Visual journal

Beginning the  visual journal was quite daunting for me because i wasnt really sure what direction to take or if i was doing it right. I thought i might begin with images that contextualise fairy tales, and tried to come up with ideas based around this. I began by making collages of images that surround the fairytale timeline, beginning with oral tradition, how fairytales became widely known by word of mouth, and then how they progressed to literature by various authors such as the brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, and Hans Christian Andersen etc. I tried to use appropriate images here like the authors. I then went on to show images of how the fairytale has now been adopted by animation, with many peoples knowledge of fairytales beginning and ending with Disney animations. I then went on to show images of how the fairy tale has been further explored and reinvented in modern cinema, with films like 'Snow white and the Huntsman' and 'Hansel and Gretel: Witch hunters' changing the fairytale and bringing it up to date. I also explored how essential the fairytale genre is as inspiration for much of modern fantasy media; Lord of the rings, Narnia etc all take fairy tale elements and use them as inspiration.

Triangulation and referencing context research

To introduce my first essay I have been researching the author of 'The Uses of enchantment," Bruno Bettelheim. I have found some interesting context on the author that I think is helpful to keep in mind when analysing his quote. Bettelheim received alot of criticism, particularly after his death, from former students at the University of Chicago where he was director. These claimed emotional, physical and even sexual abuse. Apparently he also hired young and untrained staff on purpose, with one counselor recalling; "I didnt know a thing about mentally disturbed children. I think he hired us because he didnt want staff with its own ideas, people who had been trained by someone else." There are also acusations that he plagiarised alot of 'the uses of enchantment' and claimed false academic credentials. None of this disproves his theory that fairy tales are beneficial to children, but i think its interesting and important to keep in mind while reading and analysing his work, as his opinions may be quite biased.