The Fisherman and His Wife Fairy tales have always played an important role in the lives of people around the globe. These tales allow both children and adults to escape from the monotonous world, and travel back in time and experience extraordinary adventures alongside their favorite heroes and heroines such as Rapunzel, Peter Pan, Prince Charming, and of course Cinderella. These stories feed on childlike imagination, providing an oasis of creativity and wonder in the midst of one’s mundane life. Authors such as Hans Christian Anderson and the Grimm Brothers created these stories long ago to reproach society’s failures and flaws and to try to teach a lesson to its readers. The modern, whimsical versions vary from their original counterparts
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In the tale “The Fisherman and His Wife”, the Grimm Brothers combine archetypal elements and historical background of nineteenth century Germany as well as psychological values in order to deliver a lesson on greediness …show more content…
In the story, the women started out as a destitute wife of a fisherman, and they lived together in a small hovel within the forest. Once the husband encounters the enchanted prince disguised as a fish, she becomes obsessed with gaining more power and wealth and status by asking the fish to give her these in exchange for sparing his life. The fisherman’s wife is never content with her current circumstances; she desires to be omnipotent, ultimately resulting in her final request to become God. Ilsebil shows her greed and desire to rule over the universe when she says to her husband, “‘[If] I cannot be Lord of the Universe, and cause the sun and moon to set and rise, I should not be able to bear it. I shall never have another happy moment’” ((Lucas. Crane, and Edwards 123). She was encouraged by her husband to be thankful for each wish that the enchanted fish grants. Her husband pleads, “‘Ah, wife, it is a fine thing for you to be King. Now we will not wish to be anything more’” (119). He wanted her to express gratuity to the fish, but her need for power was insatiable. Therefore, instead of thanking the fish, she continued to send her husband back to the fish. Even though some may consider the demands of the wife to be outrageous and excessive, the ideas of greed and contentment are still matters of contention throughout society today, just in
In the tale “The Fisherman and His Wife”, the Grimm Brothers combine archetypal elements and historical background of nineteenth century Germany as well as psychological values in order to deliver a lesson on greediness …show more content…
In the story, the women started out as a destitute wife of a fisherman, and they lived together in a small hovel within the forest. Once the husband encounters the enchanted prince disguised as a fish, she becomes obsessed with gaining more power and wealth and status by asking the fish to give her these in exchange for sparing his life. The fisherman’s wife is never content with her current circumstances; she desires to be omnipotent, ultimately resulting in her final request to become God. Ilsebil shows her greed and desire to rule over the universe when she says to her husband, “‘[If] I cannot be Lord of the Universe, and cause the sun and moon to set and rise, I should not be able to bear it. I shall never have another happy moment’” ((Lucas. Crane, and Edwards 123). She was encouraged by her husband to be thankful for each wish that the enchanted fish grants. Her husband pleads, “‘Ah, wife, it is a fine thing for you to be King. Now we will not wish to be anything more’” (119). He wanted her to express gratuity to the fish, but her need for power was insatiable. Therefore, instead of thanking the fish, she continued to send her husband back to the fish. Even though some may consider the demands of the wife to be outrageous and excessive, the ideas of greed and contentment are still matters of contention throughout society today, just in