AS English Language & Literature
Transition activities
Transforming Texts
In the English Language & Literature A Level course you are encouraged to develop
your skills as practising writers as well as intelligent readers by analysing and
evaluating how other writers have manipulated language for particular purposes,
audiences and effects. Your coursework will be original pieces of creative writing
inspired by the writers you have studied; you will have the opportunity to transform
an existing text into something new and original.
We aim to help you develop your own potential through a study of a very wide range
of texts from blogs to classic novels and we will begin the course by looking at a genre
with which you are very likely to be familiar: the story. Specifically, we will first look at
a type of story which may have been a favourite of yours when growing up: the fairy
tale.
Fairy Tales
Many of these popular folk stories date back hundreds, or maybe even thousands, of
years in many cultures. According to recent research at Durham University, “Over
time these folk tales have been subtly changed and have evolved just like an
biological organism. Because many of them were not written down until much later,
they have been misremembered or reinvented through hundreds of generations. By
looking at how these folk tales have spread and changed it tells us something about
human psychology and what sort of things we find memorable."
It is still possible to see the influence of traditional fairy tales on modern literature,
films and culture as we still seem to relate to the characters, plots and themes today.
Of course many people have grown up with the colourful, joyful Disney versions of the
classic stories. However, there continue to be adaptations which draw on some of the
darker themes in the original folk tales such as Angela Carter's collection of short
stories "The Bloody Chamber", David Pearce's "Red Riding" quartet of novels and their
TV adaptation and, most recently, the hit US TV series "Grimm".
Activity 1: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
The following version of the Snow White story may seem quite familiar. In fact, it has
many familiar attributes of a modern, children's fairy tale.
Once upon a time, a child was born to a queen and king and she was called Snow White. When
the queen died, the king married again. This new Queen was wicked and hated Snow White.
The Queen gave orders that Snow White was to be treated as a servant.
Snow White grew very beautiful and one day a Prince riding by, saw her at work and fell in
love with her. The Queen was beautiful too, and every day she asked her Magic Mirror, "Who is
the fairest in the land?" and the mirror always answered, "You are the fairest one of all".
But one day the mirror answered Snow White was the fairest in the land, and in a rage the
Queen gave orders to one of her Huntsmen to take Snow White into the woods and kill her. The
Huntsman had a kind heart and could not do the deed so told her to run away. She fled into
the woods where seven little dwarves lived. Their house was small and strange. Snow White
entered the little house and finding it very untidy, started to clean up. Upstairs she found
seven little beds. She was very tired and stretching out on one of the beds, was soon asleep.
When the dwarves came home they were surprised to find Snow White and after some
argument, decided to let her stay. She promised to cook and look after them.
The Queen discovered where Snow White was living and, disguising herself as a witch, took a
poisoned apple and set out for the dwarves' cottage. She gave Snow White the poisoned apple to
eat and as soon as she bit the apple, she sank into unconsciousness.
Thinking she was dead, the dwarves built a glass coffin and put her in it. For days she lay in
the forest in her glass coffin. One day, the Prince was riding through the forest looking for
Snow White and found her. He leaned over and kissed her. She opened her eyes and sat up with
a smile. Everyone was happy. The Prince took Snow White to his palace where they were married
and lived happily ever after.
Can you identify any aspects of this story that seem to be conventional for the fairy
tale genre? They could be conventional ways of writing the story, such as starting with
"Once upon a time", or they could be to do with the characters, themes or plot.
Genre
Convention
A particular type of text e.g. romantic
A way in which something is usually done
novel, horror film, epic poem
Activity 2: Film Adaptations
Now, compare this version of the story with two brand new film versions of the tale
due to be released this spring and summer.
In Snow White and the Huntsman, the Huntsman ordered to take Snow White into the
woods to be killed becomes her protector and mentor in a quest to vanquish the Evil
Queen. Click on the link to watch the trailer:
Trailer for Snow White and the Huntsman
In Mirror Mirror: The Untold Adventures of Snow White, an evil queen steals control of
a kingdom and an exiled princess enlists the help of seven resourceful rebels to win
back her birthright. Click on the link to watch the trailer:
Trailer for Mirror Mirror
Which aspects of the original story appear to have been changed and which have
remained the same in these two adaptations? Why might this be? Are you tempted to
watch either of the films in full, having watched the trailers?
Record your discoveries on one A4 sheet of paper in an appropriate format (bullet
points, spider diagram, table etc.) and bring it in to your first English Language &
Literature lesson.
Activity 2: Find your own Fairy Tale
Now you have explored the story of Snow White and some of its adaptations, choose
another traditional fairy tale to study. You could choose one that was a favourite of
yours as a child or a story that is unfamiliar but that intrigues you as an adult.
Find out as much as you can about the story and its origins as well as who originally
published it in its written form and when this was. Has it also provided inspiration for
other writers and been adapted into a film or book?
Finally, try to find a copy of a traditional version of the story, either printed from the
internet or photocopied from a book.
Bring your research and your copy of the story in to your first English Language &
Literature lesson.
We hope you have fun exploring the fairy tale genre over the holidays and
look forward to hearing about your findings in September!