although the mark was eaten by the birds in the end, this positive attitude towards the predicament was worthy of recognition.
2. * * Adapt to the environment and survive **
- After the siblings got lost in the forest, they did not sit still and wait for death. In their extreme hunger, they followed a white singing bird to the candy house. In the seemingly beautiful trap of the candy house, they could still use their own wisdom to deal with the witches. For example, when Hansel was imprisoned by the witches, he used the leftover bones to fool the witches and delay the time of being eaten. When Gretel was faced with the witch's conspiracy, he could also skillfully counter it, trick the witch into the oven and burn her to death, thus saving himself and his brother.

* * 2. Family relationships and the complexity of human nature **

1. * * Parents 'helplessness and cruelty **
- From the parents 'point of view, the story shows the complexity of human nature in the face of extreme poverty and famine. The woodcutter and his wife (the mother was the biological mother in the early version of the story, but later became the stepmother) had to consider abandoning their child because their family was too poor to make a living. Although the woodcutter was reluctant, he still agreed to the plan to abandon the child under his wife's insistence. Behind this helplessness, it reflected the distortion of human nature caused by poverty. The pressure of survival made family relationships extremely fragile.
- The image of the mother (stepmother) was particularly prominent. She had planned to abandon her child twice, which was undoubtedly cruel. However, the story also mentioned that if she did not abandon the child, the whole family might starve to death. This hinted at the helplessness behind her behavior, which reflected the multi-faced nature of human nature to some extent.
2. * * The bond between brother and sister **
- In stark contrast to their parents 'behavior, there was a deep kinship between siblings. Throughout the story, Hansel comforted Gretel, and the siblings supported each other. Whether they were lost in the forest or threatened by the witches, they never abandoned each other. This kinship became an important support for them to survive in the midst of difficulties.

* * 3. Look at the development of the plot from the story structure **

1. * * The ups and downs of the plot **
- The story was full of ups and downs. His family faced famine, was abandoned by his parents, got lost in the forest, had adventures, and fought with witches. Finally, he returned home and lived a happy life. Every plot development was full of surprises and twists. For example, the siblings thought that they could go home by following the bread crumbs, but they did not expect the bread crumbs to be eaten by the birds. This plot twist pushed them into a more dangerous situation. Then, the little bird led them to Candy House, which opened up a new crisis and challenge.
2. * * The meaning of the two-line structure **
- There were two clues in the story. One was the clue that the siblings used their wisdom to survive and overcome the difficulties to return home. The other was the clue that they suffered malice and suffering. These two clues intertwined with each other, which not only highlighted the stubbornness of the siblings in their predicament, but also deeply reflected the darkness and pain they had experienced.

* * 4. The moral and value revelation of the story **

1. * * Praise of kindness and bravery **
- The kindness of the siblings was also reflected in the story. For example, when they asked the little white duck to carry them across the river on their way home, the little white duck's kind response also hinted that kindness would be rewarded. At the same time, their bravery in the face of such a powerful evil force as the witches was a commendable value.
2. * * Thoughts on survival and hope **
- The whole story was a deep thought about survival and hope. Although the siblings had encountered many misfortunes, they never gave up hope and kept looking for opportunities to survive. This kind of spiritual revelation told the readers that even in the darkest moment, they must hold on to hope and face the difficulties in life with wisdom and courage.

Hurry up and click on the link below to return to the super classic "Lord of Mysteries"!