Feminist Revision of the Traditional Fairy Tale The

Feminist Revision of the Traditional Fairy Tale: The Paper Bag Princess and Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs Presenters: Iris Charney Safir Jessie 96421612 96421354 96421274 96421390 Chuang, Yi-Ju Chang, Hua-I Tsou, Yu-Tung Cheng, Mu-Han Advisor: Dr. Justin Prystash 1

Presentation Outline Ø Ø Ø Introduction Literature Review Analysis Conclusions Works Cited 2

INTRODUCTION Background Ø Purpose of Study Ø Methodology Ø Significance of Study Ø 3

Background Ø Reading picture books and fairy tales is very interesting and intriguing for children. Ø Some of the best known fairy tales are from Grimm’s Fairy Tales (1812), such as “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and “Sleeping Beauty, ” which have been filmed as animated movies and musicals. 4

Background Ø With the emergence of second-wave feminism in the 1960 s, a new genre of fairy tales began to appear that broke the stereotypes of traditional fairy tales. Ø We took The Paper Bag Princess as an important example that reveals the change of people’s concepts towards princes, princesses, and gender. 5

Purpose of Study Ø To explore how fairy tales influence readers’ perspectives on gender. Ø To examine how feminism helps to revise the fairy tale genre. 6

Methodology Ø We combined feminist fairy-tale scholarship, Jauss’s theory of “horizons of expectations, ” and a close reading technique to analyze the plots, characters, and symbolism of our primary texts. By examining how the historical development of genre was affected by feminism, we were able to suggest that feminism plays an important role in the revision of the fairy tale. 7

Significance of Study Ø We reexamine traditional fairy tales, the stereotypical images and characters they produce. Ø We show these stereotypes are changed through feminism and the development of a new genre of fairy tale. 8

LITERATURE REVIEW u. Secondary Sources: Feminist Criticism and Horizons of Expectations u. Primary Sources: Summary of the Stories 9

Secondary Sources: Feminist Criticism and Horizons of Expectations 10

Ø Marcia R. Lieberman (1972) believed that fairy tales have substantial influence on children and women’s psycho-sexual selfconcepts because they laid their fantasies and hopes on those tales and learned what kind of behavior would benefit them from their favorite stories. 11

Ø In the late twentieth century, Hans Robert Jauss “used the term ‘horizons of expectations’ to describe the criteria readers utilized to judge literary texts in any given period” ( A Reader's Guide to Contemporary Literary Theory 53). 12

Ø Andrea Dworkin (1974) showed how fairy tales form cultural values and depict female characters as evil and passive while male characters are “good, active, and heroic. ” 13

Ø Mary Daly and Karen E. Rowe (1975) illustrated that unrealistic, idealized, and romantic fairy tales have a negative effect on not only children but adult women, even society, on account of twisting cultural values and gender roles. 14

Ø Carolyn G. Heilbrun (1979) proposed theory that “myth, tale, and tragedy must be transformed by a bold act of reinterpretation in order to enter the experience of the emerging female self. ” 15

Summary 16

Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs In a country far away, the Queen gives birth to a beautiful girl, Snow-White. After one year, the Queen passes away, and the king marries another wife who is wicked and couldn’t stand that anyone could be more beautiful than her. Every day, she asks a magical mirror, which always tells the truth: “Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is fairest of us all? ” 17

The evil Queen learns that Snow-White is more beautiful than her. She is no longer the most beautiful woman in the world. She conspires to kill Snow -White and asks a hunter to kill her. But he doesn’t do it and lets her go. Snow-White runs to the forest and meets the seven dwarfs, who will take her in as long as she cooks and cleans for them. 18

The evil Queen, however, finds that Snow-White isn’t dead, and attempts to kill her many times. Finally, she successfully kills Snow-White when she disguises herself as a farmer’s wife to lure her to eat a poisoned apple. The seven dwarfs find Snow-White dead, weep for her, and put her in a coffin. 19

Then, the prince comes to the dwarfs’ house by chance and wants to take away the coffin. When servants stumble over a bush, Snow-White awakens because the piece of apple comes out of her throat. The prince joyfully sees Snow-White and proposes to her. Finally, they get married and live happily ever after. 20

The Paper Bag Princess An elegant princess, Elizabeth, who dresses beautifully every day and lives in a huge castle, is going to marry Prince Ronald. One day, the dragon destroys everything in the castle with its fiery breath and kidnaps the Prince. The only thing left for her to wear is a paper bag. After putting this on, she starts her adventure to rescue Prince Ronald and makes the best of her intelligence to defeat the dragon. 21

She makes a fool of the dragon twice and makes it exhausted. Finally, she rescues the Prince successfully. However, Prince Ronald despises her because she looks dirty, demanding that she dress like a princess or he won’t take her back. Nevertheless, Elizabeth responds that he is a bum although he looks like a dignified prince. At the end of the story, she refuses to marry him. 22

ANALYSIS 23

Compare the Expositions of Two Stories Characters Snow-White They both show stereotypical traits: Princess Elizabeth they are beautiful, wear pretty dresses, and live in a castle. 24

Compare the Rising Actions of Two Stories Characters Snow-White Reactions She has no ideas of her own and is dominated by the hunter. If Snow-White would have met a man who attempted to murder her, she would have died. Princess Elizabeth She is determined to save Prince Ronald. 25

Compare the Turning Points of Two Stories Characters Snow-White She is taken care of and is dominated by the seven dwarfs and the prince in the story. Also, she doesn’t have her own ideas. Princess Elizabeth She expresses her opinion when the prince despises her for being dirty. 26

Compare the Conclusions of Two Stories Characters Snow-White and the prince get married and live happily ever after. Princess Elizabeth doesn’t get married to Prince Ronald. 27

Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs Character Personality Snow-White • naïve • innocent • feminine • classic female role • meek • kind-hearted Reasons “It will be all right to let in the good old woman” (12). “Poor Snow-White didn’t suspect anything, and let the old woman do as she pleased” (16). As Snow-White is taken away by the hunter, she is dominated and has no idea what she can do. Snow-White doesn’t refuse the prince and goes to the palace with him. 28

Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs Character Personality Reasons • cares about her • She is satisfied when she hears the mirror say: “Queen, thou art the fairest appearance of us all” (3). She is angry and jealous of Snow-White’s beauty when she • mean hears the mirror say: “Queen, thou art • has no the fairest of us all. But, Snow-White’s The Evil confidence fairer than us all” (4). Queen “Look, I’ll cut the apple in two halves; you eat the red cheek and I’ll eat the white”(19). “Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is fairest of us all? ” (3). 29

Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs Character Personality Reasons “ If you’ll look after our house for • traditional us, cook, make the beds, wash, sew, males and knit, and if you’ll keep everything clean and neat, then you can stay with • kind and us, and you shall lack for nothing” (8). The Seven nice “Watch out for your stepmother. Dwarfs • sentimental Soon she’ll know you’re here; be sure not to let anybody inside” (11). females “[the seven dwarfs] laid her on a • androgynous bier, and all seven of them sat down and wept for her, and wept her for characters three whole days” (20). 30

Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs Character Personality Reasons “Let me have the coffin. I’ll give you anything that you want for it” active, and (20). “Give it to me then, for I can’t heroic” live without seeing Snow-White. I’ll (qtd. in Haase honor and prize her as my own beloved” (20). 3) “I love you more than anything in • masculine all the world. Come with me to my father’s palace; you shall be my • a savior wife” (20). • “good, The Prince 31

The Paper Bag Princess Characters Princess Elizabeth Personality Reasons brave and decisive “Elizabeth decided to chase the dragon and get Ronald” (5). “Finally, Elizabeth came to a cave with a large door that had a huge knocker on it. She took hold of the knocker and banged on the door” (7). wise and patient “burn up ten forests with [his] fiery breath? ” (11) “fly around the world in just ten seconds? ’’(15) 32

The Paper Bag Princess Characters Princess Elizabeth Personality bold and selfconfident feminine and masculine Reasons “your clothes are really pretty and your hair is very neat. You look like a real prince, but you are a bum”(23). She dresses up beautifully and she is ready to marry the prince like other classical female protagonists. On her way to save the prince, it demonstrates that she is smart, brave, and masculine in conveying her own ideas. 33

The Paper Bag Princess Character Personality Reasons Prince Ronald he judges people “Elizabeth, you are a by their appearance mess! You smell like ashes, your hair is all tangled and you are wearing a dirty old paper bag ”(21). Prince Ronald conservative He thinks the princess should be dressed beautifully and act elegantly. 34

The Paper Bag Princess Characters Personality Reasons The Dragon arrogant and behaves selfishly “I am a very busy dragon. Come back tomorrow”(9). The Dragon androgynous It scratches its nails. It is keen to save face. 35

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 36

Discussion 37

Snow-White and the Evil Queen vs. Princess Elizabeth Snow-White The Evil Queen Princess Elizabeth traditional female character cares about her new generation of female character appearance feminine, naïve, mean meek and innocent has no confidence bold, smart, patient and expresses own ideas 38

The Prince VS. Prince Ronald The Prince Ronald traditional male character dominant, masculine, and male-chauvinist 39

The Seven Dwarfs vs. The Dragon The Seven Dwarfs The Dragon androgynous characters androgynous character 40

Conclusion 41

Feminism helps revise traditional fairy tales. Ø This new genre of fairy tales changes people’s perspectives of gender roles. Ø We believe people should read this new genre of fairy tales because it changes their stereotypical ideas about gender roles and has helped readers discover new identities for women. Ø 42

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Q&A 45