The Erl-King
-an adaptation of the European tap
-a character depicted in a number of German poems and ballads as a malevolent creature who hunts forests and carries off travellers to their deaths
-the character is most famous as the antagonist in Goethe's poem -Der Erl Konig
-Christian Rossetti's - Goblin Mathet, a tale of Laura and Lizzie, and the dangers of goblins and the power of sisterly love
-Emily Dickinson - 'light is sufficient into itself' ?
-little red riding hood
-the greenman/nature motif
-Shakespeare's Othello - green eyed monster
-opening is magical, overtly verbose
1-how is the Erl-King presented?
'the Erl-King will do you grievous harm' the first mention of him is dangerous, yet she still decided to see him, she is conscious of her actions.
'his eyes are quite green' - reference to the green man
'white pointed teeth' - animalistic, reference to little red riding hood
2-how is the narrator presented?
the woman is the narrator, although the narrative perspective keeps changing, which can be linked to the gothic blurring of boundaries. This also creates the impression of confusion and loss within the forest. Due to the changing perspectives of the narrative, can the narrator be viewed as trapped within the forest of free? This can be linked to the gothic theme of entrapment
3-references to other stories:
-red riding hood 'what big teeth you have
-robin hood/scarlett letter
-green man
-erl-king (urkling - imp in pagan stories)
-dracula - biting on the neck - scandinavia
-werewolf
You must try and add more depth to your responses Emily. With such 'brief' answers it is difficult for you to demonstrate to me that you understand the narratives and likewise it is difficult for me to ascertain what you do and do not understand.
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