Discussion Questions for April 10

Discussion Questions: Tangled, “Domesticity and Adventure,” Grimms’ “Rapunzel,” and “Maidens and Their Guardians”

Small Group Work/Class Discussion: Support your answers with at least one specific quote, scene, and/or example.

1.      Consider the descriptions of domestic and adventure fiction on page 195 of Hintz and Tribunella. Do you think Tangled counts as one genre more than the other? Why?

2.      Hintz and Tribunella state that “the home as a dangerous place” is a frequent theme in domestic fiction (198). How does this theme emerge in Tangled?

3.      Hintz and Tribunella also claim that “psychological complexity” is a marker of domestic fiction (203). Do you think the characters in Tangled are psychologically complex? Why or why not?

4.      Hintz and Tribunella state that in spite of all the action and adventure Tarzan contains, “Tarzan’s search for Jane and wish to mate with her means that domesticity is his and the novel’s ultimate goal” (215). Could the same be said for Tanged? Why or why not?

5.      How does Tangled differ from the Grimms’ version of “Rapunzel”? How is it similar? Discuss the rationale behind the alterations Disney made.

6.      Laura Getty discusses the ways in which the enchantress figure shifts to represent different forms of authority over females and young lovers throughout history. What do you think Mother Gothel might represent in Tangled?

7.      Do you find Tangled to be a feminist fairy tale? Why or why not?