Topsy-turvy figure:Jack and the Beanstalk Topsy-Turvy Figure

The tale of Jack and the Beanstalk has many variations. In early tellings, Jack hardly reassembles the typical hero of virtue and morality. Rather, he appears as an idiot or a trickster, a thief, and a murderer, who barters his cow for just a few beans, steals wealth from a giant, and then causes the giant's death to keep his (Jack's) ill-gotten gold. Twentieth-century versions of the story offer a more heroic Jack. In some versions of the tale, Jack merely recovers the wealth the giant previously stole from Jack's father. In other versions, Jack remains a villain, and it is left to Jack's descendants to make up for the giant-killer's wicked ways. Began as an tale told from one generation to the next in cultures throughout Europe, Jack's story has been published and performed for centuries. It remains a popular tale to this day.