1. Renee Garrasi Travis Lunsford Hayley Tuinstra
It’s not the fairy tale you remember.
Start: Renee
Renee Garrasi Travis Lunsford Hayley Tuinstra

2. Hear Malinda Lo’s Description of Ash
Book Talk Links:
Renee

3. Discussion Points Fairy Tales and Fantasy Compare Ash and Cinderella
Religion and Witchcraft
LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender)
Gender Roles
Death and its impact on the young
Renee

4. Fairy Tales vs. Fantasy
Fairy Tale Criteria:
Often short texts
Have root in archaic society and thought
Strive to preserve a story as close to its original version as possible
Take place in a magical world
Always seen as unbelievable
Fantasy Criteria:
Full-length novels
Grows out of the fairy tale
Modern phenomenon
Conscious creation
Presence of magic, supernatural
Can be accepted as real or seen from a rational standpoint
Hayley
How would you define Ash, as a Fairy Tale or as Fantasy; or mix of the two?

5. Compare Ash& Cinderella
Similarities:
Family Situation
Maid
“Fairy Godmother”
Going to the ball, receiving the dress from the fairy
Finds love
Home by midnight, time limit
Locked in the cellar
Sleeps by fireplaces
Older sister = mean
Stepsister and mother tearing away her ballgown/jewelry
Materialism of step-family
Mirror-like characters
Differences:
Fairy is a male rather than female
Able to learn more of Ash’s parents
NO LOST SHOES!
Loves another female, rather than the prince
In Ash saves herself and then finds love
References to other fairy tales
Ash more disobedient than classic cinderella
Hayley

6. Are the any fairy tales that were special to you?
Kathleen’s Tale (Pg )
Kathleen was a 16 year old girl betrothed to the village baker’s son. Distracted by young love, she was lost in the Wood until finding lights which were a part of a fairy ring. The fairy prince pulled her into their Midsummer’s Eve celebration and filled her mind and spirit with the beauty and charm of their world.
The next morning she awoke to find herself yearning to be back with the fairies. Kathleen went to the village greenwitch and received a wreath of mugwort that would allow her to visit the fairy world in her dreams. No human food or connection compared to her fairy dreams. On her last night of burning the wreath’s leaves, Kathleen could not wake, she was trapped in the world she loved so dearly.
Are the any fairy tales that were special to you?
Hayley

7. Religion and Witchcraft
Pg. 9 – “the Wood is thought to be the home of dangerous beasts and the most powerful of all the fairies. Some scholars speculate that once upon a time, the country was thick with magic; in addition to fairies there were powerful sorcerers and witches who did more than brew willow bark tea to calm a child’s fever. But as time passed, the magic faded, leaving behind only a faint memory of its power.
Pg. 11 – (Philosophers) “argued passionately with the village greenwitches, claiming that all those fairy tales were nothing but the stuff of nonsense – there were no greenies or goblins.”
How do you feel religion/witchcraft affected this novel? Where did you see the conflicts?
Travis

8. LGBT
Throughout the novel Ash seems to have feelings not only for the male fairy, Sidhean but for the female huntress, Kaisa, as well.
Although, often feeling overcome with emotion when with Sidhean, it is with Kaisa, that her love seems to blossom. Not only sharing kisses with her, but dances, and eventually running away with her.
Many of the moments relating to LGBT are very subtle, do you think this makes it a proper example of LGBT literature? Why or why not?
Travis

9. Gender Roles Hetero-Normative Gender Roles
Male/Masculine – Hunter, Provider
Female/Feminine – Caregiver, Healer, Subordinate
How are these portrayed in Ash?
Gender Role Reversal
Gender Role Fluidity
Androgyny
Examples from the text?
Travis

10. Death and its impact on the young
Early in the novel Ash is left to deal with the passing of her mother and father as well as gaining an unsupportive stepmother and stepsisters.
Throughout the pages, readers are able to see how this can affect a young adult. Whether it be in feeling lost in life or in trying to make connections with the unknown.
How do you think you would handle this situation?
Renee

11. Drawing Activity
Fairies are usually described as human in appearance and having magical powers much like in Ash.
Descriptions are given of them in pages 33 and as a reminder.
How do you picture these fairies?
Renee

12. Citations
For Pictures: