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The Role of Women in Fairytales

            Once upon a time there was a magical world, where everything was perfect and everybody was happy and it was known as the land of Fairytales. Is this a realistic view of the world? This is the view Fairytales give the reader and it is evident that childhood tales help to shape the listener or reader. There are very clear moral codes embedded into Fairytale scenarios. Children's perceptions of Fairytales can go a long way towards shaping their social interactions; you can't deny that the things they hear and read influence their views, visions of the future and reality. Young boys often play at slaying the dragon and being the hero, young girls often dream of the handsome prince who will rescue them and whisk them away.
             Fairytales have been passed down through the ages, originating from the old oral Folk tales. These ancient stories entertained the masses and often taught children morals and how to act and think. But in today's society many of these lessons are being questioned. Maybe their influences are harmless, but embedded in the story are some dangerous and damaging stereotypes. It is tradition for these Fairytales to portray women in rather a negative light. It is typical in a Fairytale for the passive heroine to reap the reward of the handsome prince by endearing through pain and suffering, while omen who are assertive and strong in either the mental or physical capacity are shunned.
             In fairytales it is most common that the princess is associated with weakness and helplessness, she is often to be found waiting for the prince to save her. It is uncommon that she takes the initiative to find her own way out of the problem or to better her life without the aid of male presence. This promotes the idea that women are unable to be happy and successful without a strong, heroic male waiting in the wings. Fairytales often go against the Feminist grain because of the gender division within them.


Essays Related to The Role of Women in Fairytales

1. Stereotypes in Hansel and Gretel

... , which we are taught is scary. Another point about wicked women in fairytales is that even though they seem to be powerful, in the sense that they can manipulate (Hansel and Gretel in this case), they are not powerful on their own. They are only given power with the help of an outside source. Some of the women in fairytales have guardians, some use magic, and some gain power through a ... force like evil. Fairytales teach young girls that in order to be a strong, powerful woman ... would have followed his lead for the rest of the story. Gretel is able to take on a role that few female c...

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2. Perrault's Version of Cinderella

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3. History of the Nigerian Woman Past and Present

... that best suited their territorial beliefs. There were many countries in africa such as Kenya and Nigeria along with a host of others that created different variations of fairytales for the children to enjoy. Many of these fables were told to the children by their mothers , women relatives, and also by the Elders of the community. The stories told to the young reflected a way of life. They also taught wisdom, values and customs which over ... viewed as an established profession with its own internal regulating system. In looking at the role of Nigerian women today and the economic chang...

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4. The Calm after the Storm

... women at this point in time. The storm is an obvious symbol in the story. This storm brings together Alcee and Calixta without either of their intentions causing them to end up in each others arm. There is a bolt of lightning that strikes a chinaberry tree and is an explosion of energy in the storm and at the same time this bolt of lightening shows an explosion of feelings and emption builds up in the ... house between Alcee and Calixta and that is when the, sexual encounter occurs. The storm shakes things up and relieves the remaining feelings between the two. When the storm over so is...

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5. Eight Perspectives of Princess Diana

... and were not affected in an outstanding way. Diana came into her marriage, and her role, I believe, absolutely healthy. What made Diana unique from the outset was, first, her personality. If she truly had an "Introverted Intuitive Feeling Perceiving Personality(INFP)", then she had the most rare of all the personality types. INFPs are only 1% of the entire population, and this includes both men and women. She would have ... was dramatic and a somewhat "dream-like" role. The fairytale included her, and she was part of theatre afterall, even if it wasn't the stage she had first imagined f...

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6. Gender in fairy tales

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7. Fairytales

Rumpelstiltzkin Rumpelstiltzkin is a story about a young, beautiful, miller's daughter who is held by the greedy King, as he believes that she is able to turn straw into gold. This belief came about after the miller began to boast that his daughter was in fact able to fulfill such a feat. After being locked away in the dungeon with nothing but a spinning wheel and a room full of straw the miller's daughter did not know what to do except cry. It was only until a little man who went by the name of Rumpelstiltzkin appeared that she was forced to compose herself. He then informed her that he would...

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8. Shrek

... about Donkey is his strong views on forgiveness between friends and the role of friends, his morals make him appear caring and thoughtful. Donkey is constantly singing or humming in the film and the audience both enjoys this, and understands when Shrek is annoyed by it. Lord Farquaad is the "villain" of the fairytale, banishing the fairytale creatures and attempting to create a "perfect", but rather ... old-fashioned English ie."You should sweep me off my feet out of yonder window and down a rope onto your valiant steed!". This language is most typical of fairytales and also the most di...

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9. Gender Stereotyping

... only do they lack reality, but also they do not provide adequate role models for young girls. These two stories are examples of perfect fairytales where the male rescues the female and then they live happily ever after. Aside from the fairytale element, these stories are lacking in other departments as well. For example, the character Snow White is made to do traditionally female jobs such as cleaning ... save her so that she can live happily ever after. Despite all of the negative portrayals of women in these classics, efforts are being made to make children's literature more realistic...

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