It is not children only that one feeds with fairy tales.[Ger., Nicht die Kinder bloss speist man mit Marchen ab.] - Ephraim Gotthold Lessing, Nathan der Weise (III, 6)
It has taken me 30 minutes to trawl through various literal translations to understand the meaning of this quote. It seems to be most commonly used to reinforce a subtext of childlike naviety in certain circumstances but I am appropriating it in this instance to mean that adults may enjoy fairytales.
Found at the beginning of Bottighemiers book 'Fairytales and Society' I had the jist of what it meant... but to be accurate is important. Various google translations include: Not only one feeds the children off with fairy tales or Not just the kids fed off with fairy tales which translates back to German as Nicht gerade zogen die Kinder weg mit Märchen ein.
Reading translations is fraught with danger but I need to read the original text of fairytale critiques. There is little point assuming that Jack Zipes analysis of a scholarly work is the one I should absorb into my work. I am attempting to find translations or translate with the help of Translation APs. I can read the simple words in French and German so I know I am close to the correct meaning BUT understanding the meaning of words like généricité is difficult in English.
Entrapment: new Uni library work space |
I left the library on Friday armed with books that critique the fairytale genre and explore culture and society within literary fairy tales. I am spending the Cup Day weekend working my way through them with the occasional coffee break. My first visit to the new library.Spacious with greenly striped pyjama-like walkways flanking central workspaces that are clean and new and bereft of students.
Why the ropes encircling this learning space? Outside it felt like a pirate ship heavy ropes enticing me to climb (Let's have an adventure!); inside entrapment (Don't leave until that draft is finished!) or maybe it is a rope forest (Sleeping Beauty-like) to invite childish behaviour (Climb me! Swing!) Is it a fence? A frame? A trellis? Let's watch how it evolves.
Why the ropes encircling this learning space? Outside it felt like a pirate ship heavy ropes enticing me to climb (Let's have an adventure!); inside entrapment (Don't leave until that draft is finished!) or maybe it is a rope forest (Sleeping Beauty-like) to invite childish behaviour (Climb me! Swing!) Is it a fence? A frame? A trellis? Let's watch how it evolves.
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