From its roots in the oral tradition to the sophisticated, postmodernist reworkings of the present day, the fairy tale has retained its powerful hold over the cultural imagination of Europe and North, Fairy tales are one of our earliest cultural forms, and forests one of our most ancient landscapes. There's no question that Anne Sexton was one of the most disturbed poets of her time; with her sexual sadistic ways, she pulls you into her 'fairy-tales' and forces you to read. She explained to Gretel that she must climb in the oven to see if she would fit. The woodcutter protested, but his wife said they would starve to death if he did not obey her. They are not just uncomfortable; they are unable to feed themselves. This allows their father to become a rich man at the end of the story instead of having to live in poverty like before. I feel that Alis diction at the end of Hansels Game even goes as far as to portray Hansel and Gretel as sinners themselves despite them outwitting their mother since it lacks the happily ever after and joyful word choice that is usually used at the end of fairytales. Hansel And Gretel Analysis. Therefore, the stories still needed to be edited to omit violent, scary, or inappropriate elements. The story has several themes, or main ideas: poverty, protecting one's family, greed, coming-of-age (the process of growing up), and gender roles (how people are expected to act in society based on their gender). He identifies both with humans and creatures on a rational level ultimately trying to find his place in acceptance in the world. In lieu of trying to support her entire family with insufficient food, she chooses to allow herself and her husband to eat more comfortably by purposefully leaving her children in the middle of the woods to die. FL: Anne Sexton's "Her Kind" - SHARKPACK Poetry Review Required fields are marked *. So many surprises :). The winning collection, Live or Die, is commonly considered to be her best. These two brothers have constructed a great deal of imagery throughout the story which represents the innocence of a child. They then find their way home to their father, who is overjoyed to see them and that they are now rich. Some critics also equate the mother with the witch, reasoning that they could be the same person or at least connected.