GENDER ROLE CHANGES

By: Lily Deng

THESIS

In the original 19th century stories of Cinderella, Snow White and Rapunzel, the princesses were portrayed as weak and helpless individuals, while in the 21st century adaptations, Ella Enchanted, Snow White and the Huntsmen and Tangled represented ambitious and independent women that seek to have a better life without a prince rescuing them from their misery.

TR ADIT ION AL GENDER ROL ES O F WO MEN

Job was to maintain the house and take care of children

Purpose was to give birth

Property of men and was not allowed to own their own properties

Known as domestic and emotional

Unable to do hard labor

Was the weaker sex

CINDERELLA

Had a miserable life, working as a slave for her stepmother and stepsisters.

Did not stand up for herself

Took care of household duties

In the end saved by a prince in order to have a better and wealthier life

ELLA ENCHANTED

Movie released in 2004

Book written by Gail Carson Levine

Adaptation of Cinderella

Ella was cursed with a spell ever since she was born to be obedient to whatever she was told to do. Her stepsisters and stepmother makes her do house chores and she can’t refuse.

Ella wanted to go change her future and went to find the witch that casted the spell on her

Throughout her journey, she fights ogres etc.

Very ambitious and brave and isn't afraid to speak her mind

SNOW WHITE

Her duties were to maintain the house while the seven little dwarfs went to work

Innocent and young – ate a poisonous apple and died

Needed a prince to save her life by giving her a kiss

“Lived happily ever after”

SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMEN

Extremely independent because she was living on her own when her parents were killed

Fighting back the evil queen and was not afraid

Goes into battle wearing armor along side with the men

Not the typical princess that is girly and dainty

Brave like the men

RAPUNZEL

Obeys to whatever the sorceress told her to do

Weaves a ladder in the story – domestic

Needed a prince to save her from the tower

Runs away with him and lives happily ever after

TANGLED

Was able to escape the tower because she was devoted to find out what her true identity was

Adventurous and outspoken

Was able to confront the witch and ask about her past

Has magical powers and heals Flynn’s wounds with her hair

Saves him from dying with her tear drops

She has greater power in this movie because she is able to heal with her long golden locks

POSSIBLE SOURCES

Dawn Elizabeth England, Lara Descartes, Melissa A. Collier Meek, “Gender Role Portrayal and the Disney Princesses” Sex Roles, 64, 555-567, Web, April 2011

Rowe, Karen E “Feminism and Fairy Tales”, Women Studies, 6, 237-257, Web, 1979

Hannon, Carole J ‘Aging with Disney: Depiction of gender and age in seven Disney animated fairy tales” 1997

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

SYNTHESIS

Background information about traditional gender roles of women

Background information about Disney’s Snow White, Cinderella, and Grimm’s Rapunzel

Compare the older versions to the new adaptations

Explain how the roles of princesses were changed

QUESTIONS

How does the new adaptations of fairy tales portray different gender roles of women than traditional gender roles?

How are the older version princesses different than the new adaptation princesses?

What ideals of women were portrayed in the older versions?

What ideals of women were portrayed in the newer adaptations?