The Heroine’s Journey: An Archetypal Analysis of Grimms’ Mother Holle
Abstract
Extensive literary studies have been conducted on the popular Grimms' Fairy Tales as they offer rich sociocultural and psychological insights. However, there is limited research on lesser-known fairy tales, such as Mother Holle. Thus, this study analyses the archetypal stages of the heroine's journey in the Grimms' Mother Holle. This is done by applying the structure proposed by Victoria Schmidt in her Heroine's Journey model. The narrative motifs and symbols encountered along the journey, such as the good mother vs. evil mother, spindle, well, home and the unknown, are analyzed to uncover the embedded thematic and psychological messages. The analysis reveals how Mother Holle serves as a psychological catalyst for girls to reach maturity through overcoming the challenges of life just like the industrious girl reaches her symbolic maturity by embracing the trials and tribulations of her journey.
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