Generational Differences Fairy Tales

Just how people don’t judge a book by its cover, don’t do the same to fairy tales. Fairy tales are more than what they appear to be. They are far more than children’s bedtime readings. Although, they aren’t extensive, they pack a considerable amount of information and leave space for interpretation. They reveal the truth of how the world can be unfair and people can be cruel. Most fairy tales have been rewritten, some more than others. The later versions have been sugar-coated and made to be appropriate children’s stories. In the tale, “Bluebeard”, by Charles Perrault, which is not sugar-coated, has an unexpected theme in comparison to most fairy tales. This wealthy man has a blue beard, which all women are repulsed by. He wants to get married, so he sways the girl by hosting a party that last an entire week. They get married and soon after, the husband must go for a business trip, tells the wife to enjoy herself by inviting her friends over and before he leaves, he gives her one rule to follow. Her actions lead to the repercussions that follow her. Before describing the tale, certain characteristics come to mind when thinking of fairy tales, such as magic, animals, protagonist, villain, royalty, etc. One critical aspect that fairy tales contain is a moral. In the fairy tale, “Bluebeard”, there may seem to be more than one theme or lesson to be learned, but one critical moral is how curiosity can lead to the downfall of disobedience.

In the folktale “The Blue Beard” written by Charles Perrault, conforms to both Dworkin’s and Lurie’s representations of fairy tale heroines. Perrault states, “The fatal effects of curiosity, particularly female curiosity, have of course long seen the subject of report” (133). Andrea Dworkin author of “Women Hating” and Alison Lurie author of “Don’t Tell the Grown-Ups” explain their different views regarding the heroines in fairy tales.

Peering into the treasure chest, a small gasp slipped out of Belle’s mouth as she began to see the truth about her friends. Laying on a crimson cloth was a book titled “Cinderella”. Delighted to find one of her favorite fairy tales, Belle sat under a tree and began to read. Her delight soon turned to disgust as she realized it was not the fairy tale she loved. Overcome at the gruesome, gory details of this version, Belle quickly slammed the

This modern fairy tale contains diverse characters but none of them are as important as the grandmother. In fact, through her narration the reader gets the basic

Original fairy tales restrict the opportunities of female protagonists, allowing their fate to be controlled by male characters and society’s restrictive expectations of women. Authors such as Perrault of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ were quick to provide advice to their suggestible female readers in moral that girls should not try to drift from the path that society has laid out for them. Thus they became ‘parables of instruction’ (Carter) to indoctrinate the next generation in the values of a patriarchal society. Fairy tales of this time consistently remind us that those of the female sex will not prosper if they choose to ignore and defy the social constructs. Pre 1900s, the roles of women were entirely predetermined. A clear female dichotomy was established portraying them as either ‘the virgin’ or ‘the whore’. Stereotypical perceptions of women reduced them to biological functions and stated that they should acquire the role of wife and mother – objectified to such an extent where they were essentially their male counterpart’s possession. Both authors scorn the importance placed on domesticity and conformity, stressing the vital nature of being able to choose and uncover the consequences of societal ignorance. Carter highlights to her literary audience a passive generation of women who face the inability to vocalise their thoughts and opinions in the context of oppressive patriarchy. Within her work ‘The Company of Wolves’ “The

In some instances, Cinderella’s behaviour in Perrault’s tale display characteristics that are alike to a modern western woman, today. On the first night of the Ball, the fairy godmother struggles to find something turn into a coachman. Then Cinderella suggests to transform the “...rate in the rat trap...into a coachman” (Perrault). This act reveals that Cinderella is capable of solving problems individually (Robbins, 107); a quality of a modern western woman. In addition, Cinderella demonstrates intelligence when the step sisters talk to Cinderella after returning from the first night of the Ball (Robbins, 107). Cinderella pretends to be sleepy by “...rubbing her eyes and stretching...” (Perrault) when the step sisters visit Cinderella’s room, after returning from the first night of the ball. By pretending to be sleepy, the step sisters assume that Cinderella did not attend the Ball. The step sisters tell Cinderella that a “finest princess” (Perrault) came to the Ball, however, when Cinderella inquires about the unknown princess name, the step sisters state that they did not know. Also, the step sisters tell Cinderella that the prince “would give all the world to know who...” (Perrault) is the unknown princess. This way Cinderella slyly and confidently interrogates the step

The anomalous nature of Perrault's Bluebeard gives the folkloric fairy tale a cultural edge so piercing that it continues to be reformed, rewritten and renewed over centuries of literature. Through the persistent use of symbolism and metaphorical imagery, the notion of male superiority and the significance of female obedience is heavily stressed. This is remarkably evident when Bluebeard presents to his wife the keys that open his lavish wardrobes, as well as the key to unlock a room so strictly forbidden that, if she happened to open it, she "may expect my [Bluebeard's] just anger and resentment." The restricted key is a direct manifestation of a false sense of freedom, bound to the concept of male assertion of dominance and belief in the established order. The blood on the key

As the story progresses, Perrault presents an example of the dire consequences that occur when a traditional woman shifts into a non-conformative one. Bluebeard's wife is shown as a imprudent, betraying her husbands trust by deliberately disobeying his orders. " She was so much pressed by her curiosity that, without considering that it was very uncivil for her to leave her company, she went down a little back staircase, and with such excessive haste that she nearly fell and broke her neck" (56). Because of her disobedience, she ends up discovering her husbands terrible secret- a room hiding the corpses of all his previous wives. Her curiosity is demonized as the cause of her misfortune. Bluebeard's marriage is an example of the traditional

Fairy Tales are known for their rich symbolism. The story, “Blue Beard” by Charles Perrault is a much darker fairy tale that readers are not used to. The story is about a mass murderer. Blue Beard is a wealthy man. His wives keep disappearing. One day, his current wife enters a room off-limits to her as she is so overtaken with curiosity. In the room, she uncovers the dead bodies of his past wives whom Blue Beard killed for entering the room. Though she does not say anything, Blue Beard learns of her discovery. He is intent on killing his wife, but her brothers appear and kill Blue Beard, leaving his wife the sole heir to Blue Beard's massive fortune. The story represents a much darker fairytale where Perrault connected Blue Beard’s beard to

Going through the paper, “Double Standards throughout the Ages,” I never realized how accurate these fairytales are in the real world. Women tend to have it easier to find someone royalty because men who are royalty are looking for someone who is kindhearted. Though, men who are not royalty, but do good deeds, tend to find someone that isn’t royalty. This paper reminds me of how it is right now, men have a tendency to get more money than women do, it’s not fair, but it’s how it is, same goes for women finding royalty and men not finding royalty.

In Margaret Atwood’s poem “There Was Once”, Atwood uses irony to point out the societal problems within the genre of fairy tales. Charles Perrault, the author of the short story “The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood”, writes about fantastic creatures, magic, and love, following the generic conventions of fairy tales. When compared to Perrault’s short story “The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood”, Atwood’s poem both compliments and contrasts Perrault’s. These two texts, although similar, offer different views on the genre of fairy tales.

When I first decided on a topic I wanted to make sure I made my fairy tale version more modern day. The story is somewhat based off of the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale. I didn’t pick one specific version to follow but wanted to incorporate the theme of kids overcoming an obstacle to return home to their parents. The Fantasyland Park sounds like a place where you can go and find magic and is a world based on a fantasy. The castle was an important part and was made to look like this mysterious place from the outside but like a witch house on the inside. I got this idea from the candy house that Hansel and Gretel came across in the woods when they were stranded by their parents.

Neil Gaiman’s Snow, Glass, Apples takes all prior knowledge about what a fairy tale generally consists of and ignores it. Breaking down all barriers of what is considered the typical fairy tale format, Gaiman does not shy away from delving into the taboos of society.

Angela Carter, an English writer, is best known for her feminist rewriting of classical fairy tales. In her stories she prominently uses themes, such as, virginity, the pornographic image, violence and sex, and many others. Degrading someone to the status of a mere object, in other words objectification, is a theme Angela Carter shows in many of her fairy tales, specifically the objectification of women. According to Carter, the objectification and subjugation of women is part of a “latent context” of fairy tales that she expressed simply by virtue of being a woman. Both “The Tiger’s Bride” and “The Courtship of Mr. Lyon” are fairy tales intertextually linked with “Beauty and the Beast” and show the reader Carters’ views on femininity. Not

Fairy Folk Tales are the most popular types of literature. The tale is an orally transmitted tradition by generations through the time; some events are changed to fit reality and society. Folk fairy tales deal with the dualism of the good and the evil. They are basing on a conflict between the good and the evil forces. The conclusion comes from aspirations of the human desire to achieve the justices. There are no known authors and sources for ancient’s literature. We have many versions of the story; they are credited by many authors later. Each tale is very like some other culture’s tale. Each culture has own tales, but all the tales are similarities and differences in some points. This essay will compare between two fairy tales, “Cinderella” and “In the Land of Small Dragon”. The tale of Cinderella is a French tale. It is credited by Charles Perrault; it is published in 1697. The in the Land of Small Dragon is a Vietnamese folktale; it is told by Dang Manh Kha in 1979.