Connections that Open Up

A linguistic look at a folktale

Marvels and Tales

“Marvels & Tales is a peer-reviewed journal that is international and multidisciplinary in orientation. The journal publishes scholarly work dealing with the fairy tale in any of its diverse manifestations and contexts. Marvels & Tales provides a central forum for fairy-tale studies by scholars of literature, folklore, gender studies, children’s literature, social and cultural history, anthropology, film studies, ethnic studies, art and music history, and others.”

“Connections that Open UP: Coordination and Causality in Folktales” by Joyce Goldenstern was published in Marvels and Tales. Read it here: Link

Abstract

This article explores the use of conjunctions and abverbials in the East Anglican oral tale, “Tom Tit Tot.” Specifically, the use and meanings of “well,” “and,” and “so” are explored, and the absence of the conjunction “because” is considered. Then the differences in coordination between oral and printed tales (specifically several Grimm tales) is commented upon. The author concludes that coordination in tales often marks causality in implicit and ambiguous ways rather than in explicit and precise ways, thus “opening up” the tales, allowing them room for various interpretations and modes of development.

Recommended Citation

Goldenstern, Joyce. “Connections That Open Up: Coordination and Causality in Folktales.” Marvels & Tales 15.1 (2001). Web. <http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/marvels/vol15/iss1/2&gt;.