In the theoretical part of the thesis titled »Fairy Tale Characters with Special Needs in Grimm's Fairy Tales«, I will first introduce the fairy tale collectors, their works, and the background of the creation of the collection »Children's and Household Tales.« I will include the cultural and historical context of the Brothers Grimm era, which will help us understand how societal norms influenced the depiction of special needs in fairy tales. I will addressthe concept of the fairy tale and define the motifs of childism annd ageism that appear in the tales. I will also explore the concept of empathy and how it is developed in children. Furthermore, I will define nine categories that classify children with special needs, which will assist me in categorizing the special needs of fairy tale characters.
The fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm in the 19th century require us to consider the broader definition of special needs. In the practical part of the thesis, I will analyze the caracters from the tales »Brother and Sister«, »The Girl Without Hands«, »The Twelve Brothers«, »The Princess and the Enchanted Prince. The Frog King«, »Rapunzel«, »Snow White«, »Rumpelstiltskin«, and »Simpleton.«
I aim to explore their roles in the narrative, how the characters are presented and treated in the fairy tales, categorize their special needs based on ther portrayal in the stories, and investigate the impact of these fairy tales on the perception of disability and developement of empathy in children. I will be interested in whether the characters are depicted in a way that allows children to develop empathy while reading. I will investigate this by analyzing the nicknames given to characters with special needs in the stories and uncovering the causes of their disabilities. For the research, I will use qualitative method, specifically a comparative method.
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