... as men, at every age and in every class. Gretel, not Hansel, defeated the witch; and for every clever youngster son there was a youngster daughter equally resourceful. The contrast continued in maturity, when women were often more powerful than men. Real help for the hero or heroine came most often ... under restrictive conditions. Two fairytales that offer this slightly alternative view of women are Hansel and Gretel and Beauty and the Beast. In both these stories the heroine doesn't fit into the traditional mould, and are actually fairytales that have survived through the years, not mo...

• Word Count: 3110
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: High School

... and which has become the most well-known version of the tale. The dead mother (and Cinderella's ashes imply mourning) who watches over her daughter disappears. There are also similarities between the Cinderella story and "Donkeyskin "; there are many tales in which the heroine is a servant who ... In "Donkeyskin" however, the heroine is not maltreated by her stepmother, but runs away from home to escape the incestuous intentions of her own father, which is no doubt why the story is little-known today. Sleeping Beauty Sleeping Beauty, or Briar Rose in the Grimms' telling, endures ... ap...

• Word Count: 2506
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: High School