Gruene's Not So Happily Ever After: A Fairytale in German and English
Date
2018-05
Authors
Douglas, Victoria Lynn
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Abstract
The purpose of my project is to create an original story that includes fairytale aspects, the German language and sexual violence. I hope that my piece will serve as a unique example of a creative-academic project for those creating a thesis through the Honors College as well as the English and Language departments. When starting my project, I had to brainstorm and research topics that are important to me and that reader could relate and benefit from. I decided to create a story that focuses on sexual violence at the root of the #MeToo movement because it has helped give voice in an amplified and impactful way. Traditional violence from Grimm’s fairytales has disappeared from contemporary fairytales, which may have contributed to the silence surrounding sexually violated victims. Integrating German language was important because of the history within my Central Texas home, which was settled part by German immigrants, whose culture contributes to our contemporary food, music, storytelling, and cultures. The challenge I faced while creating this project was finding an appropriate age group. Children have traditionally been the audience for fairytales. However, due to the explicit violence of this story and considering contemporary taboos surrounding the discussion of graphic violence with children, I have ultimately decided to write my story in both traditional and modern fairytale elements for teenagers and young adults in order to bring a narrative of caution back into popular culture.
Description
Keywords
sexual violence, German language, #MeToo, fairytale, Honors College
Citation
Douglas, V. L. (2018). Gruene's not so happily ever after: A fairytale in German and English (Unpublished thesis). Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.