description: This study assumes that the events which held great importance for Alain-Fournier were not haphazard occurrences but the signs of pre-existing psychic themes. One of the frames of reference from which these tendencies originate is the world of the fairy-tale. These themes have far-reaching value since the fairy-tale, in its structure and content, is a universal expression of human aspirations. The structure of Le Grand Meaulnes, based on the opposition «departure» vs. «return», is similar to the universal quest often represented in fairy-tales. The tale type of «Sleeping Beauty» contains three elements of content («motifs») most applicable to the the Prince, the Princess and the Château. The psychological significance of the novel is brought to light by a study of Alain-Fournier's symbolic transformation of these motifs.
language: English
title: Fairy-Tale Structures and Motifs in Le Grand Meaulnes
titlecomplete: Fairy-Tale Structures and Motifs in Le Grand Meaulnes
publisher: Peter Lang International Academic Publishers