The idea of gender and gender roles plays a large part in the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, The Twelve Brothers. The Brother Grimm challenge the usual stereotypes associated with women and girls and their text provides different interpretations depending on the gender of the reader, most likely resonating well with young girls. The Twelve Brothers is a positive fairy tale which does not follow the normal stereotypes when it comes to females in stories.
The Twelve Brothers undermines the gender stereotypes normally used in fairy tales through its use of a strong female lead. Generally in fairy tales it is a prince or king who saves people, but in The Twelve Brothers it is a princess who is saving her brothers. Throughout the fairy tale, she is
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seen to be brave, kind and selfless in many of the same ways a traditional hero would be.
This is seen when she leaves her home in search for her brothers walking into “the great forest” to “walk as far as the sky is blue until [she] finds” her brothers. She goes against the general stereotype of a princess being a helpless girl in need of help because she isn’t sitting around waiting for someone else to save her brothers; she is going out herself prepared to do anything for them. Once she meets her brothers she discovers that they had made a plan to kill the first girl they saw and instead of fearing for her life she said she would “willingly die if by doing so [she] can save [her]… brothers”. This shows that she is not only brave, which is a trait very few princesses are seen to have, but she is also selfless and thinking of others above herself. Most princesses in stories only think of themselves but she, even in the face of death, is thinking of her brothers. Finally …show more content…
she demonstrates selflessness and bravery when she “must be dumb for seven years” and although staying silent will result in her death she does not speak so that her brother can survive. Even when she is burning at the stake she does not speak because she is only thinking of her brothers and not herself. Throughout the fairy tale the sister goes against the gender stereotype by proving that princesses can be just as brave and selfless as any other hero. The fairy tale, The Twelve Brothers, would provide a different reading experience for people of different genders.
The message and morals of the story stay generally the same but different genders could recognise some more strongly than others based on the way they are presented. Females could take the message from the story that girls can do anything males can do, and that if you are part of a problem you should become part of the solution. Throughout the fairy tale the sister in seen doing the same things that a traditional fairy tale hero would do however in most fairy tales the hero is a prince or king. She demonstrates this when she goes on her quest to “seek [her] brothers” and later “set [her] brothers free”. In most fairy tales there would have been a prince set to save the brothers but instead the princess goes on the quest; showing girls that females can be the hero instead of males. Also girls are more likely to focus on and relate with the sister so they will take more meaning from her actions. When the sister discovered that her “twelve [brothers] [were to] die” if she was born a girl she realised that it was her fault that they had to leave and she made it her responsibility to find them and bring them home. Girls focusing on the sister would recognise the message that if they cause or are part of a problem they should try and fix it. Finally boys reading the fairy tale would focus and relate more with the brothers. So, when the brothers forgive and welcome
their sister, even after she was the reason they had to leave, it teaches boys that it is more important to forgive others instead of holding a grudge against them. The different messages and morals of The Twelve Brothers could be highlighted more depending on the gender of the reader with boys focusing more of forgiveness and girls on equality. Gender roles and stereotypes are challenged throughout The Twelve Brothers, it deviates from the normal fairy tale cliché of male hero and female victim. It allows girls to see that they can do anything boys can do as well as focusing on different morals depending on the reader. Overall The Twelve Brothers is a positive fairy tale for bother male and female readers and rejects the normal assumed gender roles in fairy tales.
The film “A League of Their Own,” depicts a fictionalized tale of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League. This league was started during World War II when many of the Major Leagues Biggest stars were drafted to the war. MLB owners decided to start this league with hopes of making money while the men were overseas fighting. Traditional stereotypes of women in sports were already in force before the league even begins. One of the scouts letts Dottie, one of the films main characters she is the perfect combination of looks as well as talent. The scout even rejects one potential player because she is not as pretty as the league is looking for even though she is a great baseball player. The player, Marla’s father said if she was a boy she would be playing for the Yankee’s. Eventually Mara’s father is able to convince the scout to take Marla to try outs because he raised her on his own after her mother died. Her father says it is his fault his daughter is a tomboy. In this case the film reinforces the traditional stereotype that mothers are in charge of raising their daughters and teaching them to be a lady, where fathers are incapable of raising girls to be anything other than a tomboy. The focus on beauty also reinforces the traditional stereotype that men will only be interested in women’s sports when the females participating in
In the play, 12 Angry Men, written by the well-known writer and producer, Reginald Rose, sets the scene in a stuffy jury room on an extremely hot day where 12 jurors must deem whether a boy is guilty for the murder of his father. The jurors struggle to reach a unanimous decision, as tension between the jurors builds up. The author delivers several clear messages through his play such as standing up for what you believe in, and always pursuing the truth. Often times personal feelings, prejudices, and fear of voicing opinions prevent the truth from being exposed.
The culture and society of the American South can be categorized into a variety of groups through stereotypes from outsiders, politicians, music and among other things. To help depict the American South, literature and films that we have watched in class such as Mandingo, Gone with the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Color Purple, Gods Little Acre, Tomorrow, Jezebel, The Littlest Rebel and with special focus on O Brother Where Art Thou will help capture and reflect southern culture to those not accustomed to the ways of southern society.
It is impossible not to judge someone without meeting them in society. This is well shown in the book The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, a novel about a group of boys with their own problems not including their social class being Greasers. The other class, the Socs oppose Greasers. Socs jump Greasers in their free time which then causes the Greasers to retaliate. Some personal origins are dead family members, starvation, no education, and poor households. In conclusion one theme is proven through the statement keep judgement to a minimal because you do not know the problems of others. This creates two sub themes, never succumb to stereotypes and society will wrongly, consistently generalize a group.
The film 12 Angry Men depicts the challenge faced by a jury as they deliberate the charges brought against an 18-year-old boy for the first-degree murder of his father. Their task is to come to an impartial verdict, based on the testimony that was heard in court. The group went through the case over and over while personal prejudices, personality differences, and tension mounted as the process evolved. While the scorching hot weather conditions and personal affairs to tend to led the juror to make quick and rash decisions, one juror convinced them the fate of the 18 year old was more important than everyone’s problems an convinced them that they could not be sure he was guilty. Juror three took the most convincing. After fighting till he
Standing up for what one believes in is not always easy. The book Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose should be taught in schools for many reasons. The book is about the trial of a sixteen year old boy accused of killing his father. The boy’s fate is determined by the decision reached by twelve jurors in a New York jury room. Twelve Angry Men displays the effects that one person can have on a group, it teaches the value of being part of a jury, and it explores how stereotypes and prejudices can have an effect on someone’s decision or beliefs.
People tend to base characteristics and personalities of people pretty quickly. Most people base their opinions on stereotypes. Reginald Rose and his play “12 Angry Men” demonstrate how people are quick to judge other people based on looks. In the movie all twelve jurors must decide if a young boy is guilty or innocent. At the beginning of the movie/play-write, only one juror, juror eight, decides the boy is innocent. Based on the evidence gathered from the case everyone agrees the boy is innocent except one man, juror three. He eventually breaks down and tells the truth. The viewers can tell that this movie/play is full of emotions. Each of these emotions can be described as something more than what comes to the eye.
When analyzing a classic fairytale such as, Snow White, by the Brothers Grimm through a feminist lens, it is clear that it is a phallocentric fairytale that includes stereotypes, gender roles, the male gaze, and paternalism.
The film being analysed is the Breakfast Club, directed by John Hughes. Trapped in Saturday detention are 5 stereotyped teens. Claire, the princess, Andrew, the jock, John, the criminal, Brian, the brain, and Allison, the basket case. At 7 am, they had nothing to say, but by 4 pm; they had uncovered everything to each other. The students bond together when faced with the their principal, and realise that they have more in common than they think, including a hatred for adult society. They begin to see each other as equal people and even though they were stereotyped they would always be The Breakfast Club. The Breakfast Club highlights a variety of pressures that are placed upon teenagers through out high school. One of the most challenging aspects of screenwriting is creating characters that an audience can identify with, relate to, and be entertained by.
In conclusion, the development of the folktales leads to the obtaining of ideas about gender. In many ways our society supports the idea that women seem underestimated as well as physically and mentally weak in comparison with the men who is portrayed as intelligent and superior. This can be shown in many ways in the different versions of this folktale through the concepts of symbolic characters, plot and narrative perspective.
This helps define her as an obedient daughter who will later be rewarded for such behavior. Obedience was clearly an important aspect for women in the Brothers
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.
The Grimm Brother’s version of the story begins with the sentence, “Once upon a time there was a sweet little girl” (Grimm). From the beginning of the story the reader understands that the focal point of the narrative will be on a female character. The female is defined as being “sweet.” The next sentence of the narrative begins with the phrase, “Everyone who saw her liked her [. . .]” (Grimm). It is safe for the reader to conclude that the reason everyone likes her is because she is considered “sweet.” The implication of this construct is that being “sweet,” and its assumed manifestations - the act of politeness, agreeability, well-mannered, etc. - is a highly regarded and socially defined feminine quality that leads to social acceptance, which is...
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.
In Alice Munro’s short story “Boys and Girls,” our narrator is a young farm girl on the verge of puberty who is learning what it means to be a “girl.” The story shows the differing gender roles of boys and girls – specifically that women are the weaker, more emotional sex – by showing how the adults of the story expect the children to grow into their respective roles as a girl and a boy, and how the children grow up and ultimately begin to fulfill these roles, making the transition from being “children” to being “young adults.”