Feminism And Fairy Tales Analysis
Mackenzie Bowles
Dr. Samantha Levy Arnold
English 111
04 February 2015
Feminism and Fairy Tales
In the article Feminism and Fairy Tales by Karen Rowe, she expands on the role women play throughout fairy tales. Rowe focuses on “portrayals of adolescent waiting and dreaming, patterns of double enchantment, and romanticization of marriage…” (342). In short, fairy tales display stereotypical relationships of male-dominance making them seem desirable. Although it may be unknowingly, Rowe speaks of women who read these tales and fall into the status quo. Conforming to cultural norms of marriage and motherhood is abundant throughout fairy tales. These tales dignify a heroine’s passive, male-dependent personality suggesting a woman’s survival depends …show more content…
Fairy tales also create characters, such as the godmother and evil stepmother, for the heroine to deal with her conflicting emotions towards the maternal figure. The godmother signifies “a protective mother who blesses the heroine with beauty and virtue...” (348). While the stepmother, however, “embodies the adolescent’s awesome intimations of female rivalry, predatory sexuality, and constructive authority.” (348). Split representation of the maternal figure helps both the heroine and the reader deal with their contradictory feelings of love and hate (348). The father, too, plays a significant role in the telling of fairy tales. This model of masculine behavior often constructs and encourages the heroine’s marriage to the prince later on in the tale (351). “Romantic tales also require that the heroine’s transference of dependency be not only sexual, but also material” (351). Due to the heroine’s passivity and conformity, when marrying the prince, she not only gains materialistically, but socially as well. The heroine finds safety in marrying the prince, much like she felt early on with her father …show more content…
If modern women continue to modify their goals, ambitions and potential to conform to romantic patterns they will most likely live a life of dissatisfaction and discontent (357). I couldn’t agree more with what Rowe says throughout her article. Female goals, life and roles are much different in the 21st Century. Before, a female’s only option was to get married young and begin motherhood. Now, though, females have many more options and play bigger roles in the household. Women are often the bread winners today, or even raising children on their own. With feminine roles rapidly changing, fairy tales should
Dr. Samantha Levy Arnold
English 111
04 February 2015
Feminism and Fairy Tales
In the article Feminism and Fairy Tales by Karen Rowe, she expands on the role women play throughout fairy tales. Rowe focuses on “portrayals of adolescent waiting and dreaming, patterns of double enchantment, and romanticization of marriage…” (342). In short, fairy tales display stereotypical relationships of male-dominance making them seem desirable. Although it may be unknowingly, Rowe speaks of women who read these tales and fall into the status quo. Conforming to cultural norms of marriage and motherhood is abundant throughout fairy tales. These tales dignify a heroine’s passive, male-dependent personality suggesting a woman’s survival depends …show more content…
Fairy tales also create characters, such as the godmother and evil stepmother, for the heroine to deal with her conflicting emotions towards the maternal figure. The godmother signifies “a protective mother who blesses the heroine with beauty and virtue...” (348). While the stepmother, however, “embodies the adolescent’s awesome intimations of female rivalry, predatory sexuality, and constructive authority.” (348). Split representation of the maternal figure helps both the heroine and the reader deal with their contradictory feelings of love and hate (348). The father, too, plays a significant role in the telling of fairy tales. This model of masculine behavior often constructs and encourages the heroine’s marriage to the prince later on in the tale (351). “Romantic tales also require that the heroine’s transference of dependency be not only sexual, but also material” (351). Due to the heroine’s passivity and conformity, when marrying the prince, she not only gains materialistically, but socially as well. The heroine finds safety in marrying the prince, much like she felt early on with her father …show more content…
If modern women continue to modify their goals, ambitions and potential to conform to romantic patterns they will most likely live a life of dissatisfaction and discontent (357). I couldn’t agree more with what Rowe says throughout her article. Female goals, life and roles are much different in the 21st Century. Before, a female’s only option was to get married young and begin motherhood. Now, though, females have many more options and play bigger roles in the household. Women are often the bread winners today, or even raising children on their own. With feminine roles rapidly changing, fairy tales should