In their preface, the Grimms explained their interest in the culture of the common people, and their intention in recording their tales: “It was perhaps just the right time to record these tales since those people who should be preserving them are becoming more and more scarce. . . . Wherever the tales still exist, they continue to live in such a way that nobody ponders whether they are good or bad, poetic or crude. People know them and love them because they have simply absorbed them in a habitual way. And they take pleasure in them without having any reason. This is exactly why the custom of storytelling is so marvelous.” In short, the Grimms’ first collection was shaped as an archaeological excavation and as a book for adults and for scholars. Their tales were not to be classified as children’s stories, not even today. –“How the Grimm Brothers Saved
the Fairy Tale,”
Jack Zipes
What is the central idea of this passage?
Archaeology is important for preserving cultural customs of the past, including the art of storytelling.
Characters in the old stories were neither good nor bad, and people enjoyed the simplicity of the tales.
The Grimms had an interest in preserving tales to be shared with adults and children of future generations.
The Grimms’ first collection of tales was a cultural study intended for a scholarly audience.