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Gender representation in fairy tales short article
Examples of feminist fairy tales
Roles of culture in the formation of behavior
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Margaret Mead was a feminist who believed that human behavior wasn’t determined by genes, rather it was determined by the society around them through cultural conditioning. Cultural conditioning is the idea that society dictates what is masculine or feminine and thus influences their behavior. This idea is well portrayed in the fairy tale, “Rumpelstiltskin”, which is basically a story of a woman who was able to succeed but only with the help of men. Although “Rumpelstiltskin” appears to be a success story for women, the fairy tale contains many sexist notions which shows that Mead would not have supported this fairy tale. One of the reasons why Mead would not support “Rumpelstiltskin” is because of the sexist ideals that are present in the …show more content…
In the beginning of the story, we can clearly see this male dominant and female subjectiveness within the characters. More precisely, “The miller basically sold his daughter, the King commanded the daughter like a slave, Rumpelstiltskin exploited the daughter for everything she had, and worst of all, the miller’s daughter accepted it without any serious opposition” (Grimm). The main character, the miller’s daughter, allowed herself to be subjected to these males, and thus Mead would never support this fairy tale. Being a firm believer of feminism, Mead would be highly shocked and angered that this fairy tale, intended for youths, would depict women with such characteristics acceptable. Another characteristic that Mead wouldn’t approve of in the story is greed and evil. These example of feminism so far have only been about how women were unfairly treated, yet feminism means equality for both genders. The men in the story, the miller, King, and Rumpelstiltskin, are all presented as greedy and evil, “The miller was greedy and wicked enough to sell his daughter, the King exploited a young girl for his own greed, and Rumpelstiltskin worse of all was twisted enough to want to steal her first born child”(Grimm). All of these events portray men in a negative manner, and thus not equal because women can be just as twisted as men are. Mead even says, “women’s motives, women’s interests, were identical with men’s, that women should take as bloodthirsty a delight in preparing for war as ever men do.” Mead acknowledges the fact that womens’ personalities can be just as scary as mens. Yet, this story portrays women as helpless victims, whereas men are seen as cruel scumbags. Therefore, Mead would never support this story based on the personalities of each character in the
This passage from the story insinuates that men need women to see it they way they do, and men don’t appreciate it when women are free-thinking. Women in fiction, not just in books but in movies and television as well, are often represented in certain molds or ideas. The story of Cinderella and the story by Hurston both reinforce the idea that fictional portrayals of women are
This female inferiority idea has been imbedded in the world for many years. Fairy tales are a very good example of how this notion has been present in the United States. The themes that exist in these stories normally deal with masculine heroes who come to the aid of young women who are seemingly helpless. After they are saved by these male heroes they become obedient docile beings. These old fairy tales are part of the beginning of this inferiority idea.
Picture a child sitting in front of a television watching the Wizard of Oz. To them, it is an assortment of magical beings, a land filled with wonderful places, with varieties of different colors. They do not picture it as something with far more meaning than just a plain fairytale. On the other hand, gender/feminist critics have been able to analyze the Wizard of Oz as well as Wicked, in order to find a more elaborate meaning behind the story itself. They have discussed what lies behind the story when it comes to the issue of sexism and masculinity towards the book itself as well as the characters. There are many concepts as well that help to further explain feminism and gender criticism. The four concepts that will be discussed later on are gender, feminist writings, patriarchal society, and gynocriticism. These concepts will then be reviewed as to how they play a part in the book Wicked.
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.
My childhood has been just like every kid growing up in the 20th century. It revolved around the Disney story’s that were filled with magic and dreams. From Cinderella to Sleeping Beauty, my beloved children 's stories were controlled by male characters. At a young age this taught me that women are not as useful as men. These stories made me learn what it means to be a boy, girl, man, or woman. The ratio of males to females as main characters was so outstanding it lead me to question how these stories impacted how I view men and women.
Throughout many fairytales, Cinderella more evidently, there is the stigma of male roles and female roles. The man is the prince, the knight in shining armor, the strong protector and able provider, and the woman is the princess. Dainty and innocent, weak and capable only of looking pretty, fostering children and maintaining appearances of house and home. These roles of placement have been around long before fairy tales, and they’ll be around long after fairy tales, but the inclusion of these roles through characters in fairy tales does nothing but enforce the idea that this is the way things are meant to be, and women who do not assume these roles are wrong and unworthy. In her article, Orenstein refers to Cinderella as “the patriarchal oppression of all women”, and she is exactly right (Orenstein “What’s wrong with Cinderella?”). The impression left of these gender stereotypes travels off the pages of the fairy tale and into the real world when studies show that there is a “23% decline in girls’ participation in sports and other rigorous activity … has been linked to their sense that athletics is unfeminine” (Orenstein “What’s wrong with Cinderella?”). The blatant disregard for equality in these stories can be summed up with a term Orenstein coined, “relentless resegregation of childhood”, which ultimately defines what it means to be a boy or a girl in the terms of set behaviors and life duties (Orenstein “What’s wrong with Cinderella?”). Whether it be Cinderella or any other princess, the fairy tale business makes it a point to create a place for women with their stories, and unfortunately that “place” is demeaning and still practiced
For centuries, women have struggled in the fight to gain equality with men. Despite the major advances in civil and political rights, society still has a long way to go in addressing the issue of gender inequality. One major factor that prevents society from achieving gender equality is the idea that marriage is a women’s ultimate life goal. This notion has been significantly presented in literature causing women to appear less powerful than men, more specifically, in the fairly tales “Cinderella, or the little Glass Slipper” by Charles Perrault and “Ash Girl” by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. The stereotypical depiction of women only being ambitious toward marriage has led to women being inferior to men.
Thinking back to our childhood, we all remember hearing many kinds of fairy tales. Some of them inspired us others confused us, and most of them taught us valuable lessons. Through out centuries tales and stories have been used as a valuable tool to pass on our culture to new generations. There is a strong belief that these fairy tales mirror and influence society. All cultures interpret tales in their own unique way. They add and subtract various aspects of the tale to fit the needs of their particular society. The same tale in the United States is different from the tale told in Asia. A good example of tale evolution can be seen in one of the most famous tales ever told which is “Cinderella”. As a professor of women’s history Karol Kelley points out in her essay Pretty Woman: A Modern Cinderella “There are some 700 versions of Cinderella”.This fairy tale as many others has been changing for many years, and in recent years Cinderella has come under some criticism for its depiction of women’s roles in society.
William Shakespeare’s play, The Taming of the Shrew, is notorious for its parade of sexism throughout the play. The Taming of the Shrew is a play that takes place in the Renaissance Era where Baptista, a well-respected man raises his two beautiful daughters: Katherine and Bianca. Bianca, the sweet and youth child is loved by her father and every other man in society. Katherine, however, is the least favorite woman in society because of her outspoken and blasphemous behavior what is not seen ass lady-like behavior. The men of the city fight to win Bianca’s sweet hand in marriage while they try to have nothing to do with Katherine. Baptista realizes that it is wrong to have his youngest daughter marry before his eldest so he puts up a propostion; Bianca can marry only if Katherine marries first. Lord Lucentio catches Bianca’s heart and falls deeply in love with her. Petruchio, a new comer to town is looking for a woman with an enormous dowry, and he finds Kate to be the perfect fit. Disregarding everyone who warns him of her shrewishness. Petruchio and Lucentio overcome several the obstacles until they both get the woman they desire. Sexism is portrayed in Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew by using the role of women in society during the Renaissance Era.
Many fairy tales in literature convey hidden messages and meanings that can be found in almost every aspect of life. These subliminal messages are prevalent in the short story, “The Company of Wolves”, through the theme of gender inequality. In “The Company of Wolves”, Angela Carter displays the issue of gender through a feminist light in the plot and through symbolism, as she consistently symbolizes the woman and the wolf creature as archetypal ideologies of their own gender.
The folk tale of “Little Red Riding Hood” has numerous variations and interpretations depending on what recorded version is being read or analyzed. “Little Red Cap,” by the Grimm Brothers, and “The Grandmother,” as collected by Achille Millien, are different in numerous ways: the depth of the narrative structure, characters involved, length – yet, the moral lesson is largely unchanged between the two versions. One of the more glaring differences between the two versions is the way that the narrator and the actions of the characters are used to describe the young girl, female, and the wolf, male. Being either female or male are matters of biological makeup. The characteristics of femininity and masculinity that are associated with being female or male, however, are socially and culturally defined. How do these different descriptions inform gender construction, and more specifically, how do gender constructions help to naturalize stereotypes within the collective conscience of society?
In a society unbridled with double standards and set views about women, one may wonder the origins of such beliefs. It might come as a surprise that these ideals and standards are embedded and have been for centuries in the beloved fairy tales we enjoyed reading as kids. In her analytical essay, “To Spin a Yarn: The Female Voice in Folklore and Fairy Tales”, Karen Rowe argues that fairy tales present “cultural norms which exalt passivity, dependency, and self-sacrifice as a female’s cardinal virtues.” Rowe presents an excellent point, which can be supported by versions of the cult classics, “Cinderella” and “Snow White”. Charles Perrault’s “ The Little Glass Slipper” and the Brothers Grimm’s “ Snow White” exemplify the beliefs that females are supposed to be docile, dependent on the male persona and willing to sacrifice themselves. In many cases, when strong female characters are presented they are always contradicting in these characteristics, thus labeled as villainous. Such is the case of the Cinderella’s stepsisters in Perrault’s “Cinderella” and the stepmother in the Brothers Grimm’s “Snow White.” These female characters face judgment and disapproval when they commit the same acts as male characters. With such messages rooted in our beloved fairy tales it is no wonder that society is rampant with these ideals about women and disapprove of women when they try to break free of this mold.
Throughout literature, authors employ a variety of strategies to highlight the central message being conveyed to the audience. Analyzing pieces of literature through the gender critics lens accentuates what the author believes to be masculine or feminine and that society and culture determines the gender responsibility of an individual. In the classic fairytale Little Red Riding Hood, the gender strategies appear through the typical fragile women of the mother and the grandmother, the heartless and clever male wolf, and the naïve and vulnerable girl as little red riding hood.
In this paper, I will explain and analyze Mary Wollstonecraft’s opinions and writings on gender inequality. Primarily, I will discuss her ideas on the current role of women in her society and the status that she feels they should be able to elevate themselves to. She also discusses the perception of women in her society, and I will show how she relates this perception to the perpetuation of gender injustice. Furthermore, I will evaluate the legitimacy and significance of the claim that societal norms dictate a woman’s role in the world as a mother and wife. She makes this point in her publication “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman with Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects”. Wollstonecraft also references how the writings of previous
As previously mentioned, inferiority perceptions and obstacles for women remain prevalent in the twenty-first century. Although substantial progress has been made with regards to the educational opportunities for women, as well as educating both men and women to view women with equal regard, we have yet to achieve parity among genders. In particular, “Contemporary feminists, such as Catherine MacKinnon, argue that the law and society’s political institutions are based on male assumptions, such that women can never achieve equality within them” (Tannenbaum, 2012, p. 220). Additionally, the recent focus on gender socialization directly relates to Wollstonecraft’s writings. In fact, she may be one of the first philosophers to establish the foundation for studying gender socialization through her assertions from two hundred years ago, “the character of women was artificial, and a consequence of the roles society defines for them” (p. 213a). Tannenbaum’s summary of Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Women, reads as though it’s from a current Sociology course in gender equality and diversity. “Women are fond of dress and gossip; are helpless, emotional, weak; and act like children, not because it is there nature, but because they are educated or trained this way” (p. 213b). Wollstonecraft’s assertions were revolutionary when taking into account the historical context of her vision. Hence, both genders can benefit from studying her feminist perspective, then contemplating how her vision has evolved over time in society, as well as advocating for its continued