Analysis Of The Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales

830 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Effects of physical abuse on children

The Brothers Grimm are often associated with our beloved Disney princesses. However, examining the original tales reveals a darker side to the stories. The disturbing elements within Grimm fairy tales are struggles women still face today, especially in developing countries. Throughout history, it has generally held that women hold a lesser place in society. While many nations have reached close to equality between the sexes, women in developing countries continue to be at a disadvantage and face much violence. Developing countries tend to have little legal protection for women and girls, which allows many injustices to occur. These challenges faced by women in developing nations includes child marriage, rape, and domestic abuse. Child Marriage …show more content…

One of the most explicit examples of rape in the Brothers Grimm’s fairy tales is Sleeping Beauty. In the original version the prince has sex with the sleeping princess, who subsequently bears children while still under the enchanted sleep. Rape not only has a negative impact on a woman’s emotional and psychological wellbeing, but may result in physical injury. Additionally, this violent act may result in pregnancy, which can cause additional stress to the woman. Sadly, “around 120 million girls worldwide (slightly more than 1 in 10) have experienced forced intercourse or other forced sexual acts at some point in their lives,” ("Facts and figures: Ending violence against women" 2017). This type of violence is particularly difficult to cope with, especially for women in developing countries due to minimal or unenforced rape laws and strong cultural stigma. Another inhibitor to women finding justice after rape is that “the most common perpetrators of sexual violence against girls are current or former husbands, partners or boyfriends,” ("Facts and figures: Ending violence against women" 2017). This makes it even more difficult and stigmatizing to report and be taken

Show More
Related

  • The Critique Of Pauli Murray's 'Feminine Mystique'

    930 Words  | 2 Pages

    Susan Brownmiller’s excerpt Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape written in 1975 explores rape. It argues that from the beginning of time men had an advantage over women because their genitalia can serve as a weapon, which, in turn, generates constant fear. “Rape provides a sufficient threat to keep all women in a constant state of intimidation, forever conscious of the knowledge that the biological tool must be held in awe for it may turn to weapon with sudden swiftness borne of harmful intent”(Brownmiller, 312). Females are subjected to the harsh reality of rape at a young age through fairytales such as Little Red Riding Hood. Stories like these emphasize how weak women are and how heroic, brave and strong men are. Susan Brownmiller believes that the way to destroy the idea that “you can’t thread a moving needle,” and “no women can be raped against her will” by spreading awareness about rape and how it is a moral wrongdoing and punishable under the

    Read More

  • An Analysis of the Grimm Brothers by Edgar Allen Poe

    588 Words  | 2 Pages

    An Analysis of the Grimm Brothers by Edgar Allen Poe Edgar Allen Poe wrote a paper on the philosophy of writing good short fiction. It was published in a book called ‘New short story theories’ by Charles E May. He stated: ‘What I here propound is true: -therefore it cannot die:-or if by any means it be now trodden down so that it die, it will ‘rise again to the life everlasting’ nevertheless, it is as a poem only that I wish this work to be judged after I am dead. P69 + 70

    Read More

  • The Reality as Opposed to the Disney Versions of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty

    1563 Words  | 4 Pages

    Presently, many books and fairytales are converted movies and often, producers alters the original tales to grasp the attention of a large audience. However, some of these interpretations hide the primary interpretation. The original interpretations of the Disney classics Snow White and Sleeping Beauty are greatly reinvented from the original fairytales Sun, Moon, and Talia and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs because of the brutal nature of the treatment women in these original forms. Although there are differences in certain aspects from the original tales to the movies, there are many issues that are influential to the young girls who are still watching the Disney version. I realize this when my youngest niece, Anella asks me, “Why can’t I be beautiful and fall asleep and suddenly wake up to finally find my prince?” This is true in all cases of the four different translations of the fairytales. Every single girl in these stories are in a “beautiful” state of half-death who wake to find a prince who if eager to carry them off. This can lead to negative psychological effects on young girls as they are growing up, creating a large amount of pressure and low self-esteem due to the beauty that these stories portray and maintaining restrictions that these women experience in the stories. While it is true that Sleeping Beauty and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves are considered Disney classics that entertain children and provide meaningful role models, it is evident that the true, vulgar nature of these tales are hidden; these stories are about women who are thrown away.

    Read More

  • Ashputtle by The Brothers Grimm

    1121 Words  | 3 Pages

    Modern-day feminists state that there are many repressed attitudes and fears which keep women in a kind of half-light, forcing them to subconsciously retreat from the full use of their minds and creativity (Dowling, 595). The archetypal Cinderella is often criticized by feminist critics for waiting for something external to transform her life (Abel, 192). Contrary to this assumption, passivity is not prevalent in the original Brothers’ Grimm tale. However, actions performed by women in the tale are often associated with darkness. It is this overpowering association with the color black and its implications that truly keep women in a “half-light” in the tale.

    Read More

  • Inequality of Women During 1840 to 1968

    1910 Words  | 4 Pages

    Many ancient laws and beliefs show that women from all around the world have always been considered inferior to men. However, as time went on, ideas of equality circulated around and women started to demand equality. Many women fought for equality and succeeded in bringing some rights. However, full equality for women has yet to be fulfilled. This issue is important because many women believe that the rights of a person should not be infringed no matter what their gender is, and by not giving them equality, their rights are being limited. During the periods 1840 to 1968, total equality for women did not become a reality due to inadequate political representation, economic discrepancy, and commercial objectification.

    Read More

  • Grimm's Cinderella Story

    1894 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Grimm’s stories have strict criteria for good and evil. Good women are not the hero, they do not plan, nor do they get themselves out of bad situations; they are obtuse and wait until a Prince saves them. These qualities doom the female protagonists (and readers) to pursue the only destiny women have, and that is to be a wife and mother (Rowe, 1978). Cinderella is the heroine and the ideal good girl. She is unambiguously beautiful, kind, and compassionate. She does not complain or get angry. This is foreseen early in the Grimm’s Cinderella story:

    Read More

  • Grimm And Cinderella Comparison

    568 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the classic story of “Cinderella”, a beautiful young woman is treated badly but in the end lives happily ever after with a prince. The French version of “Cinderella” is romantic and happy, where the Cinderella character forgives her bad stepsisters by finding them husbands and allowing them to live in the palace with her and the prince. However, in the German version of “Cinderella” by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, the stepsisters are violently punished for mistreating Cinderella.

    Read More

  • Brothers Grimm

    1833 Words  | 4 Pages

    When the word “fairytale” is mentioned, nearly everyone thinks of light-hearted stories with friendly characters and happy endings. However, these are not the ideas that classic fairytales originally sparked. In fact, numerous modern Disney movies were based off stories that were not so sugar coated. In the 19th century, the Brothers Grimm were responsible for multiple of these popular children’s tales. The Disney remakes of classic fairytales such as Cinderella, Tangled, and Snow White exclude the dark, twisted themes that are significant in the Brothers Grimm fairytales, because society tendencies continue to evolve toward sheltering and overprotecting young children.

    Read More

  • Gender Stratification: Power, Wealth, and Privilege Divide

    1024 Words  | 3 Pages

    Each country has different aspects that they focus on depending on their culture and beliefs. However, the most common theme around the world was the wage gap and domestic violence for women. According to the “Violence against Women” article 1 and 3 women experience violence by intimate partners worldwide (Violence against Women, 2016, pg. 1). Unfortunately, this has increased the global rate of intimate partners who have committed murders of women to 38% (Violence against Women, 2016, pg. 1). These are significate numbers, yet worldwide women are being treated worse than men are treated. The same goes for the wage gap. In the United States it is hard for a women to get a job as a CEO or high ranking yet 56.3% of women 15 years or older were working according to the Gender Inequality Index in 2013. This relates directly to a global wage gap and glass ceiling placed on women worldwide because the Gender Inequality Index states that worldwide 50.3% of women 15 and older were working in the work force. However, they were being paid less and were less likely to get promotions when compared to men. The fact that women in other countries are married at younger ages and having children also puts them at a disadvantage because they are mothers meaning they will be paid less for having children. Gender stratification is not just an Untied States problem, but a worldwide problem that needs to be

    Read More

  • Gender Stereotypes in Fairy Tales

    1317 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fairy Tales have been around for generations and generations. Our parents have told us these stories and we will eventually pass them down to ours. In this time of age the most common fairytales are Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and The Beast and many more. Children idolize their favorite character and pretend to be them by mimicking everything they do in the stories. The character’s behavior is what is viewed as appropriate in society. These fairy tales show a girl and a boy fall in love and live “happily ever after”. The tales in many people’s eyes resemble a dream life that they would want to have of their own. However, have you ever really looked at what makes up a fairy tale? Many things are unrealistic but the most unflattering aspect of these tales is how women are depicted in them. Fairy tales give an unrealistic view to how women should look and behave in real life.

    Read More

  • Analyzing Brothers Grimm's Story 'The Frog Prince'

    1972 Words  | 4 Pages

    Many times writers are inspired by works they have read before, and create spawns of those pieces with a twist. I will be reflecting on Brothers Grimm’s story “The Frog Prince” a tale of a selfish princess and a frog in need with a plan. And I will be comparing this to one of the poems we reviewed in class, Katharyn Howd Machan’s poem “Hazel Tells LaVerne,” a poem on a realistic woman with a sassy mouth. Both these pieces of literature seem to be reflections of one another, however also can be contrasted. These two passages have similar storylines but are executed differently with tone, characterization and tone in order to accomplish the story of women given the opportunities to make a come up with the help of a frog.

    Read More

  • Restricted Freedom of Women in Cisneros', The House on Mango Street

    952 Words  | 2 Pages

    As Rafaela, Mamacita, and Sally’s examples show, the men living in the Mango Street neighborhood persecute their women. The men force their women to stay home. They also restrict their women’s rights by making them speak a new language, and in the extreme case, they beat their women. Although many negative aspects of gender may have lessened over the past few decades, the society should still work toward lessening more of these negative aspects around the world, and especially in the Middle East and North Africa, because extreme gender inequalities still exist today. Treating women inhumanely should be considered as extremely immoral, since we’re all human beings and born to be equal.

    Read More

  • Fairy Tales Analysis

    1129 Words  | 3 Pages

    Tatar, M. (1987). Sex and Violence: The Hard Core of Fairy Tales. The hard facts of the Grimms' fairy tales (p. 3). Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.

    Read More

  • Effects Of Rape On Women

    1146 Words  | 3 Pages

    Webster’s Dictionary describes rape as the crime of forcing another person to submit to sex acts, especially sexual intercourse. Rape is a crime in which most women cannot defend themselves. The fear of rape plagues every woman at some point or another in her life. The traumatic effects of rape vary from mild to severe, from psychological to physical. This paper will evaluate rape, as well as the effects it has on women, the theory behind male dominance and patriarchy, and differences in demographics.

    Read More

  • We Must Stop Violence Against Women

    1130 Words  | 3 Pages

    As life continue to grow with outstanding achievements, there are also dark sides in this society. The more this community get developed, the more complicated it would be. Each year passed by, we have to face with many issues. Some of them are small, but some are not. Some problems caused the whole world to think and still not yet fixed. And violence against women is among them. Many women have to suffer from pain, both in physical and mental, without knowing how to stop or getting help from the others. No matter how many times women beg for help, society turns a blind eye to them, families put pressure on them, and people around trampled on them, make them realized that they don’t have a voice in this world. But after all, they’re still living and fighting for themselves until now. Their perseverance is admirable though they were treated badly. Without women, can the world be advanced like this? And why must these unfortunate people suffer severe consequences and unjust though they have devoted a lot for humanity?

    Read More

More about Analysis Of The Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales

Open Document