A modern 'adult' take on the traditional tale of Jack and the Beanstalk.

These pieces were created as part of a university brief entitled 'Modern Fairytales' in the same way I created the modern version of the 'Swan Princess' I broke down the storyline and main characters to a basic form. How does this tale translate in the modern age? Who are the characters? Why are they in this situation? How would they meet? I felt the best way to tackle this was to create multiple character profile sheets. For example:

Name: Jack
Age: 21
Occupation: Unemployed (carer to his disabled mother)

Name: Bean-Seller
Age: 24/ageless magical being
Occupation: Dealer

Original storyline: Jacks' mother asks him to take their last cow to the market in exchange for money for food. He meets a strange old man on the way, who gives him magical beans with a promise that they will provide him with untold riches. His mother is furious, she throws the beans out of the window in despair. The next day, Jack wakes up to find that a giant beanstalk has grown in the place where the beans landed. He climbs the beanstalk and discovers a magic land at the very top. He comes across a gigantic castle, which he soon discovers is not only filled with riches but a sleeping giant too. Jack steals as much gold and riches as he can possibly fit in his bag and pockets. He also finds a golden goose, which lays golden eggs. On his way out he makes so much noise he wakes the sleeping giant, who chases him back down the beanstalk. Once he reaches the bottom he uses an ax to cut down the beanstalk and topple the giant, who dies upon hitting the ground.

Updated storyline:
In my version, Jacks' disabled mother gives him money to buy bread and milk, instead, he meets with his dealer who sells him some magical beans. His mother is furious with him and throws the beans out of the window. The next morning he looks out his bedroom window to discover a huge beanstalk has grown right up through the clouds above. Jack climbs to the top and meets a baby ogre and a golden goose. They sit for a while, Jack learns that the baby ogre is lonely, he has no one to play with other than the goose. Jack also explains his predicament. The goose and the baby ogre offer to help him. The trio head to the giants' castle where they provide Jack with enough food and gold to last him and his mother a lifetime, in exchange, Jack promises not to chop down the beanstalk, so they can visit one another.

I wanted to end this fairytale on a happier note than the original tale. When you break the narrative down, the underlying message can be translated as: It's ok to visit a new land, steal from the occupants of said land then kill the occupant whilst you run away with your riches.
Fairytales can be extremely dark underneath the surface, yet, we read these to our children without realising what they are telling us. I wanted to flip the story, to create something in which strangers come together and help each other out, a mutual exchange based on honesty and openness rather than the underhand, deceitful, and ultimately criminal acts of original Jack.

Jack is representative of a great many people of his age, unable to work due to circumstances out of their control. There is a hopelessness that runs deep due to this, a feeling that no matter what he does, he can't provide for his family. The bean seller had to be someone who could legitimately derail Jack on his mission to the shops. In the modern era, it would have to be someone who could promise something better than milk and bread. A dealer promises just that, an answer to all your problems, a way to escape. It has to be noted that not all dealers are bad people, some are just trying to find a way to earn a living too, they are certainly not all like Pablo Escobar and not all drugs are on the same level. When used in medicinal capacity, the Cannabis plant has the potential to help people in pain. I am of course, in no way supporting the use of drugs or condoning those who do, I am merely observing that there is a middle ground in which our Beanseller sits. She is not a bad person, she is simply there to help people in need in a positive way (hence the truly magical beans). Whilst this narrative is a heavy subject, it is a modern issue with a great number of variables.