degrimm1-3, Exercise 2: War and the tales

Model answer (one possible argument; the claim is an interpretation):

The brothers lived under French-influenced rule in Kassel, and many German intellectuals of the time came to see language, songs and tales as a shared cultural possession at a moment when the political map was in flux. Collecting tales can be read as one way of recording something that seemed to be at risk. This is a plausible reading, though it is not the only one, since Romantic interest in folk culture existed before the invasions (Chapter 2).

Evidence that would be needed: statements by the brothers themselves, such as prefaces or letters, that link their collecting to the political situation; the dates when each tale was collected; and a comparison with collectors outside the occupied areas who had similar interests but different circumstances.

A single preface does not settle the matter, since authors describe their own motives in ways that suit their readers (check).