Preview

Gender Roles In Fairy Tales

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1516 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Gender Roles In Fairy Tales
It is no secret women's roles have changed but, no one seems to notice they have also changed our fairy tales. Over the years fairy tales have evolved making women play many roles, some submissive others assertive; the females in Little Snow-White and Beauty and The Beast portray these roles as reflections of the times in which they were created.
Written in the 1800’s Little Snow-White personifies the submissive roles assigned to women at the time. In this time period being a housewife is typical and expected of a woman. "If you will keep house for us, and cook, make beds, wash, sew, and knit, and keep everything clean and orderly, then you can stay with us, and you shall have everything that you want"(Grimm’s 57) In order to get anything …show more content…
She had a beauty so big she had to be put in a glass coffin. One day a prince found shelter in the dwarfs home and as soon as he saw that dimension of beauty Snow had he could not leave without her, for in that moment he fell in love. “I cannot live without being able to see Snow-White. I will honor her and respect her as my most cherished one"(Grimm’s 140) Beauty, a woman’s best feature. As in the story, man fall for looks many times forgetting any other traits a woman can offer. Letting them turn beauty into a thing they must have. Moreover not only is the prince allowed to take snow but she awakens and is quickly told what has happened then is offered to marry the prince. Instantly they marry "I love you more than anything else in the world. Come with me to my father's castle. You shall become my wife."(Grimms 146) In the time this was written woman would marry for money and a good home which is what the Grimm Brothers are emphasizing in this passage. In addition to marrying for a good life woman would come to be the housekeepers and motherly figures letting man do the hard work. As a women in the 1800’s they are meant to comfort man without complain. It is known that if your home is in disorder no one must know. Therefore women would only settle for good, never going out to try anything different.Many times being different was just unacceptable for society making it hard for women to progress. For many there was …show more content…
Yet allowing her to create her own criteria of the circumstances. In the story Belle’s father is captured and taken prisoner by a monster far away on an enchanted castle. Once Belle finds out she decides to take the place of her sick father, losing all hope of any future she had ever planned to have.“But I've lost my father, my dreams, everything.”(Woolverton 40) Belle on the other hand is presented as hope for Beast, for in order to break the curse that has him dressed as a monster he needs to love and to be loved back. With Belle present he has a chance, but it is not easy to love a beast. Ultimately making this sacrifice of staying with a monster and giving up all of her dreams puts on a hero role for Belle, a role mostly known to be for
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Comparing Sandra Gilbert's Snow White And Her Wicked Stepmother
    • 558 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Comparing Sandra Gilbert's Snow White And Her Wicked Stepmother

    Snow White’s death and her glass coffin are more dangerous to the Queen than Snow White being alive, as she “is an object to be displayed and desired” and becomes a the “ideal woman” to the patriarchy (Gilbert Gubar 296). Ultimately, Snow White defeats her wicked stepmother, but Gilbert and Gubar argue that her life will follow the same path of her wicked stepmother as she only “exchanged one glass coffin for another” and will “embark on that life of ‘significant action’ which, for a woman, is defined as a witch’s life” (Gilbert Gubar 296).…

    • 558 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Snow White's Frozen: Traditional Princess Movies
    • 834 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Snow White's Frozen: Traditional Princess Movies

    In the first three princess movie, feminist elements appear as villains: Snow White’s Evil Queen, Cinderella’s metamorphosis stepmother, Sleeping Beauty’s devil godmother (also may turned into a fire-breathing dragon), that women are either full of desire to rights and policies, or full of jealousy to beauty and wealth, or purely abstract devils. Their unrealistic evil, is another extreme far from princesses’ unrealistic kindness. As what people think of Lilith’s demonization, these female villains are the widespread prejudices from patriarchal society, that whenever women desire power, they turn into devil.…

    • 834 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Case 7.03 Minority Rights
    • 208 Words
    • 1 Page

    Case 7.03 Minority Rights

    Wanted not only to be wives working at home but to have a career. Women wanted to be treated equally as men with respect.…

    • 208 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Disney Princess Personality Types
    • 1643 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Disney Princess Personality Types

    Belle stumbles across an enchanted castle with an effort to save her father, only to discover that the prince and his servants living there were cast under a spell. With much assistance from her new friends, Belle uses her idealistic personality to draw the beast out of his isolation, and eventually break the curse. Belle uses her optimism, bravery, and imagination to save the characters within the castle. If Belle did not have the personality of an idealist, the outcome of the story could have ended in numerous different ways. She uses her optimism to give the characters hope. She uses her bravery to stand up to her violent village. She uses her imagination to help her become open to the idea of saving the castle before it is too late. Without this heroine the characters would have been cursed forever; fortunately The Idealist pulls through and they lived happily ever…

    • 1643 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Gender Roles In Lemony Snicket's A Bad Beginning
    • 476 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Gender Roles In Lemony Snicket's A Bad Beginning

    Fairy tales help to establish gender roles at a young age to characterize and represent the ideals, values, and roles that each gender should succumb to. Females are taught to be kind, sweet, week, honest, self-sacrificing, and beautiful. On the other hand, males are taught to be courageous, brave, saviors, and wise. Many of these characteristics are shown in Snow White. However, in lemony Snicket’s, A Bad Beginning, the novel challenges many of these ideas by providing the reader with alternate views to gender roles. This is shown through the main protagonist, Violet.…

    • 476 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Princess And The Frog Analysis
    • 581 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Princess And The Frog Analysis

    This can be seen as a push for feminism in the movie because it doesn’t focus on her being because she’s a girl. Also it changes how things are normally executed in fairytales. Some examples include Tiana rescuing Naveen, the princess also being changed into an animal, Prince Naveen being a playboy and they changing into a hard worker, and Mama Odie who says to think about your wishes and if that’s really what you want. These are probably introduced into the movie because Disney is looking to find a prompt that will make people watch and buy the movie. Viewers want to have a role model that will be a good example for small children and make them change themselves for the…

    • 581 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Tempel Anneke Was Accused Of Witchcraft In The 17th Century
    • 1730 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Tempel Anneke Was Accused Of Witchcraft In The 17th Century

    Men were the workers, bread winners, property owners, decision makers, and kings in their families and in society. Everyone worked beneath them. They went out to work each day and expected that when they returned, the women within their families would provide the proper necessities of life: food, a clean house, and take care of the children. A woman on the other hand was expected to provide these necessities and often she also provided work outside the home, she may have even work alongside her husband too. When she finished that job, it was expected that she would attend to her home duties, these included, providing care for her husband and family and never to complain.…

    • 1730 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Disney Gender Roles Essay
    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Disney Gender Roles Essay

    The first era of princesses depicted their ideals of beauty through their physical appearances and attributes such as their hair and lips as well as their dancing and singing abilities. For example, in Cinderella and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, both female protagonists have the ability to attract animals with their singing. Even as a baby, Aurora from Sleeping Beauty is given the gift of beauty and song from the fairies. Another popular part of the first era is its depictions of its villains. In each of these movies, older age, ugliness, and death become one and the same (Do Rozario). For instance, both Snow White and Aurora are put to sleep by older women who perceive their beauty as a threat. This furthers…

    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Snow White Gender Analysis
    • 1334 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Snow White Gender Analysis

    The first feature film by Disney, Snow White, is the story of a young girl who fulfills societal roles of being a woman who is happy to stay home to cook and clean all day long. This film explains…

    • 1334 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Pregnancy In Snow White
    • 1858 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Pregnancy In Snow White

    Snow White’s father knew that she would be very beautiful, and he knew that people might try to take advantage of her. So he taught her math, science, reading, cunning, and bravery. In short, Snow White was beautiful and brilliant. She knew her stepmothers evil plan from the start. She caught glimpses other stepmother’s jealous face staring at her as Snow White brushed her strong, black hair. She heard her stepmother arguing with her odd talking mirror every morning. Snow White expected this. As she sat in her potato sack, she thought of how to get out. When the huntsman released her, she was ready to appeal to the man. As he raised his hatchet, Snow White feigned tears and cried, “No please. Dear huntsman, I know that my stepmother chose you because you are so strong and noble, but please spare me. My mother was the most beautiful woman in the kingdom, and died sadly giving birth to me. She passed her curse of beauty to me. My stepmother fell victim to the curse of jealousy. Please don’t kill me.” Taking a look at the girl’s wondrous face and taking her pleas to heart, the huntsman let her…

    • 1858 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Snow White Analysis
    • 1103 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Snow White Analysis

    The Queen was jealous of Snow White due to the fact that Snow White was fairer than she was. This exemplifies how women may constantly plot up against one another to claim the trait they feel rightly belongs to them. The Queen does everything in her power to kill Snow White so that she may become the fairest in the land. When she finds out that her hired huntsman did not complete the task of stabbing Snow White’s heart, she takes measures into her own hands First, she disguises herself as an old woman selling pottery and bodices. Snow White let's her in, only to have the Queen lace her bodice too tight to the point of suffocating her. The dwarves come home to see that she is unconscious and unlaces her and Snow White awakens and breathes regularly. Meanwhile, inside the palace the Queen looks at the mirror and asks the question as she did numerous times, “Mirror Mirror who is the fairest of them all?” The mirror answers truthfully and still answers Snow White, beyond the mountains with the seven dwarves is still a thousand times fairer than you.” This angers the queen immensely, thus for the second time she goes to the dwarves cottage in an attempt to kill Snow White. At this point, with the assistance of witchcraft the queen creates a poisoned comb and then disguises herself as a different elder woman and walks…

    • 1103 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Diversity In Traditional Tales Essay
    • 407 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Diversity In Traditional Tales Essay

    Female roles have been depicted differently under different culture background. From the example I list above, we can see how culture background has shaped the imagines of roles differently in traditional tales, and how those traditional tales impact children’s life in the same…

    • 407 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Ideology of True Womanhood
    • 766 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Ideology of True Womanhood

    A new ideology about the home came after opinions towards work and family arose. This new ideal, called “domesticity,” provided us with a new view of women’s duties and roles but still treated men and women as total opposites. There were four characteristics that all good and proper young women should follow: piety, purity, domesticity and submissiveness. In the nineteenth century it was believed that American women were to demonstrate a particular behavior towards religion. They thought religion was good for women and that it helped put their minds at rest. Women who weren’t religious were considered the most disgusting human characteristic. They also believed that women were not women, but instead a lower form of being if they weren’t sexually pure. Marriage was supposed to be the greatest night in a woman’s life, when her she could give her greatest gift to her husband, her virginity. From this point on, she was dependent on him. A woman must remain pure regardless of any attempt made by a man…

    • 766 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Gender Roles In Fairytales
    • 685 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Gender Roles In Fairytales

    However, all who are deemed these qualities are the villainesses of the stories. When the beautiful damsel is placed in distress, it is always the ugly villainess who places her there. Thus, as stated by Grauerholz there becomes an “ association between beauty and goodness and then conversely between ugliness and evil..” (qtd. in Hanafy). When a villainess acts out against the heroine, as seen in the characters of Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty, and the Evil Queen in Snow White, they do not act from any intelligible source of anger but rather from jealousy (mostly stemming from beauty) and pure malice, therefore furthering the reader and/or listeners disdain of powerful women, and instead reinstating one’s compassion, and reliability for the distressed heroine. Furthering dissuading people from connecting with the powerful women of the fairytales are that they always are punished in the end. No fairy tale ends with the villainess winning, she always gets her compuence. However, not all female characters fit between the dichotomies of malicious and good. There are a select few characters, particularly the fairy godmothers and the dwarves of Snow White, whom are portrayed as not only genial, powerful, and wise, but also help guide the heroine on her journey to find her Prince. Without the Fairy…

    • 685 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Semiotic Analysis
    • 909 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Semiotic Analysis

    Belle, who symbolizes the ‘rose’ in the beast’s life, comes across his place in an eventful night. She is the one who eventually frees him from the spell cast upon him by falling in love with his inner character and not appearances. He subsequently finds comfort in being with her and risks his life to save her In the ending scene where he finally turns back to his human self.…

    • 909 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics