Dissecting a Story

      Dissecting a Story

      So you like science, but can't stand your English class? Too much writing? Weird structures that don't make sense? Teachers seeming to either say the same thing over and over again or changing their minds constantly?

      Well, stop and take a deep breath. It's not that bad. Really, there's more science to writing the standard high school essay than you think.

      Let's look at some examples of literature as types of biology specimens. Before you cut anything open, generally the teacher has prepared you with some general background information. You may already be familiar with the anatomy of a frog before dissecting a fetal pig (or whatever they cut up these days). So before we tear the guts out of our specimen, we must first know something about the kind of sample we have.

      Click on the link below and read the story "Rapunzel," one of Grimm's Fairy Tales.

      Rapunzel


      Remember to click on "BACK" to return to this page after you have read the story. Note that your memory and the actual text may differ. Sorry no pictures are included.


      Ok. Let's summarize what we know about this story:

      Vocabulary
      rampion - "A Eurasian plant, having clusters of bluish flowers and an edible root used in salads" (The American Heritage Dictionary 1982)

      Characters
      Wife
      wants a child; also "will die" if she does not have the rampion
      Husband
      wants a child; is willing to do anything to save his wife
      Enchantress
      lives in house behind the husband and wife; owns the garden; will allow the husband to have rampion if she can have their first born child
      Rapunzel
      child of the couple; raised by the enchantress; known for her long, golden hair
      King's son
      falls in love with Rapunzel and is "blinded" by that love


      Plot
      A couple that yearns for a child gives up their wish for a woman's greed for salad. Their child leads a "sheltered" life in a high tower with a foster mother. Rapunzel accidentally finds out that there exist other creatures called men. Luckily, it was the king's son who first introduced her to this novelty. Foster mother becomes jealous seeing her darling grow up. She attempts to cut off access to her daughter, by cutting off Rapunzel's hair. Then attempts to blind the king's son, but the thorns on the ground below take care of that. Lost in love he wanders, finally coming upon his common law wife and twin children. Her tears of joy lift his blindness.

      Setting
      Extranatural time - No specific time period - fairy tales
      Ruled by kings - concept of royalty
      Magic considered natural
      Social class distinctions - rich and poor
      Covers many years

      Topics discussed (To identify themes, ask what role each topic plays in the story.)
      Love, Desire, Lust
      Greed
      Jealousy
      Family relations
      Isolation

      Not too difficult of a story. One more story to read to provide a better background. Another oldie, but goodie - "Rumplestiltskin".

      Rumplestiltskin


      Remember to click on "BACK" to return to this page after you have read the story. Note the ending on this one. I didn't remember that part.

      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