WOMEN IN

FAIR

YTALE

S

& THE M

EDIA

BY DIN

& J

US T I N

E

ROWE’S ARGUMENT

Fairytales…• Create and reinforce specific roles and behaviours for females.• Reaffirm passivity, dependency, and self-sacrifice as essential

female attributes for receiving a happy ending.

If women do not follow this set ideology, they are defeminized and are considered as “other”, they are punished and they receive no happy ending.

Double enchantment, communal rituals, and nuptial climaxes have critical implications for women’s role in society.

---Rowe: “…subconsciously women may transfer

from fairy tales into real life cultural norms which exalt passivity, dependency, and self-sacrifice as a female’s cardinal virtues…fairy tales perpetuate the patriarchal status quo by

making female subordination seem a romantically desirable, indeed an inescapable

fate.” (325)

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DOUBLE ENCHANTMENT

The Effects of Double Enchantment:• The belief in miracles, magic and the unnatural rather than in the self.• Undermines feminine self-confidence.• Makes vulnerability, avoidance, and dependency more acceptable.• Reinforces cultural myths about female adolescence and maturity.

“Romantic tales thus transmit to young women an alarming prophecy that marriage is an

enchantment which will shield her against harsh realities outside the domestic realm and guarantee everlasting happiness.” (337)

COMMUNAL RITUALS

Communal rituals…• Occur twice, usually at the beginning and the end of a tale.• Are used to demonstrate the changes in the status or

maturation of the heroine.• Emphasize the importance of the individual’s passage in a

communal context.

Examples: Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid.

NUPTIAL CLIMAXES

Nuptial Climaxes…• Signify the heroine’s conformity to roles of wife and mother.• Signal her integration into the community.• Display the victory of patriarchal culture.

Problem: Fairytales portray marriages as a woman’s only option and limits female visions and preserves a patriarchal status

quo.

This makes female believe that they should value communal stability,and social and financial security over individual needs.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A HEROINE

• Childlike, passive, dependent, vulnerable, innocent, unconfident. • Unable to act independently, self-assertively.• Relies on external agents for rescue.• Ambitious for marriage (social and financial security), and

nursery.

Example: In The Beauty and the Beast, Beautybinds herself first to the father and then the prince.

OTHER EXAMPLES

Cinderella – has to look good for the ball, the prince wouldn’t want to dance with her otherwise. Fairy god mother helps her – Cinderella is very dependent on external agent (fairy god-mother).

Snow White – serves 7 male dwarves, passive – prince kisses her, she wakes up, and they get married.

The Little Mermaid – sacrifices her voice to be rewarded with legs so she can get married and live happily ever after – loss of identity.

STRONG FEMALE ROLES

Characters in Fairy Tales:• Villains, witches, old women, stepmothers.

Characteristics:• Lonely, unhappy, crazy, ugly, rebellious, jealous, evil.

---Do you relate to those characters in the fairytales in any way or do you feel that they are completely contrasting reality?

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http://vimeo.com/28066212

CURRENT REFERENCES IN THE MEDIA

Women are still portrayed as inferior and reliant on male heroes in today’s media, although, this idea is no longer as explicit as it used to be.

There are more and more strong, independent female characters shown on the media nowadays, yet still, those female characters tend follow the guidelines set by their gender role in one way or another.