The author begins and ends her fairy tale with the words of the wise witch Magda, who is the children's savior. She is an outsider from the village of Piaski, with Gypsy heritage, but she's also relative to many of the characters.
How is she a traditional witch? What abilities mark her as such? How does she display her unconventional morals when considering the affairs of others? Why does the author make her a narrator?
65 comments:
To my mind, Magda ia a good witch. As it said in your question, she is a savior of the children. She knows, how to cure Gretel, when she has had pneumonia, she helps Nelka when she is giving a birth....so she is good...
To my mind, Magda is a good witch. As it said in your question, she is a savior of the childre. Magda knows, how to cure Gretel, when she has had pneumonia, she knows, how to help, when Nelka is giving a birth...so she is a good witch...
I haven't read a lot about her, but I think that she is a good witch. :))) she let children to stay at her house and it's a sign of goodwill :)
In my opinion, she is an old lonely woman, believing in spirits, making magical drinks, so literally she is a witch, but its hard to say if shes good or bad, becouse it is apparent, what she cares for children. Still she is very misterious and obviously has a dark side. So far she is a good witch, but Im not sure, if its for long
In my opinion, its still not clear, if shes a good witch or bad witch. So far she is a good witch, becous it is apparent, that she cares for children, but on the other hand she is misterious and has a dark side, so Im not completely sure. Soo far shes good, but is she for real.....
Shes good, but she is still very misterious to me.....
Well, in this story I think Magda is a good witch. She did many good things... I think she should not be called as a witch because it doesn't describe her...
In my opinion,Magda is very interesting for readers.It is realy cool that which is different ,I mean good.She loves the children and also she takes care of them even they aren't her relatives.
I think that Magda is a good witch...She tries to protect children, although it is a risk for her life. She uses all her witch's knowledge to cure people and to predict the future.She sacrifices with her life to save children and young family...And she feels happy before her death, because she did the main thing, she saved them!
Ekaterina
In my opnion, Magda is a good witch, because she is a savior of the children. She knows how to cure Gretel and helps Nelka when she is giving birth. So she is good.
She isnt the traditional witch. Usually witches are bad and this one is not. Also she dont have special supernatural abilities. Actually its even hard to call her a witch because its more just an ordinary person with some similarities to witch.
I wonder if we really shloud call Magda a witch. She does do nothing similar what usually witches doing. She is old nice lady who becomes a 'witch' because she have to survive. During the war she stays human and carefull. She protects and helps children who are foreigners. Magda represents to me any old ladies from contryside who lived at that time in Poland.
Magda is a good witch and always be one, because she saved children from terrible death.
I believe, Magda is a good witch. She let the children stay at her house, helped them whatever happened, she even saved them and gave her own life when the germans came. And she helped Nelka when she gave birth. So she is really a good witch.
I think that magda is a good witch. If she were "bad" I don't think that she would have dealed with those children for such a long time. It was extremely risky to give a shelter to Hansel and Gretel, jewish kids, hard to keep them fed, but she took this up and because of that I consider her as a good witch.
Ieva M.
Magda is the best witch I've ever heard about! :D she took care of the children, she did everything to save them from death. It seemed like Hansel and Gretel were her children, Magda was like a mother to them. I think she was a strong woman, and she is worth to be respected.
The character of Magda, the witch is excellent. In my opinion she is good person. She saved children. Magda was not a traditional witch. Her character seem believable.
Definitely a good one. She turned out to be not only a good friend for both Hansel and Gretel, but also she could be a great mother for them, at least from my point of view.
Magda is a very interesting character, it's hard to say she is good or bad.Although, in my opinion she is a good witch,because she helps and cares for other.
Magda is a good witch, because she cares about the childrens, she saved them from death. also she helped Nelka and her baby.
Magda, in this story was very different from the original fairytale. I never expected that she would be so kind to the children. She cared for them, looked after them and in the end saved them from death. Her death was very unusual and dramatic for me too. It was surprising to find out tha she saved kids with oven. So it was sad to read about her death. This story was retold by her, so its seems like she left her memorial legacy afer her:)))
In my opinion,Magda is a real witch with deep knowledge and abilities. She lives alone in the forest which is full of mystery things and animlas. Her hut also looks as a witche's hut. She is a good witch because she shares love with children...she saves them.
In my opinion, she`s a good witch, which have some magic abilities... Why can we say that she is good? Because she helped childer threw all pages of this story. I think, it`s enough to be good...
I think that in this story witch Magda is a good witch. She wants that children would stay because she wants to help them and she thinks that it will be easier for her. So she founds banefit but Magda not only uses the kids, she also let the children stay at her home, cares of Gretel when she is sick and etc.
I believe, that Magda is a good witch. She helps/saviour these children, who actually are nothing for her. She let them live with her. Even though she knows, that she puts herself and them in a risk.
She's a witch, everyone knows her as one. She's using strange medicines, she knows when something is going to happen.
She's treating others in the way they treated her- if village did nothing to protect her, she won't do a lot to help them. (it might now seem like she's bad, but she's not- she's fair)
Hi
We used that witch is someone who is a witch is a bad person.But it's a stereotype.She is really good person,you know.Although villagers tried to kill her,she didn't become angry with all the people she met.She helped children,despite she knew that they can get her in trouble, she helped Nelka,she even tried to understand her brother a heped him,saying that he can come to her hunt,and talke to her.So Magda is a VERY good witch.
When it comes to Magda, I don't think we can say that she is good or bad witch. Yes, she saves the children, feeds them and protects. On the other hand, by doing so, she endangers people of the village Piaski. If Nazis realised the children are Jews, every citizen would die. Magda definitely is a witch (predicting future, curing with herbs, etc.) but I still can't decide, whether good or bad.
Magda is not a traditional "bad" witch. However, she has some features that traditional witches have: she lives alone in the forest, she predicts things, also she makes variuos medicine from herbs. But Magda is a good witch because she lets children to stay with her, she takes care of them even thought they are not her relatives and it could be very difficult to take care of little children. In addition, she cares not only for Hansel and Gretel, but fot Nelka as well. So she really is a good witch.
I dont know much about Magda, but she is not like a traditional witch, because she is good, she saves Hansel and Gretel from death. :)
I dont know is she good or bad , but is more good about here than bad so I gues that she is good ;DD thats all
Magda must be a good witch, since she cares a lot about Hansel and Gretel, the children who were strangers to her, and because she helps people in the village e.g. during labours. The odd way she behaves when she finds them doesn't really matter. She always tries to act on trust and be loyal.
Magda is really cool witch-women, I would prefer that she might be my real grandmother. What I like of her is independence. She is God for herself.
She is a good one. That was so strange when I read the novel.
The question: ,,Why the author made her a narrator?" made me think a litle. I didn't notice that until I didin't read that question. I think the reason is that all events is happening around her. Another reason could be that she is a witch, so she has to know everything. It would be an interesting reason.
I think that she is brave and honorble. I don't know if she is good or bad. Still she tried safe kids
Well, I assume that Magda is a good witch. She doesn't look like a traditional witch who are always trying to scare or curse children. Magda is a sensible women I think. She knows how to take care of children,how to communicate with them. Magda also showed her kindness, when she gave food to Gretel and Hansel even known that in Poland there weren't lots of food during the war. So I suppose that Magda is a GOOD witch. <3
I don;t know if she is good or bad. Still she tied to safe kids so I can say that she is brave and honorable.
I think that Magda is not a good nor a bad witch, because I don't think she is a witch at all. She is called a witch for her own good, because if Germans knew that she is a gypsy, she would be dead by now, so they call her witch. So, I don't think that she is a witch at all...
I think that Magda was good. She could be scary for us, because of her knowledge and abilities. But she wanted to help. She was able to risk for Hansel and Gretel. In my opinion people called her witch, because she was a gypsy and she was living alone in the middle of the forrest. But, for me, it was interesting that she wasn't perfect.
Magda is definitely a good witch. She helps children, doesn't eat them like the bad witch in 'untrue' "Hansel and Gretel". Magda is kind of traditional witch because she knows how to heal people, how to charm...
The reason why the author makes Magda the narrator could be arguable question. To my mind, Murphy is maybe trying to rehabilitate bad witch from cultural version of fairytale. So, the author uses her as a narrator to tell 'the truth' how everything really happened. But it's just a guess. It would be nice to know the truth about this author's choice.
Magda symbolizes good things, it looks like she is a good witch, she is a children savior and helper.
Of course Magda is very mysterious and she has her own point of view always.
Sigita SMI2012
I believe that Magda in some way is a traditional witch ( but definitely not a fairy-tale like witch) , because she does like a spell in the beginning so that Hansel and Gretel would be safe. Then she was humming when she was sitting with Hansel on her lap and she helped Nelka when she was having a baby. I think she is a good person, even though she has her own view of the life and various events. I think she is made to be a narrator because she has do not keep her words and she tells whatever she thinks. Not always, but in even in difficult situation, she tells her points and her thoughts.
Monika 2012
I think that Magda is a good witch. She takes care of the children when others wanted to get rid of them, like her brother Piotr. She keeps them at her hut, makes sure that they get ration cards, cures them when they get sick. She is also a traditional which because when she first met Hansel and Gretel she made a ritual, like other whiches usually do.
Matas 2012
In my opinion, Magda is chosen to be a narrator, because she is a strong person with her own strong point of view, hard experience if her life. Probably the person who is not afraid to tell his opinion could tell true story, and this novel is a true story.
She is not pretty by appearance: she is old, she is dressed in "several sweaters of the color of dirt"(p. 17), she is Gypsy. It seems that she could be scary for the children. Magda has a kind heart, she helps children to survive, she finds a way how to feed children, even this can be dangerous for her life, she heals Gretel when she get pneumonia. So, Magda is scary, but kind and this makes her be similar to good witch.
Inga 2012
Magda has some specific features, which let us call her a witch. She lives in the woods, far away from the village. She doesn't talk about her past. She is mysterious and secretive.
Nevertheless, as far as I'm concerned, Magda is a good 'witch'. She gives children the shelter and looks after them. She takes the risk, even that she knows that she would be killed if the Nazis find out about the true kids' identity, so she's also very brave. She isn't perfect, but she loves Hansel and Gretel and does everything to protect them.
Martyna
To my mind Magda is a really good witch.Because she makes many strong,good and honorable things.It confirms her actions.For example: she helps children,protects them and it was a really strong things ,because it was dangerous for her.
Andrew
"The story has been told over and over by liars and it must be retold". Magda is the hook that takes us to the air of truth, she want to tell us what really happened. That is why she is the narrator.
She is old, she is strange and she has a very big life-baggage carrying with her. Many people think she is a witch, but i saw only positive facts of her.
Sergey G. 2012
I think Magda is a good witch. She helps and takes two unknown children with her although she has her own problems. She also asks her priest brother for certificates that Hansel and Gretel are from Poland. Magda sometimes seems to be very mysterious, perhaps this is why the reader can think that she is not very good. But the truth is that she has a very big heart and is a very good person.
GretaV2012
In my opinion Magda is a good witch. She takes care of children when they come to her house. She lets them to stay at her place. Later she asks Nelka to take care of them. Even when she knows, that she risks her life in order to help the children, she wants to take care of them and not to leave them to die in the forest. But we also can say that Magda is a traditional witch, because she makes some magical medicines to Gretel when she is ill. I think that the author makes her a narrator, because in this story, she is like the old woman, with a lot of experience and knowledge about the past.
Elena Milinauskyte 2012
I think Magda is the good witch because she tries to save the children even though they are not related to her. She gives her food and shelter and tries her best to provide them safety. She is trying to act like her grandmother would have acted. And she knew her grandmother would have tried her best to save the children. Magda is ready to give her life instead of theirs when they go to the village. She is not religious, but she cares about the children so much that she started praying for bringing them home safe after examination of the children, which would decide wether they live, staying with Magda or in Germany, or die.
Bernadeta, 2012.
In my opinion Magda is rather good witch because she really wants to help the children. She also cares about Nelka and her baby. Magda did a lot of good things for them. I am rather on the middle of the book and i hope that Magda will be good and helpfull until the end of book. I think also that she isn't traditional witch because usually witches in fairy tales are bad but she isn't. I think that she is little misterious.
Jakub 2012
In my opinion Magda is rather good witch because she really wants to help the children. She also cares about Nelka and her baby. Magda did a lot of good things for them. I am rather on the middle of the book and i hope that Magda will be good and helpfull until the end of book. I think also that she isn't traditional witch because usually witches in fairy tales are bad but she isn't. I think that she is little misterious.
Jakub 2012
1. She is an old woman living as an outsider in the woods.gipsy rituals makes her as a traditional witch becouse these rituals are somesort of magic used to get something like protect you from evil spirits.(second question) Magda displays her unconventional morals when considering the affairs of others when saying like one villager could tell about Hansel and Gretel just for a sack of potatoes and the only reason these kids are not dead is becouse Magdas brother is a priest. Villagers are afraid of the priest maybe becouse he is the God's assistant or he has German connections so he could say that all the village people are jewish. They all would be dead and they realise it. Every body is selfish except Nelka&Telek. Even the priest is selfish, he doesn't do what real god's assistent would do.He don't want to protect the children being affraid that he can get killed for it. (third question) Becouse she is the ''man of the house''. Everything is in her control and she is wise and she cares not only about her self but for others too who have deserved it like Hansel and Gretel. She is a good witch becouse bad witch would use these kids as slaves becouse they are 2 more mouths to feed and in these times every calorie counts. When she had to make decision she allways thought about what her grandmother would do. She always chose the noble thing to do - save the children.
Murphy begins and ends the story with Magda's words, because the story is based on a fairy tale and in every fairy tale has to be a witch. Magda's words in the beginning had to grab the readers attention. Magda isn't a real witch. she is just an old woman, who lives in the forest, not in the village, she looks strange. and she also does kind of strange things. For example, when Hansel said that he had thrown his bread away, Magda drew a circle around the children, said a spell or something in unknown language and gave luck back to children. it was similar to what witches usually do.Maybe I have read to less, but I am thinking that Magda is really good. She protects the children, she risks her life for the children. and it isn't what bad witches usually do. And Murphy does Magda a kind of narrator because in every fairy tale witches are the bad ones. And now Magda is telling the story, we can read the the same story from another side, where the witch is a good one. And i like this descision, the story is interesting. URTE, 2012
Magda is a good witch. She is Gypsy. So she knows some "magics" like divination. But she is quite religious witch. She saves the children' lives by risking her own life because if Nazi would knew that she has Jews in her house they would kill her. Her brother - priest Piotr isn't priest at all. He wanted just to kill Jews kids and he had a family (priests aren't allowed to have families). Author makes the witch a narrator because she is one of the main characters. Also, author wants to show that Magda does have soul and feelings.
Vlad. 2012
In my opinion, Magda is unusual witch, because she wants to help children, she was trying to protect them from Nazis. She believe in God, that's mean she is good person. Onute, 2012
I think, Magda is a traditional Witch, because she is old, is furious and aggressive too. For example, in a chapter Pictures, she says that she will take photo and after that will cut off the heads. And also, she can transform to other characters and has influence on kids.
In one scene she almost broke Gretel's neck, and that because kids were thinking that she is one of the Nazis.
Murphy makes her a narrator, because she is transformed to other characters: an aunt, a sister and also a surrogate mother. And also one thing, which makes her a narrator starts from 1st chapter with these words: " The story has been told over and over by liars and it must be retold." This means, that she is starting the story.
I think, Magda is a traditional Witch, because she is old, is furious and aggressive too. For example, in a chapter Pictures, she says that she will take photo and after that will cut off the heads. And also, she can transform to other characters and has influence on kids.
In one scene she almost broke Gretel's neck, and that because kids were thinking that she is one of the Nazis.
Murphy makes her a narrator, because she is transformed to other characters: an aunt, a sister and also a surrogate mother. And also one thing, which makes her a narrator starts from 1st chapter with these words: " The story has been told over and over by liars and it must be retold." This means, that she is starting the story.
Povilas
We know that usual witches are very bad, hate kids and try to do something bad for them. Magda is different, she is a good witch, because she keeps children, feeds them, tries to save them from Nazis. She is like a grandmother, very soft and kind. But Magda has something special that makes me confused... Is she good or bad? Giedre, 2012
I think that Magda is'n really witch.Yes, she can practice her witchcraft, but it's not enough. First of all, she helps children to alive. She fed them in spite of her brother, who was against their existence. Moreover, Magda made them "Christians" through the documents from jews, but it was illegal and she could die by Germans.She liked them, but traditional witch couldn't like children.
Daria 2012
In my opinion ,Magda is the positive figure in this book, because she let children live with her, in spite of the fact that they were jews and her life was at risk. Unless she helped them , they wouldn't survive in such extreme conditions of War. Also, Magda is in the role of step-mother , who takes care and protect them during the whole story.It's strange to see the witch as positive due to the fact that in other fairy tales she is always cruel and selfish trying to make harm to others especially to children.Having claimed that she is not religious person , she made many good acts as Catholics or Christian according to bible should do.Perhaps,her parents were religious and she was not
a gypsy at first.
Karina
I think that Magda not a typical witch from a fairy tale.She is good.She just have special look at everything,point of view.
She helped the children.Give them sense of security.Although she knew that it could bring her troubles.
So she just already saved lives and it is said that she good person.
Even the War don't change her human relations.
Palina,2012
well,I think that Magda is a good witch.Of course she has her power and knowleges about magic and also she can prerdict future.And for me she is not ordinary witch.People used to see only bad sides in the witches,but she became a good person for me when she protected children from the death.She really cared about them and looked after them.For me she is unusual character and she has another side of her soul.
Darija)))
Magda was extraordinary and very wise and had a suspicion. She had an exparience how to comunicate
with children, how to explain for them understandably and clearly anything. Every her spoken words were like pearls of wisdom.
She was a very important person, character for kids, because she taught them about spring, mushrooms. She introduced the typical and traditional dishes which were served at Christmas Eve in Poland. So in this way, she looked like an ‘old wise gray-headed’ who divided advices for her relatives. Also she was like a mother for lost children and even young Nelka. Hansel and Gretel had remembered morals and
expressions after the separation from Magda.
She wasn’t a witch. Just people of village called her like that and a label stuck. Because she was peculiar,
she also named herself like a witch. She was an old woman of sense with her traditions, observances and
superstitions. Magda was a good person, an altruist, her heart was full of maternal feelings, love for kids, especially at the
end. The more time passed, the more she loved Hansel and Gretel. We may say that loving everyone is a key to survive when it is hard. Her feelings were very realistic in our
world among people, like entire person she wasn’t realistic. At the outset, her unconventional morals were strict and not traditional. She was like independent-minded,
self-sufficient human, her thoughts were mind-blowing about belief. However, at the end of the story she
very changed. The author wanted to say, that the only way to live, survive in harsh world is a belief and a
love of people (like kids). This destines good. If we would see from a Christian worldview, a love and faith
are very connected, are one.
[Dovile]
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