As these are often based on familiar folklore, or have underlying themes of morality and emotion, I thought they would provide a solid backbone for any ideas I might draw from them. If I could find a single story that shares much in common with my subject matter, it would be perfect!
I've spent 2 days in the library, looking for some inspiration in this area. Below is a quick recount of some of the more useful books I came across.
"Tales of Freedom" by Ben Okri contained many interesting stories, some almost elusive in meaning, open to interpretation, which could serve as an ideal playground for me to play in, as I might be able to adapt and interpret such tales to fit my project. Some are quite poignant, many are abstract, but from the ones that I read, they all have deeper meanings. Some quotes that stood out to me from the whole book are as follows...
“We have not yet arrived, but every point at which we stop requires a re-definition of our destination.”
“A tolerable hell is better than an impossible heaven.”
“It is easier to get lost within sight of the palace. Hope makes all things near, and so can prove treacherous.”
The Little Match Girl is a short story first published way back in 1845 by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen. The story is about a dying child's dreams and hope, from a life lived in poverty. She lights match after match to stay warm and see visions of happiness and contentment within the warm glow, but ultimately runs out of matches and tragically freezes to death. The metaphor of using our only resources dreaming of a future we may or may not discover, would work quite well I feel.
Jack & The Beanstalk is a famous fairy tale that everyone knows, and also one that draws many similarities to the issue surrounding my chosen subject. A young boy, living in relative poverty, sets off on a grand journey full of struggles to find fortune, but ultimately finds danger, in the form of a giant. With many parallels to my topic, the beanstalk could easily be the train as a means of getting to the destination, the giant surely represents the monstrous threat that makes the journey so perilous, and the golden egg fortune Jack tries to steal could very easily represent the very opportunity of a better life.
I shall be reading many more stories in the hope of finding something entirely suitable for my work, as I do feel the right story or topic could prove the solid background for my project that I feel it needs in order to stand strong.
The problem with adapting such tales though, like Jack & The Beanstalk for instance, is that it may limit what I'm trying to say. Or it might even be stepping on the toes of the people who already said something with their story. If it's unsuitable, it could be taken as too forced. Plus, with how well known a story such as Jack & The Beanstalk is for example, it might take away from the issue itself, and as a result weaken the importance of my statement about it.
Plus, many tales have already been adapted, so what would I actually be looking to achieve, or do differently, by using them as the core of a new story?
Hmmm. Using such works would pose a few problems, but I do still feel there's potential in the idea yet. I shall read into more literature in the hopes of finding something more suitable.
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