Dissecting a Story - Part 2

      Dissecting a Story - Part 2


      You should have just finished reading "Rumplestiltskin." If not, read it now.

      Rumplestiltskin

      Let's review briefly:

      Vocabulary
      manikin - a dwarf (The American Heritage Dictionary 1982)

      Character
      Miller
      poor man who boasts to the king that his daughter can spin straw into gold
      Miller's daughter
      given to the king to prove father's boast; receives assistance costing her jewelry and then nearly her child
      King
      believes the boast that straw can be spun into gold; marries the miller's daughter because of her "talent"
      Little man, manikin, Rumplestiltskin
      assists the miller's daughter, exacting a fee; allows a way out of the agreement, not expecting the requirement to be fulfilled

      Plot
      A poor miller tries to impress his king and ends up losing his daughter. The daughter could literally lose her life if she does not produce the miracle of alchemy. A kind dwarf agrees to help, exacting a pricely fee. The money hungry king decides she would be the perfect wife - one who could actually earn her keep and then some. Of course, she must perform this feat yet again - or die. The dwarf assists asking only for her first born. Upon the child's birth, he returns for payment. In a feigned attempt to look generous, he offers her a way out. However, with all the money the kingdom now has, she hires good detectives who figure out the dwarf's name. Having lived in a hole most of his life, Rumplestiltskin is not aware of what money can buy, especially those popular surveilance kits and phone taps. He gets incredibly angry, stomps his foot and leg right into the ground. Upon trying to withdraw his limb from the ground, rips himself in two, dying.

      Setting
      Extranatural time - could not occur in history - fairy tale
      Rule by kings
      Social classes - rich and poor
      Use of magic - alchemy

      Topics covered (To find theme, ask what role it plays in the story.)
      Greed
      Magic
      Deceit
      Family
      Importance of children


      All right, I know. You've done a lot of literary stuff. Where's the science? Consider this research. Learning about the amphibians before attacking the frog. Now we'll bring out the formaldehyde.

      You will soon be given a new specimen to investigate. Where do you begin analyzing it, determing what kind of creature it might be?


      Continue


      These pages were created November 14, 1997. This is the first draft. Please provide your comments and suggestions so that I can improve upon it.

      Send comments and suggestions to: drthaler@bellsouth.net