The other day in class, we were discussing the differences between the story and the illustration in Edward Gorey’s short stories. I could not help but recount famous stories that we have heard throughout our childhood that had much darker meanings than we associate the childish images with. Looking at the images within Gorey’s book, his playful use of color and animation with his cartoonish drawings offer a sense of childish play in his illustrations. However, further reading of his witty and short writing, open up a whole new world of darkness that we wouldn’t necessarily associate with our version of the modern day children’s books.
As a child I grew up in the magical world of Disney, and it’s princesses and cartoons. Even though I am now 21, I still am obsessed with this portion of my childhood, and can recount any Disney song (with my 24 year-old sister for backup) at any moment. However, what is often ignored is the darker origins of these stories that we hold near and dear to our hearts.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the first Disney princess classic, and the movie was released in 1937. What is forgotten, is that the origin of this story comes from the 1812 publication of folk tales by the Brothers Grimm. These were fairy tales that had been told for centuries, and they do not fit the definition of “fairy tale” as we know it today. The Evil Queen sends a hunter to kill the fair Snow White, and he can’t so he brings back parts of a dead bear in order to “prove” he had killed her. The Queen then eats these in order to be the fairest of them all. (This part is definitely not included in the Disney version. Finally the story ends at wedding where the Queen is forced to wear burning-hot iron shoes until she drops dead. (Also excluded from the cartoon magical fairy tale by Disney).¹
Snow White is not the only example of this: in Pinocchio Jiminy is killed by Pinocchio and in the Little Mermaid Ariel is killed if she cannot get true love’s kiss. Disney managed to take these dark and intricate stories and turn them into these fabulously bright and happy cartoons kids have been watching for decades. So who knows, maybe in a few years well be watching the newest Disney installment of Gorey’s short stories. It is true that our modern version of the children’s book is very different than the fairytales of the past, and maybe that is what Gorey was inspired by in his stories.
(I had some interesting illustrations of the Brothers Grimm versions of the stories, but I was not allowed to upload them for some reason so if you’re interested just google the stories with Brother’s Grimm!)
- Triska, Zoë. “The REAL Stories Behind These Disney Movies Will Ruin Your Childhood.” The Huffington Post. November 12, 2013. Accessed April 05, 2017. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/12/the-real-story-behind-eve_n_4239730.html.
It’s a good point about the Disney movies. The Little Mermaid is pretty brutal, as well– apparently mermaids don’t have souls, I think I remember some suicide stuff… anyway. As much as we love the Disney movies, though, I think we also, as children, like to be a little scared. That’s what the old fairy tales were built around, I think; to teach lessons and put shivers down people’s spines. It’s the same kind of thing as ghost stories do today. Did you ever read Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark? They were favorites of mine, but the stories together with some of the most frightening illustrations I’ve ever seen– including the ones we’ve looked at in class– scared the crap out of me. It’s interesting.