21st Century Depictions of Ogres Compared to Older Fairy Tale Depictions Essay

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One Ogre of a ChangeThe ogre is a monster that has appeared throughout history in folklore or mythology. The ogre is traditionally depicted as a large monster with human characteristics but with a rather inhuman appetite for eating children. For that reason, the ogre was an especially useful character in children’s literature as a tool for frightening children into behaving in a moral manner (Warner). As Bruno Bettelheim states in The Uses of Enchantment, the moral education of the child in past centuries was partly provided by way of stories of enchantment, such as those in Grimm’s Fairy Tales; those stories were often violent or bloody and full of witches or monsters—but they were not without purpose: wicked characters were typically punished or suffered some gruesome fate, and good characters were typically rewarded or given a happy ending. By reading these stories, children were taught what they might expect if they acted one way or the other in their own lives. However, as the moral codes of the West changed, so too did the need to tell stories in which ogres were used to frighten children into being good. In the 21st century, the ogre Shrek was introduced in film to teach children a different story—one about inclusivity and self-acceptance. Shrek is the story of a big, green ogre who acts mean on the outside but on the inside is actually a lovable, friendly giant with a good heart. Shrek finds a mate in the end of the film, which ends happily ever after, but in a way that reinforces moral concepts about abuses of power and appreciating diversity.The ogre of a change that occurred from the 19th century to the 21st century must begin with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The monster in Frankenstein is not so much an ogre as it is ogre-ish. It is big and assumed to be something that might eat a child. Those who see the monster are frightened of him; however, the monster is befriended by a blind man, who teaches the monster to read. The monster is grateful to the blind man for the humanity and love shown to him. The monster’s own creator, Dr. Frankenstein, rejected him based on his appearance.

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The monster, scorned by all who look upon him, decides to exact his revenge on his creator. The story is one of gothic horror—a far cry from the light-hearted humor of the Shrek film series. However, it introduces the idea of a monster who is sensitive about his outward appearance and who is hurt by the prejudice and bias of a public that forms its judgments entirely by externals. Internally, the monster has sought…

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…like you. They’re probably just as insecure as you are.” In other words, everyone experiences feelings of insecurity, but they should not let their insecurities lead them on to a negative lifestyle. Shrek finds happiness because he embraces life in all its wonderful diversity. At the same time, Shrek also has friends (like Donkey) who help him along the way. Shelley’s monster has nothing but a blind man, and this friend is taken from him once the blind man’s family arrives and sees the monster.Shrek is a different kind of ogre from those that appeared in the past. He reflects a different moral lesson, unique to the 21st century, wherein kids are taught to appreciate diversity and to promote inclusivity. Shrek is loved in spite of being different. In fact, his “ugliness” is exalted in a way (that does come across as pandering, but that is characteristic of the age of political correctness). Lessons on behavior are still taught in Shrek, but the bad are shown as being power-hungry; the good are shown as being brave, accepting of others, and as having self-esteem even when others see them in a negative light. These are the lessons that the 21st century aims to teach. Four hundred years ago, the lessons for children were: Mind your parents! Don’t talk back! Know your place! Obviously,….....

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