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    This is the beginning of the Brothers Grimm unit.  We will be studying the Grimms for three weeks.  For the time frame and specific stories please refer to the syllabus.  We will be learning some really interesting stuff about the Brothers Grimm and  I hope you will be able to Identify some of the ways they have influenced our culture today.
    About two hundred years ago the Brothers Grimm began collecting oral and literary tales and eventually published them in two volumes as Children and Household Tales in 1812 and 1815.  The major purpose of their work was to provide the German people with a sense of their customs, beliefs, and history through a wide variety of fascinating tales. The Grimms kept revising these tales in seven different editions to make them relevant to the experiences of the German people, especially young readers, during the nineteenth century. To their credit, their artistic efforts were such that their tales transcended German culture to touch the hearts and minds of readers throughout the world. In fact, there is scarcely a child, storyteller, or folklorist in the twentieth century, who has not been influenced by the Grimms' tales in some way or another.

It is my hope that you become more aware of our own culture through this study and come to identify where their influence can be seen in our culture.    

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