BIBLIOGRAPHY
Zelinsky, Paul O. 1997. RAPUNZEL. New York: Dutton Children’s Books. ISBN 0525456074
PLOT SUMMARY
With an appetite that could kill her, a pregnant woman sits by her window desperately wanting a taste of the rapunzel in the sorceress’ garden next door. To keep her alive, her husband sneaks the herb from the garden for his wife. Day after day he does this until one day he gets caught. The sorceress demands a deal that in order to return alive to his wife with the rapunzel, the baby must be turned over to the sorceress when delivered. Without much choice, the husband agrees and the sorceress raises the child as her own and names her Rapunzel. When the girl is older, the sorceress takes her to a high tower to live with no entrance except the window at the top. The only way for the sorceress to visit Rapunzel is to climb up her hair. So she cries out, “Rapunzel! Rapunzel! Let down your hair!” and then climbs up. A handsome prince, traveling near the tower hears Rapunzel singing and after spying on the sorceress, he realizes how to see Rapunzel. The two fall in love, are married without a ceremony, and Rapunzel becomes pregnant. As her dress grows too tight, the sorceress learns of her affair and in a frantic rage, cuts off her hair and banishes her to a wild country where she gives birth to twins. After learning of Rapunzel’s fate, the prince falls from the tower and is crippled with blindness. He stumbles and wanders for a year until eventually reaching the wild country where Rapunzel and the twins are living. He hears her singing and is reunited. Her tears of joy flood his eyes and his sight returns. The prince gazes at his newfound family and realizes he is in the land where he reigns. From there, the family lives joyfully in his kingdom.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
RAPUNZEL is a conflicted and action-filled journey through time for its characters. Rapunzel and her husband represent the good and decent while the sorceress is symbolic of evil in the world. The conflict resonates throughout the story and the reader shares in the family’s joy at being reunited and overcoming the evil of the sorceress. A garden and beautiful homes set the stage for the story as well as the tower which comes later. According to Zelinsky and his illustrations, the time of his version of this story is the Italian Renaissance era. His pictures are reminiscent of paintings from this era and encompass strong colors, architecture, and dramatic effects such as “billowing drapery” and “light falling on tree leaves.”
Though a children’s story, the story of events are quite grotesque. For instance, the pregnant mother dying from not eating the rapunzel she craves. Other events such as the sorceress taking the baby, then locking her up in a tower sheltered from all are also disheartening. Later her hair is chopped off, she is banished from all, and the prince falls to what should-have-been his death. These happenings could all be upsetting for children of certain ages. It’s a large plot with definite relief in the happy ending. With an assortment of variations of this story, Zelinsky’s tale is carefully researched, thought-out, and executed according to his professional opinion. He states that his story embodies, “the most moving aspects of the story with the most satisfying structure, and brings out its mysterious internal echoes.” The repeated elements are kept in place with the sorceress and prince calling out to Rapunzel to let down her hair. A captivating story for readers of assorted ages, Rapunzel encapsulates the true essence of folktales, culture, and unity with illustrations.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
KIRKUS REVIEWS – “Exquisite paintings in late Italian Renaissance style illumine this hybrid version of a classic tale.”
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY - "A breathtaking interpretation gives the fairy tale new art-historical roots, with illustrations that daringly—and effectively—mimic the masters of Italian Renaissance painting."
CONNECTIONS
*Teachers can order rapunzel (in America) or Chiltern Seeds (type of rapunzel) from England to be tasted or planted.
*Read RUMPLESTILTSKIN and conduct an author study or compare the two traditional stories.
*Read another variation of RAPUNZEL and compare.
*Discuss the step-mothers in other stories such as CINDERELLA, SNOW WHITE, and other tales.
*Have students rewrite their own variations of the story.
*Have a Renaissance exhibit showcasing clothing, armor, weaponry, and incorporate books from this era.
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