http://www.authorama.com/grimms-fairy-tales-16.html
I re-read Rapunzel for the fairy tale blog and as I was reading it I have not heard the story of Rapunzel since I was very little so it was like reading the story for the first time. While reading, I realized the simile when the King’s son talks to her. The story says that “He talked to her quite like a friend.” This had a very larger impact on how Rapunzel began to trust him and eventually agree to marry him. He treated her as an equal even though she was a woman and he had never met her before he was very kind to her. Judging by the behavior of the enchantress she had never had that kind of treatment and respect before. This goes a long way in showing the oppression that Rapunzel felt by the situation that the enchantress had set up for her. Rapunzel was constrained and unable to lead a normal life. The King’s son treated her well and this lead to the climax of the story when the enchantress finds out about the young lovers. Everything ends well and they live happily ever after just like in other fairy tales.
I also never really wondered why she was named Rapunzel. I soon realized that it was after the vegetable that her mother desired so much that she literally traded her daughter for the vegetable (turnip possibly.)
I loved re-reading this fairy tale and found a few new and interesting ideas that I never picked up on as a small child reading the toned down version in her book of fairy tales (in that she never had children and the King’s son did not have his eyes violently torn out by thorns!!) I actually had a fun time doing this blog because I love to read fairy tales and look at the meanings.
I love the things you found in Rapunzel. As a child, it’s easy to listen to fairytales and ask no questions and recognize nothing cool or interesting. However, I love the meaning of her name. It answers a lot of questions, and connects very well. Plus the similie you found is really good too. It tells a lot about the relationship in the story. It’s really cool to think that even the authors of fairytales include figurative language in their writing.