English Paper 2

"If there is meaning in life at all, then there must be meaning in suffering". How has suffering been described in two works you have studied, and how could this be said to give meaning to life?

Philip Pullman's book written of the original Grimm Brother tales is a selection of Pullman's favourite stories which have been refreshed to make even more interesting and engaging for readers all over the world. Suffering is commonly found throughout many poems and real life and is used in a structured way to eventually build up and reward the suffered person with happiness which it may not have found in if they didnt suffer in the first place.

In Rapunzel, Suffering is one of the main themes. It already shows it self in the first paragraph of the story where Rapunzel's parents lose their daughter to a witch in exchange for the mothers health. Rapunzel then has to suffer loneliness for some years as she is locked up in a tower. The eventual reward is her meeting the love of her life, a prince. Shown in the text "There the poor young woman suffered greatly and, after a few months, gave birth to twins." Not only does Rapunzel have to suffer but this is followed up by her children falling victim to this horrible life "they had no money, no home, and only what they could beg from passers-by who heard Rapunzel sing. They were often hungry"

This common not only in fairy tales but is often found in real life as if nothing is granted for free in life and we must lose something in exchange for the reward of another. The suffering is what gives the meaning to life as in reality people can not only benefit and expect life to be rewarding.

the suffering in Rapunzel clearly toned as she get locked up and taken from her real parents. Not only that but her children must also fall under this spell. I believe that in this work suffering is perfectly shown as in the overall fairy tale there is also a reward out of the suffering. This is her mother getting healed from the food of the witch and Rapunzel meeting the love of her life.

The second chosen work is Hansel and Gretel. This work is one of the most harsh and popular written fairy tales. The story already begins with a type of suffering called poverty. The family is so poor which does not allow them to buy food for their children. This leads to the point where the mother brings up the idea of leading their children into a forest and letting them die allowing them to be able to afford food. This does not happen as the children are intelligent enough to see this coming. This intelligence will eventually reward them their freedom.

The children get taken in by a witch who captures them with food outside of the house. The children are starving so bad they dont even hold doubt to wether it is safe to eat the candy house. The children get locked up and the witch plans to eat the boy but first she wants the sister to make her brother fat to eventually get eaten by the witch.

Once again the intelligence plays an important role as the sister reads the witch and know she wants to throw her in the oven. She plays dumb and makes the witch show how to get in the oven and when she gets in the sister locks her in. The children suffer once again, "Gretel closed her ears and ran outside" She has to hear the screams of a person getting burned alive. This is why I find this poem to be one of the most gruesome poems.

Eventually the suffering comes to an end with the mother dying as and the father regretting the choice of abandoning his children in the forest. The family is able to get back together and live happily after.

The story does include nummeruous amounts of suffering. I find this a bit over extensive as it does not completly follow the meaning of live as this is one of the more severe cases. In the case of fairy tales it does give a meaning of life. Suffering is a common part of structures in tales and is once again used in Hansel and Gretel to give a meaning in their life as they overcome their evil mother and poverty with the jewels they take home.

To conclude Suffering is commonly found throughout Rapunzel and Hansel and Gretel. It is used in a structured way to eventually build up and reward the suffered person with happiness which it may not have found in if they didnt suffer in the first place. This is Rapunzel finding the love of her life and being freed. For Hansel and Gretel they get out of poverty and their evil mother is gone leaving both fairy tales more happy than at the start.