No human condition is invested with more diverse and complex perceptions, ideals and emotions than childhood. Although it has long been accorded a particular significance in the context of his life and work, Maurice Ravel’s conception of childhood, together with the musical language through which it found expression, has never been the subject of a detailed, extended study. This thesis, therefore, explores the roles and realisations of childhood in Ravel’s music, arguing that they were inextricably linked with the language, traditions and idioms of the literary fairytale – an hypothesis Ravel himself supported when he wrote that his intention in his fairytale-based Ma mère l'Oye was to evoke ‘the poetry of childhood’. Through a study of these intertwined themes, the thesis develops new analytical and interpretative approaches to three major works: the piano duet suite Ma mère l’Oye (1910), the Trois chansons for mixed choir (1914-1915), and the opera L’Enfant et les sortilèges (1919-1925). These works span a fifteen-year period that saw a decisive evolution in Ravel’s compositional style, and was crucially impacted by the great cataclysm of the First World War. Ravel deliberately aligned his music with the traditions of the fairytale through the creation and expressive manipulation of musical and dramatic structure, language, gesture and perspective. One may trace the voice and presence of the storyteller in Ma mère l’Oye, a work dedicated to two children for whom Ravel was a favourite companion and teller of fairytales. L’Enfant et les sortilèges presents a detailed portrait of its eponymous Child, set within a fairytale in which traditional elements combine with a complexity of dramatic, musical and psychological construction that invokes the zeitgeist of the 1920s. The shadows of real events intrude more disturbingly upon the Trois chansons, whose distorted fairytale narratives represent a direct and personal response to the War. In its balance of musical interpretation and explication, supported by a clearly defined historical and philosophical context, the study yields new insights into a central facet of Ravel’s musical identity. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1348982 / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Adelaide, Elder Conservatorium of Music, 2008

This diploma thesis deals with phenomenon of musical fairytale and its aplication in Music education process. The thesis is describing a fairytale as a whole genre and shortly outlines a few perspectives from other fields on this genre. The theoretical part describes the concept of a musical fairytale, shortly describes fairytale as a lyrical and musical genre, introduces the history of fairytale and shortly describes archetypes of heroes and their impact on development of child personality. Practical parts of this thesis is focusing on working with authors fairytale, which was realized within project teaching in music classes. The goal of the thesis is to create and then rehearse author's musical fairytale, and in this way analyze its use in musical educational process. As a research sample a 3rd grade was chosen. It is therefore a group of pupils, of younger school age. The research was conducted at ZŠ and ZUŠ Jabloňová Liberec. Each school allows to work with pupils in classes with extended education of Music and regular music classes. This comparison is important source of knowledge. Thesis brings a short reflection of the teaching process, which is the source of the following development teachers as well as students. Final result is methodical knowledge, which brings inspiration to future or...

Therapeutic outcomes are explored in a series of case studies where art therapy and storytelling interventions are used with clients. Stories utilized in the study include picture book stories, fairytales, and self-generated narratives. Additionally, the study’s participants created art responses that took such forms as illustrations and altered books. Research questions that were investigated were: When children receiving art therapy engage with stories created by others or the author, how do they respond?; When children receiving art therapy create their own stories, how do they respond?; and Is there archetypal or other psychologically meaningful content in the author’s picture book? Main subjects of the study were clients ages 9 to 12 receiving individual and group therapy services from the author at The Whole Child in Whittier, California. The author was also a subject in the study. She studied her picture book for significant content. A case study approach was used to highlight themes of psychological or therapeutic relevance for all participants. Biographical data as well as responses to interventions were recorded in assessment and progress notes. Additionally, the therapist shared a piece of her own creative writing for each case study in order to understand clients through the storytelling process. Then the biographical data, story, art responses, and creative writing pieces were studied to look for any connections and to draw conclusions. Based on these results, it appears that sharing pre-existing stories with clients or asking clients to create their own stories has therapeutic value. Not only did these interventions appear to aid clients’ expressions, but they also helped the therapist gain important understandings about clients. Similar analysis of the author’s picture book brought to light themes of psychological importance that increased her self-understanding.

The purpose of this report is to analyze what went wrong with the adventure game project called Fairytale, I started together with 4 of my fellow university students at Gotland University, spring 2007. My ambition with this report is to enlighten problems in game design that arose during the game development process in order to prevent others from making the same mistakes. The problems are analyzed according to game design patterns defined by Björk, S. and Holopainen, J. (2005). Patterns in Game Design. Boston, Massachusetts. Jenifer Niles. The game was exhibited to the public at Gotland Game Awards 2007, Leipzig Game Developers Conference 2007, Tekniska Museet 2007, Almedalsveckan 2008 and Gotland Game Awards 2008. The results of the report show that redesigning already finished game features means a lot of troubles in relation to its dependency on other game elements. The key abilities of the main character were vaguely defined since the beginning of the project which caused problems with earlier designed levels whenever a new item was introduced. The terrain of the prior levels didn’t match the abilities of the new items, which forced changes to be made. The biggest mistake with this project was that finished game elements never were considered final. My role in the project was the solo game programmer and co-designer. I shared the designing tasks together with Annika Fogelgren who also was the producer of our team. Albertina Sparrhult, Emma Johansson and Marie Viberg were our core graphic artists. Together, we created the Fairytale game.

One of the major challenges that persists in postsecondary foreign language (FL) education in the US today is how to implement a more integrated approach to language and literature instruction, that is, one that fosters critical awareness on multiple levels and prepares learners to be globally-connected and engaged citizens (MLA, 2007; Swaffar & Urlaub, 2014). Major contributions for achieving these goals have come from an array of pedagogical approaches that share in common their focus on language as a resource for making socially and symbolically rich meanings that do more than convey facts or express objectives. These include those designated as multiliteracies and genre-based approaches, as well as those that promote intercultural, symbolic and literary competencies as integral to the language learning experience. All of these frameworks acknowledge to some extent the fact that ambiguity-understood here as the multiplicity, indeterminacy, or destabilization of meaning-characterizes language itself and thus also our day-to-day and global communication, as well as the experience and process of FL learning. This dissertation, based on a qualitative classroom-based research study, considers how ambiguity can more be comprehensively integrated into FL learning and in particular into text-oriented teaching practices. The approach taken was a pedagogy that embraces ambiguity by providing learners and educators with strategies for navigating the moments of indeterminacy, uncertainty, and doubt that they will inevitably encounter in and out of the FL classroom. The study, set in an intermediate German language and culture course at a large public university, investigates 1) how to incorporate and assess moments of ambiguity more comprehensively across the curriculum and 2) how learners responded to various encounters with ambiguity, including ambiguity of genre, perspective, and silence. Data analysis revealed that purposeful integration of induced ambiguity can facilitate more comfort with those three dimensions and that it complements the principles of a multiliteracies-based FL pedagogy.

Using an analysis of the creation of the character Dan Kelly in my play, risk, I argue that fairytale characters work as more than personage representations. They function on a big canvas for the audience; they carry large chains of association. Given this, I then propose that the human response is to infer additional meaning, meaning beyond the scope of plot and immediate character interaction - the audience infers symbolic meaning, ‘amplifying’ what is there into more. They enter a ‘generative empty space’ within the play where they infer or ‘unfold’ more meaning. In creating this ‘greater tale’, they are engaged beyond their personal ‘horizon of understanding’, and so, ‘take in’ the work through a heightened perceptual acuity. Therefore, I pursued the idea of making space for the operation of this process, of leveraging the creation of meaning around a character. My inquiry led me to believe that a powerful way to do this was through absence rather than presence and silence rather than sound; and this had a profound impact on my choice of form for Dan Kelly: he progressed, through a number of stages, from reportage to a digital representation.

Diploma thesis Bc. Anna Fauknerová (2018) Transformationand Adaptation of the Cupid and Psyche Myth in Literature Abstract This thesis deals with the myth of Cupid and Psyche. It is concerned with the version of the myth found in Apulei's novel The Golden Ass as well as in other works such as fairy tales and novels. Some of these other works refer to the myth directly while others' connections to it have not been established and they merely demonstrate similar motifs. The first part of the thesis deals with Apuleius and his text The Golden Ass, which is the oldest surviving version of the myth of Amor and Psyche. The main characteristics of the myth as well as its characters, the story and the meanings that are hidden in it are examined. The character of Psyche and the way her heroism manifests itself are examined in greater detail. The second part of the thesis compares the myth with three fairy tales and three novels based on the conclusions of the previous chapter. The greatest emphasis is placed on the development and adaptation of individual motifs, similarities and disimilarities in content and form and on the way in which the myth is reflected in literature. The third part of the thesis looks at three possible ways of interpreting the myth. Keywords: Cupid, Psyche, myth, fairy tale, motif of light...

The first stories written in Sepedi deal almost exclusively with the problem of urbanisation, and its ensuing atrocities. Then, halfway through the previous century, Matsepe distinguished himself by diverting from his predecessors’ subject matter completely. In the nine novellas that he authored, Matsepe writes about the traditional way of life, and only refers to white people twice, and the references are made to the Voortrekkers in both instances. The descriptions of the traditional way of life are so well-rounded and complete that the question arises of whether he focused his depictions to give an accurate reflection of the reality of the way of life of the people in his writing. This, then, becomes the subject matter of this research. The researcher is himself one of those people Matsepe writes about, although of a different generation. This leads him to consult external primary and secondary sources about the traditional way of life, in order to familiarise himself with traditional realities. Other than textual sources, including Mönnig’s comprehensive monograph about the Bapedi, the researcher also consulted with tribe elders, including chiefs, traditional healers (among whom the women are considered to be the most reliable informants in practice) and members of the village council. This is the first study of its kind to be undertaken in Sepedi. The theoretical pitfall of this study is that even the largest body of literature portrays the reality in a calculated manner, much like a work of fiction. The depiction of reality is inherently tied to the worldview of the author, and to that of his/her audience. This uncertain reality makes for delicate research, and it presupposes that the researcher has to familiarise himself with Matsepe’s biographical history: the circumstances he grew up in, his status in the community, his worldview, his achievements and failures, to name but a few. This study does not focus of Matsepe’s entire body of work, but rather on Megokgo ya Bjoko specifically, as it is (a) seen as the most interesting and satisfying in his oeuvre, and (b) comprehensive and realistic in its representation of the traditional way of life of the North Sotho people. It is clear, though, in his entire body of work that Matsepe had intimate knowledge of the political system of the tribe, as well as the legal practices and social customs; and that he depicted them accurately. The primary subject matter in his stories problematises the tribal legal practices to the extent of bordering on the absurd. The reality described in his stories encompasses characters or persons, events, place and space, time, and the cultural objects that are of interest. Bearing these categories in mind, the distinction has to be made between what is (a) real, (b) fictitious, but true to life, and (c) purely fantasy. This distinction is vital, as there is the possibility that some of the characters, such as king, may have existed in reality, and that certain events may have taken place in their lifetimes, thus rendering them historically factual. Matsepe’s characters all appear to be fictitious. What is real, however, is his depiction of the hierarchy and social order among various chiefs, as well as that between the king and his council. The various categories of witchdoctors, traditional healers and witches are also truthfully depicted in terms of their respective professions. The kings chief wife is also of importance in the depictions, as she is the bearer of the heir to the throne, and is married though the tribe. Other important figures include the malome and the rakgadi. The events depicted are also mostly fictitious. That which happens in the chief’s village is naturally of great importance, and Matsepe spends a lot of time on the representation of court cases. The king and his council play a vital role in these legal proceedings. The king is the leading character in the depiction of battles, as he leads his army in war. If the king is to be taken prisoner, he is charged and tried, as he would have lost the battle, but his blood would not be spilt. Prior to battle, the king would also negotiate with surrounding chiefs to ensure that they remain neutral during the battle, and that they are to provide shelter for some of his followers if the need were to arise. After the death of a king, there are prescribed rites, rituals and ceremonies that have to be performed. The same is expected if the senior prince were to die, but the surrounding chiefs would not necessarily act in accordance with the prescriptions. This radical behaviour leads to derision, conflict, and to eventual war, in Megokgo ya Bjoko. As previously stated, the traditional healers, witchdoctors and witches play an important role in Matsepe’s writing. Detailed depictions of their practices, beliefs, instruments and followers, areas of specialisation and status within the community are given. The most important practitioners among them are almost exclusively in service to the king’s court, and may only administer to the general public with the king’s permission. Other important figures are the malome and rakgadi, who perform the rites and rituals of weddings and funerals. In Matsepe’s stories, the various and multitudinous rituals and duties that have to be performed tend to lead to conflict and violence. The importance of cattle also plays a role in terms of ceremonies and rituals. The roles and status of women are also described. Matsepe highlights the woman’s subordination to her husband, an example of which is depicted in the Leilane family where the wife will not share a meal with her husband. The work ethic of the women is also mentioned in (a) Morara’s conversation with an old friend, and (b) in Morara’s homecoming after visiting his close friend. Social occasions, such as beer parties, competitions and feasts to celebrate a boy’s accomplishments in tribal school are also accurately described; and the beer pot and ladling calabash are important instruments for such occasions. The space and place of Matsepe’s fictional world could be anywhere in Sekhukhuneland. The timeframe, however, is precise, inasmuch as every event occurs on the eve of the Voortrekkers’ arrival. This is not significant in and of itself, but because it occurs simultaneously with the appearance of the Halley’s comet, the timeframe’s specificity gains importance. In Megokgo ya Bjoko there are two events that are directly associated with the occurrence of Halley’s comet; namely the crow episodes that are related to the witchdoctors’ throwing of the bones. Halley’s comet, the arrival of the Voortrekkers, the many rituals and ceremonies, the cultural objects such as the ladling calabash, the picking of berries for the weaving of sleeping mats, etc are the only elements in Matsepe’s writing that are depicted as they are in reality. The role of the crows could be either pure fantasy, or ascribed to the superstitions of the people, as magic and divination were realities of the time, and can thus also be said to be a depiction of reality. Matsepe’s imaginary world is a fictitious reality that is true to life. It is so true to life, in fact, that the question arises whether he wanted to preserve the traditional way of life through writing his stories, for future generations; or whether he merely wanted to tell an interesting story against the backdrop of tradition. In writing Magokgo ya Bjoko, his choice is apparently the latter. For this purpose he utilises a nameless, unreliable narrator, who perpetually exposes the reader to his worldview, who loses his train of thought occasionally and asks for assistance, and who describes war and bloodlust in the enduring time of peace. He admits, though, that the ancestors are required to intervene and to reprimand those who do not fulfil the obligations of their duties; leading to the statement, respectfully made, by Groenewald in Die Feesbundel to Prof. E.B. van Wyk: “... his narrator is more than just a point of contact; he becomes a leading character and a symbol, and it is through him that the satire comes to life”. AFRIKAANS: In die eerste geskrewe verhale in Sepedi, behandel die skrywer uitsluitlik die probleem van verstedeliking en al die aaklighede wat daaruit voortspruit. Teen die helfde van die vorige eeu tree Matsepe na vore, en sien van die praktyk van sy voorgangers volkome af. In sy nege novelles/romans beskryf hy die tradisionele leefwyse van sy mense, en in slegs twee van sy werke word daar na blankes verwys, wat in beide gevalle die Voortrekkers is. So volledig word die tradisionele opset beskryf dat die vraag onwillekeurig onstaan of sy beskrywing nie hierop toegespits was om slegs ‘n getroue weergawe van daardie werklikheid te gee nie. Dit word dan die onderwerp van hierdie navorsing. Die navorser is uiteraard self een van daardie mense, hoewel nie deel van daardie tydsgewrig nie. Daarom bedien hy hom ook van ander bronne om hom van die tradisionele werklikheid te vergewis. Behalwe geskrewe werke, soos o.a. Mönnig se lywige monografie oor die Bapedi; word ook van die oudstes in die stam geraadpleeg: opperhoofde, verskeie kruie dokters wat o.a. vroue (in die praktyk as die betroubaarste informante bewys) insluit en raadsmanne. ‘n Sodanige studie is nog nie vantevore in Sepedi onderneem nie. Vereers het die ondersoeker hom van die teoretiese grondslag van sy navorsing vergewis, wat van belang is. Hieruit blyk dit dat selfs die grootste verdigsel, soos ‘n sprokie, nie anders kan as om die werklikheid tog op ‘n bepaalde manier op te roep nie. Dit hou uiteraard met die ervaringswêreld van die outeur, maar ook van sy leser, verband. En juis dít maak so ‘n onderneming soos wat hierdie in die vooruitsig stel, ‘n uiters delikate studie. Dit veronderstel o.a. dat die navorser hom op die hoogte moet stel van die lewensgeskiedenis van Matsepe: die lewesomstandighede waaronder hy groot geword het, die status wat hy in die gemeentskap geniet het, sy lewensbeskouing, sy prestasies en mislukkings, ens.Ofskoon Matsepe se prosawerke in die geheel te neem, by hierdie ondersoek in aanmerking geneem word, word die fokus op sy Megokgo ya Bjoko toegespits. Die redes hiervoor is dat: (a) dit literêr beoordeel, die interessantste asook bevredegindste van sy oeuvre is, en (b) sy werke inhoudelik, m.a.w. t.o.v. die tradisionele lewe van die Noord Sotho, ruimskoots ooreenstem. Dit kom duidelik in al sy werke na vore dat hy met die politieke stelsel van die stam intiem vertroud was, die regstelsel op die punte van sy vingers gehad het, en die sosiale en kulturele patrone en gebruike getrou kon weergee het. Vir die probleemstelling in al sy verhale lê hy die vinger op skuiwergate in die regstelsel en bou hy dit uit totdat dit aan die absurde grens. Die beskrywing van die verhaalwerklikheid raak die volgende sake: die karakters of persone, die gebeure, die plek, die tyd, asook die kulturele voorwerpe van belang. Met die oog hierop word daar onderskei tussen dit wat (a) werklik is, (b) denkbeeldig maar lewensgetrou is, en (c) pure fantasie is. Die onderskeid tussen werklikheid en lewensgetrouheid is in verhale van dié aard noodsaaklik omdat sekere persone/karakters, soos konings, werklik kon bestaan het. Daar mag dan selfs gebeurtenisse wees wat tydens hulle leeftyd waarlik plaasgevind het.Wat die Matsepekarakters betref, is hulle klaarblyklik almal denkbeeldig. Wat wel deel van die werklikheid uitmaak, is die seniortydsorde tussen die verskillende opperhoofde asook dié tussen die koning se raadmanne. So ook kom die verskillende kategorië van kruiedokters, toordokters en hekse, én wat hulle onderskeie professies is, ter sprake. So ook is die koning se hoofvrou belangrik omdat die troonopvolger uit haar gebore word en sy deur die stam getrou is. Ander belangrike figure is die malome en die rakgadi.Die gebeure of handeling is hoofsaaklik denkbeeldig. Dit wat in die hoofstat plaasvind, is uiteraard baie belangrik. Matsepe staan ‘n aansienlike deel van sy vertelling aan hofsake af. Hierin speel die koning en sy raadsmanne ‘n belangrike rol en eweneens in die prosedure hiertydens ter sake. En tydens veldslae is die koning die vernaamste figuur. Hy ly sy leërs in die oorlog en word aan sy mondering uitgeken. Word hy gevange geneem, het hy die veldslag verloor en word tereggestel, maar sy bloed mag nie vergiet word nie, want hy is nie ‘n hond nie. Maar vooraf onderhandel hy met omliggende opperhoofde dat hulle neutraal in die stryd moet staan en ook sommige van sy volgelinge tydens die oorlog moet herberg.Na die afsterwe van ‘n koning word bepaalde rituele en seremonies nagekom. As hy ‘n senior vors is, hoort ook die omliggende opperhoofde hulle aan die voorskrifte te hou. Dié is ingrypend van aard en lei in Megokgo ya Bjoko juis tot kwaaivriendskap en latere oorlog.‘n Belangrike plek word aan die rol van die verskillende toordokters, kruiedokters en hekse toegesê. Nie net hulle doen en late word beskryf nie, maar ook hulle mondering, gevolg, spesialiteit en status. Die vernaamste onder hulle is aan die koningshof verbonde en mag slegs met koningstoestemming die gewone burger bedien.Die malome en rakgadi is vername mense. Tydens huwelike, dood en begrafnisse speel hulle ‘n belangrike rol. ‘n Veelvoud van rituele en verpligtinge moet nagekom word, en in die Matsepeverhale lei dit gewoonlik tot groot onenigheid, twis en gewelddadigheid. Die belangrikheid van die bees kom ook hiertydens ter sprake.Die rol en status van die vrou kom ook onder die soeklig. Matsepe beskryf enertyds haar onderdanigheid aan haar man, soos in die geval van die Leilanehuishouding waar hulle ook nie saam die ete nuttig nie, en andertyds, haar daadkrag, soos beskryf word in (a) die gesprek tussen Morara en sy ou vriend, en (b) Morara se tuiskoms na sy besoek aan sy goeie vriend.Sosiale geleenthede, soos bierpartye, prysdigwedstryde en feesgeleenthede om ‘n seun se welslae tydens die stamskool te vier, word beskryf en in hierdie navorsing aan die werklikheid gekontroleer. Van groot belang natuurlik is die bierpot en die skepkalbas; spesiaal vir sodanige geleenthede.Ten opsigte van die wêreld of ruimte waarbinne gebeure afspeel, kan dit enige plek in Sekhukhuneland wees. Die tydstip, daarenteen, word presies bepaal, nl. dat alles plaasvind aan die vooraand van die koms van die Voortrekkers. Dit op sigself sou geen besondere betekenis gehad het nie, behalwe dat gebeurtenisse in tyd afloop. Maar hier is die betekenis hiervan dat die koms van die Voortrekkers destyds met die verskyning van die Halley-komeet saamval. Daar is twee geleenthede in Megokgo ya Bjoko wat met die Halley-komeet geassosieër word, nl. die kraaie-episodes wat met die toordokters se dolosse verbind word. Die Halley-komeet, die koms van die Voortrekkers, die talle rituele en seremonies, voorwerpe soos die skepkalbas vir die bier, die pluk van bessies vir die vleg van slaapmatte, die gras pons, ens, is die enigste sake wat aan die werklikheid toegesê kan word. Die rol wat die kraaie speel kan òf totale fantasie wees, òf kan aan bygeloof toegeskryf word: want daardie toorkuns was ‘n werklikheid vir daardie, en is dan soos die Halley-komeet nie deel van ‘n verbeeldingskug uitmaak nie.Die wêreld wat Matsepe in sy werke optower, is wel ‘n fiktiewe werklikheid, maart word tewens so getrou geteken dat die vraag ontstaan of hy nie die tradisionele lewenswyse, deur die storie wat hy vertel, wou opteken dat nie dit iewers op skrif vir die nageslag bewaar kan bly, en of hy bloot ‘n interessante storie wou vertel waar die tradisionele as die agtergrond dien waarteen die gebeure afspeel. Hy het met die skrywe van Megokgo ya Bjoko kennelik die tweede opsie gekies. Hiervoor gebruik hy ‘n naamlose vertellerkarakter wat vertel, wat sy lewesbeskouing herhaaldelik aan die leser opdring, wat die draad van sy storie plek-plek verloor, en vra dat iemand anders moet help, wat stryd, oorlog en bloederigheid beskryf en oplaas in ewedurende vrede voorhou. Maar, erken hy terselfdetyd dat die voorvaders van tyd tot tyd moet ingryp en die karwats moet inlê om diegene wat ander afknou tot verantwoording te roep. Die laaste word in dié verband kom Groenewald toe waar hy in die feesbundel aan Prof. E.B. van Wyk gewy, verduidelik: “... sy verteller is meer as net ‘n gesigspunt; hy word hoofkarakter; ook simbool, en deur hom kry die satire sy beslag”. / Thesis (DLitt)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / African Languages / unrestricted

The master thesis deals with the importance of the book in evolution of the children's imagination. The first part includes short introduction to problems of children's imagination. The second part is engaged in ontogeny of child from prenatal period to the middle childhood and in progress of key competences. It analyzes selected psychological approaches, which had the imagination as a subject of the research. The thesis explains and defines basic terms and processes of the imagination. It deals with a specific phenomenon of the children's imagination and with the evolution of the imagination. The third part introduces typical children's literature, directs on the traditional fairytale and it specifies problems of the literary characters too. It describes the historical development of the Czech book illustration, importance of the illustration in books for children and it also describes children's drawings. The fourth part applies all of previous pieces of knowledges into the work experience in kindergarten. It also describes relations between child and school or child and book. The final part of the master thesis includes summary of the information. [Author's abstract].