I'll be honest, I know little to nothing in regards to Hans Christian Andersen. I have never actually read any of his works. The limited knowledge I do have is from watching Disney's adaptation of The Little Mermaid. Rather sad, isn't it? Well, regardless of where I receive my knowledge, it has definitely sparked an interest in reading this unit, so I say we should begin.
I've actually read the Princess and the Pea before, and it has always been an interesting story, maybe, but a really boring one as well. I have never liked that story for whatever reason. In fact, I've also read The Emperor's New Suit before, and that is a story that I really do enjoy. I think it is so funny when he ends up naked. A great lesson learned, as it were. The Brave Tin Soldier is also familiar, but barely. I do not know much about this story, nor do I particularly care for it as I read it. The other two stories in this half are also foreign to me, but they are kind of enjoyable to read.
Now, onto the Little Mermaid. It is quite different from the Disney film I grew up watching. How so? Well, first and foremost, there is no Jamaican singing crab, which is incredibly unfortunate. However, a lot more of the story stayed in tact, which was rather surprising. The greatest change I can think of is the ending. It ends quite a bit more cheerfully in the Disney version. Obviously, I can understand why they did that to the story. I mean, what will appeal more to kids - true love, or suicide?
All in all, a very good unit. It was a nice last week of reading and a good way to go out. We'll see what I do for my story retelling, but for the time being, it is nice to look over the unit as a whole and enjoy what I have read. I might have to go back and read through some of the stories again, just because I have the time and opportunity to.
No comments:
Post a Comment