Charles Perrault's Portrayal Of Women In Fairy Tales

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Since the time fairytales first started, women were always the princess and the main character of every tale. Little girls fantasize about being a princess from the fairy tales their parents read to them. But in reality, how women are portrayed in the fairy tales by Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, and Hans Christian Anderson, is utterly disgusting. In fairy tales, women who are passive, powerless, naïve, and who would do anything for men are beautiful and become the princess at the end, but women who seek power are ugly and evil. The role of women in society are present in fairytales as well, women do the cleaning, take care of the children, and cook, while men go out into the world to earn a living. When a young girl thinks of a princess, …show more content…

Unlike today’s society, fairy tales continue to follow the old society norms of a housewife, women do the cleaning and cooking, while their husbands are out creating a living for their family. In the fairy tale, Snow Drop, Snow Drop found a home in the woods that belonged to seven dwarfs. The only way Snow Drop could continue living in their house, Snow Drop had to become their housewife. Snow Drop promise to clean, cook, and keep the house in order. The same representation of a housewife is present in the story Cinderella, in this story Cinderella cooks and cleans. When she doesn’t do her tasks, she receives consequences, which suggests it is the women’s best interest to complete their tasks. Besides cleaning and cooking both of these women do not have knowledge in other aspects of life. Fairy tales create an ideal wife, where women are passive, do their chores, make love and repeat. Women become property for men, instead of a human being he loves. In other words, according to this representation of women, women are nothing if she doesn’t cook or clean. Cinderella and Snow Drop are implying men will only love those who are a

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