Analysis Of Vasilisa The Beautiful

After reading both Smirnov’s and Afanas’ev’s versions of Vasilisa the Beautiful, I believe that they are not the same story. Firstly, both stories have a different function 2. In Smirnov’s story, function 2 happens when the girl is warned to not go to the lout’s house or the lout will eat her. In Afanas’ev’s version, Function 2 happens when Vasilisa’s mother warns her not to forget to feed the doll because it will help her. Another reason that they are not the same story is they both have a different function 8. In Smirnov’s “Vasilisa the beautiful” the function 8 is the lack of fire. In Afanas’ev’s “Vasilsia the Beautiful” the function 8 is the lack of a good mother. Another reason indicating they are not the same story is because they both …show more content…
The first function to appear in the story is function 1, abstention. Function 1 occurs when the parents leave home and leave the daughter and her brother. Next function 2,interdiction, occurs when her parents told her to not leave her brother and to watch over him. Function 3, violation of interdiction, then occurs when the girl forgets to watch her brother and he gets taken by the swan geese. Function 8 is performed by the swan geese when they take the girl’s brother. This makes the swan geese the villain because they performed function 8.That then leads to Function 9, mediation, when the girl figures out that her brother is gone and has been taken by the swan geese. This then leads to function 10, beginning counteraction, when the girl was thinking about what to do about the fact that her brother was taken. The girl then performs function 11, departure, when she leaves her house to go after her brother. This makes her the (s)hero. The next function that occurs is 19, liquidation when the girl finds and grabs her brother and they start running. The girl is carrying her brother while running back to their house. This is function 20, return. On their way back, the swan geese chase the girl. This is function 21, pursuit. On the way back the river, tree and stove allow the girl to hide from the swan geese after she completes simple tasks, this is Function 22, Rescue. Finally the (s)hero …show more content…
Firstly function 13 or reaction is a climatic function because the hero is tested and the outcome of the rest of the story is dependent on what the (s)hero does. This often times is the point of highest emotion in a story and if the (s)hero succeeds it can also be a turning point in the story. An example of this is in Vasilisa the beautiful when Baba yaga tests Vasilisa she talked to her doll to help her pass the tests and succeed which is a turning point in the story. Function 16 or struggle is also a climatic function because during a conflict between the (s)hero and the villain it can be the highest point of emotion in a story and also a turning point in the story. One example is in elena the wise, when the soldier challenges elena to a match where she has to find him and he has to hide from her or he dies. Another example is in Cinderella by the grimm brothers, when the stepsisters get their eyes pecked out. Also, in Vasilisa the Beautiful by, Smirnov, the girl gets eaten by the lout after a