description & set texts
One of the oldest and most popular of all narrative forms, the fairy tale is going through a revival through its many retellings, transformations, and adaptations, leaving its indelible mark on our thinking. This course is an introduction to the history of the fairy tale (together with its move from children’s literature to the canon of grown-ups), its old and revised memes, topoi, characters, plots, and motifs, as well as the scholarship that has grown out of a desire to understand the never-ceasing cultural impact of the genre. Topics to be covered: fairy tale as myth, magic, and the fantastic; history of the genre; memetics; fairy tale and gender scripts; fairy tale and patriarchy; fairy tale and performativity All readings have been uploaded on moodle.elte.hu under this course.

requirements & assessment
Students are expected to (1) read the assigned texts, understand them, have a grasp of their narrative or argumentative structure, and be able to give interpretations of the main theses and arguments when called upon; (2) give one presentation (choosing from the presentation topics offered for each class session); (3) do the final oral exam that will cover all the assignments and presentations. Grades will be based on class participation, presentation, and the exam.