I was recently rewatching the newest Dollhouse episode, "Briar Rose," when I wanted to talk about the interpretation of Briar Rose in the episode.
Is the idea that because of the timing, it was not that the prince actually saved her but that Briar Rose's dreams and desires were what actually fufilled the breaking of the curse, the prince was simply the agent by which it happened. Is that a good reclaiming? Are there ways to reclaim these fairy tales?
I grew up on them, and I turned out quite well I feel. But I would love to have something better to teach my children with, should they ever exist. What options are there? Are there similarly set stories that don't rely on the princess being rescued?
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I don't know how I felt about adult-Susan's interpretation of Briar Rose - I think I might have misunderstood it, but I was thinking, "Well, if all she had to do was wait 100 years, no one really did anything."
I'm sitting here trying to think of reclaimings, but I'm only coming to one that's a little off-topic. It's a bit more than the fairy tale picture book that was in the Dollhouse episode, but Patricia C. Wrede's Dealing With Dragons series is a great fairyish tale for children. The princess, who runs away from castle life to live with dragons, is resourceful, intelligent, funny, and keeps telling a would-be suitor that she does not want or need to be rescued because she's enjoying herself very much.
Yeah, I'm unclear on how exactly the curse worked. I guess it depends what version you read. In the Disney movie, she doesn't sleep for 100 years, does she? As I recall the whole castle goes to sleep but the prince comes and rescues her without having noticeably aged, so it can't have been that long. I thought it was a few days.
In most of the older versions she doesn't know the prince ahead of time, so she could have slept for 100 years. But is the curse that she'll sleep for 100 years or until a prince comes and wakes her up? I don't think she would have woken up spontaneously after 100 years, but yeah, the whole thing is not very well explained.
In "The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales," Bruno Bettelheim suggests that the metaphorical journey of the Prince, cutting through briars, is the journey that children take on the journey to selfhood, in terms of beginning to understand the desires, suppression, and awareness they experience. In this way, Echo/Susan/Caroline was right in that the Prince does not become separate from Briar Rose until he kisses her, and the rest of the kingdom wakes up with her. The kiss signifies the fact that the child has negotiated their conflicts enough to be comfortable engaging with the outside world. In other words, she is kissed at that point because she is finally ready to wake up after slaying the dragons and cutting down the thorns that troubled her.
He also makes the point that though we might say that Briar Rose just waits in the tower, her passivity, her almost willful self-isolation is a sensation that adolescents might recognize as they approach puberty. Biologically, they tend to become more lethargic considering all the work their bodies are doing. This period can create an anxiety for the child that makes them think they will always be this tired and listless. "Briar Rose" demonstrates that this lethargy is a natural part of growing up and that a few months of "laziness" doesn't equal a permanent change in behavior.
The book is a brilliant argument for the representational nature of fairy tales in terms of child psychology, justifying the tropes that make us nervous as feminist parents. Dealing with Dragons is a great series, but please don't give up on fairy tales until you take a look at "Uses of Enchantment." I know that Joss did.
Interesting, I haven't read any of Bettelheim's work on fairy tales, but will definitely look into that. I'm a bit skeptical that such a gender-neutral interpretation is valid, but that's mostly related to reading Stanislav Grof's theory that the 'hero journey' is symbolic of the process of being born (my problem with this is that it completely erases the woman giving birth, as though that's not a pivotal experience for anyone; I'm also not a fan of the idea that being born is inherently traumatic).
Yeah, I'm also dubious about Grof in terms of his relation to gender, but one of the things I like about Bettelheim is that he starts to move away from Freud's rigid view of gender. Sometimes he makes statements like "she is the perfect image of femininity." But he seems to be using that term in the sociological, almost ironic context. His focus is mostly on justifying the amount of violence and trauma in fairy tales, but I think being gendered is part of that trauma.
My favorite analysis of his is about a lesser known Grimm tale called "Brother and Sister" where he breaks down the two into superego and id based on behavior, rather than framing it in that disturbing language of "the girl has to hold back the man from his desires." He also has some great analysis of the way that mothers are treated in fairy tales that comforted me a lot.
I could go the heavy litcrit road (my MA thesis was on the therapeutic uses of literature), but I just wanted to share a great children's book, Bubba the Cowboy Prince, which is Cinderella with a young cowboy in the Cinderella role.
Nice genderbending.
Oh, and Dollhouse rocks.
Mercedes Lackey has been doing some very nice reclaiming of fairy tales in a couple of sets; in her Five Hundred Kingdoms series, some of the titles are "The Snow Queen," "The Black Swan," and "Fortune's Fool." She mixes in folk tales and fairy tales from all over the world in them.
The other series is her Elemental Masters series, which is set pretty much during the suffragette movement in England when it was really getting going, but with the basics of fairy tales leading the plot. "The Serpent's Shadow," "The Gates of Sleep," "Phoenix and Ashes," "The Wizard of London," and "Reserved for the Cat."
Both series are full novels and not short fairy tales, however, if that's what you're looking for.
I love Lackey's gender bending. It's too bad she's a terrible writer.
I'd suggest Lynn Flewelling for some gender friendly fantasy. Flewelling's no Jane Austen, but she's light years beyond Lackey's level.
Check out the Amelia Bloomer Project. They have a new list of fiction and nonfiction girl friendly books for different age groups.
What I meant to say was that they come out with a new list every year. Not just "a new list".
I think one of the great things about stories drenched in symbolism is that you can interpret them how you feel it is best give your lenses and enough supporting evidence. It's how these stories survived so long through a lot of different upheaval - they have to still be relevant somehow, even just more than tradition.
Just wanted to share a great feminist fairy-tale style children's book: the Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch.
I was raised on it because my (non-feminist) family found it particularly rewarding and clever for its plot and illustrations, beyond its very feminist (N.O.W. endorsed) moral. (The princess peacefully outwits a dragon to save her prince charming, who she then realizes is too shallow be worth rescuing, and she goes off on her own.)
Not only is a good feminist children's lit, its a great antidote to the patriarchal princess-rescuing children's fable, because much of the pleasure in the plot comes from the inverting this structure, so even little kids enjoy the Joke-is-on-the-patriarchy message. In this way, it appeals equally to boys and girls and gets through to kids with already established sexist tendencies.
I'll probably tell my kids (should I have any) an Ever After-esque version of Cinderella.
The movie isn't perfect from a feminist POV, admittedly, but Danielle/Cinderella is physically courageous, has a mind of her own, and starts from a more emotionally mature and grounded place than the prince (who, it could be said, has to grow up to her and eventually does).
I really liked the depiction of their relationship too - she doesn't hide her interest in books or her opinions to suit him, and he wouldn't want her to. There's also quite a bit of commentary against falseness in relationships - his initial overly smooth 'lines' are rebuffed, Danielle's stepmother's attempts to keep up appearances just impoverish the family further as well as fail, etc.
I think every household should have a copy of Jack Zipes' collection 'Don't Bet on the Prince'... it's a collection of beautiful, entertaining, and inspiring feminist fairy tales. =)
I know someone above suggested 'Uses of Enchantment', but I find that book (and the psychoanalytic approach to fairy tales in general) rather unhelpful... Jack Zipes' works (while also mostly outdated at this point) seem to me to be more useful if we want to look at how fairy tales can be reclaimed and made our own (a lot of the psychoanalysts suggest that fairy tales are *already* our own, we're just not interpreting them right if we point out the power structures in them, and that doesn't sit well with me).
The notion of "not interpreting something right" goes against most principles of psychoanalysis. Part of the reason fairy tales have power structures is that kids have to deal with them. Any mother who thinks she is equal to her child in terms of power structure, is deluding herself.
Fairy tales are designed to be coping mechanisms. Almost every story teaches that anyone can make it to the top even if they seem small or ineffective ("dumm" in the German phrasing.) Stories in the Grimms like "Fitcher's Feathered Bird" where a girl saves her sisters by tricking an evil magician, or the original version of Cinderella, where Cinderella walks all the way to the ball (in heels, thank you very much), demonstrate that the focus is on the ascension of characters once thought of as weak. That, I think, is the best lesson I can teach my daughter. Strong women aren't born. They're made, and I want her know that no matter how small she feels, she will find the strength when she needs it.
Fairy tales are also historical constructs - the versions we are told come out of a specific time and place, and have incorporated the (often very sexist) power dynamics of that time and place. They may be 'coping mechanisms', but they are coping mechanisms that are influenced by particular ideologies, and those ideologies need to be given proper attention, historicized and problematized.
Personally, I would think that as a mother, the most important thing I could teach my child would be to appreciate difference and avoid simplistic, black and white ways of looking at the world. Standing on your own is great and all, but I would want my child to see that standing on your own is only admirable if you're doing it from a place of compassion and non-violence. I would not turn to many of our fairy tales in the forms we know them today to convey that message. Of course, some fairy tales would, and we always have the power to tell fairy tales in new ways. In my mind, the important thing is considering as many as possible of the multiple, often conflicting messages sent by fairy tales, not just considering one possible interpretation that may or may not come through to our children.
Also, it's interesting that you say this has nothing to do with not interpreting things right, and then go on to say that pretty much all fairy tales are coping mechanisms to teach kids to be strong and deal with power structures. This sounds very much like you are saying that the interpretation of fairy tales as teaching kids to find/use strength is more valid than those interpretations that highlight any of the other messages that might come through to adults and children reading the tales...
I've always preferred "Beauty and the Beast" to Cinderella/Snow White, because it is the woman who does the rescuing. And she does so by looking beyond appearances. The "Snow White & Rose Red" story is similar. There are also many unusual stories that focus on empowered women. I am most familiar with the Celtic stories like "Tam Lin" and "The Wild Swans" (the latter is a Hans Christian Anderson story that likely originated in the tale "The Children of Lir."
For adults, though, try the Tor Fantasy Fiary Tales Series, edited by Terri Windling. Various fantasy authors retell favorite fairy tales. I enjoyed Pamela Dean's "Tam Lin" and Jane Yolen's "Briar Rose." Robin McKinley also writes wonderful young adult and adult fantasy books. She has two retellings of Beauty and the Beast ("Rose Daughter" and "Beauty") that are amazing. Her other books (like "Spindle's End" and "The Hero and the Crown") also feature strong heroines and are great reads!
There are many fantasy authors who are reclaiming the old stories. All of these authors are ones that I immediately thought of before I read the comments and realized that people beat me to the punch. Especially Patricia C. Wrede for kids, Robin McKinley for a little older and Lynn Flewelling (though that strays away from strictly fairy tales).
As general fantasy, I also recommend *Patricia Briggs* and her Mercedes Thompson series, which is incredibly awesome and each book gets better as it goes along. I also recommend the wonderful *Diana Wynn Jones*, author of "Howl's Moving Castle," "So You Want to be a Wizard," and the Crestomanci series.
And going back to fairy tales, I heart *Gail Carson Levine*. I especially loved her "Ella Enchanted" (why oh why did they destroy that book with a movie), but she has a few others that are good for kids/teens.
In the comics world, Fables by Vertigo is a great series that is a new take on fairytales. One could argue about different sections being feminist or not, but most of the characters (females too) are very well rounded. If you ever want a good Western comic series to start into, Fables or Runaways is recommended.
I'll be adding some authors to my reading list, and also re-reading a few good books because of this post ^_^ Thanks!
Also, in addition to my comment, I realized I forgot to add how anime has used fairy tales. In fact, that might actually be more appropriate since the post referred to a tv show fairy tale title.
Often the types of shows to use the fairy tale theme is "magical girl" shows. The "magical girl" genre usually involves a girl that changes from a regular girl to somehow having mystical powers. An example of this type of show is the famous "Sailor Moon."
While many shows in this genre can be irritating, frustrating, predictable and boring, there are a few shows that reclaim fairy tales. The other interesting thing about these shows is that they are made based on Western fairy tales, but from a Japanese point of view.
A few that I will mention here are:
Revolutionary Girl Utena: a shojo-ai (girl's love, contains lesbian elements) magical girl series where the girl Utena decides to be a prince. *Don't watch the movie first!* but the show is great
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolutionary_Girl_Utena
Princess Tutu: for the younger years, I'd say 6 to older, a great series about a girl named Duck who turns into a great dancer. However, there's a twist to the usual theme, which I won't give spoilers to.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Tutu
Pretear: Just watch the first intro and you get Snow White and the Seven Dwarves from it
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prétear
Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch: A Little Mermaid
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mermaid_Melody_Pichi_Pichi_Pitch
If you watch just one of these shows: Revolutionary Girl Utena or Princess Tutu
Also, many genres of anime, not just "magical girl" shows or "shojo" (girl-aimed) shows, have fantastical elements to it that may not exactly correlate with Western fairy tales but still hold aspects of it, or they have episodes that refer to a Western fairy tale.
Fantastical movies by Hayao Miyazaki (recommended), Fancy Lala, and Kaleido Star are examples of this.
And of course, the anime of all genres based on Eastern folklore are too numerous to list. ^_^
For more information on shojo anime and folklore, try here:
http://henshin.anime-myth.com/
and for anime of all genres and folklore, here:
http://www.anime-myth.com/
and not related to anime (directly), but a great book nonetheless:
In Search of the Swan Maiden: A Narrative on Folklore and Gender by Barbara Leavy
http://www.amazon.com/Search-Swan-Maiden-Narrative-Folklore/dp/0814751008
I love the legend behind the beginning of Wing Chun (a style of kung fu). The legend is about a Shaolin nun who develops her own form of kung fu and then teaches it to a young woman named Wing Chun. A warrior wants to marry Wing Chun, which she agrees to as long as he can beat her at kung fu. She wins and does not have to marry the guy.
There is only one english book version I know about:
http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Warrior-Emily-Arnold-Mccully/dp/0590374877/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241548666&sr=8-1
Anywho, it's the style of kung fu I practice and I think the story is very feminist.
A good modern fairy tale story (well, it has good fairies in it, wishes, magic and evil fairies so I think it qualifies) is the book The Rebel Fairy by Lynn Reed Banks (the same author of The Indian in the Cupboard). This book was one of my favorites as a child (it is a rather slim chapter book). The main characters are mostly female and I would argue that a mother, her female daughter, the rebel fairy and the evil fairy are the main characters though a couple male characters play roles too. This book also has a good message about non conformity, as evidenced by the title.
Most of the "fairy tales" that we know today are sanitized versions of old folk tales collected and re-written in the 18th and 19th centuries for the more "delicate" and "romantic" aristocrats. If you go beyond these and seek out the original folk tales you can find lots of very different stories with less clear-cut roles and story-lines.
As a Scandinavian at least, I know that the non-sanitized / non-romantisized versions of folk-tales from the middle ages (and before that) in ancient Scandinavia did not have the same gender-roles ... or the same roles at all. Also, for example, not the same "romantic" clear-cut division of "Good" and "Evil". There's a lot more reality, nuance and ambiguity. Even though a lot of the ancient myths and stories are about male bravado they certainly also feature active and brave women, but this has often been edited out in later versions.
One of element that have also been censured in the later editions, by the way, is the male "heroes'" doubts and fears - and occasionally their sexual and/or gender-related self-consciousness and ambiguities (example: 'Njal's Saga' - which is not a fairy-tale but still - has in the edited version no mention of the reason for Njal's divorce, which was because of his incapability of satisfying his wife sexually, something that was spoken about in public back then but got deleted from later translations).
Now, I mostly know about Scandinavian folk-lore but I'm sure the same process has happened to other European folk-tales, such as the Brother Grimm's collection and re-writing. Try to find the original stories and see what happens.
Actually... the whole process is quite similar to American TV/Hollywood self-censorship :)
I took a college class once on the original folk tales, the un-sanitized versions. They are incredibly disturbing. The index of the textbook had entries for themes like "forced cannibalism of relatives" and "impregnation by semen-stained loincloth."
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Anyway, I think its ok for kids to get the Disney or Andersen versions of fairy tales as they grow up, if only so they can appreciate the re-written versions as they get older.
Speaking of Andersen, I think the Little Mermaid (not the Disney version) is actually quite empowering, in spite of the underlying religious message and the fact that in the human world, the Mermaid is a mute character who eventually sacrifices her mermaid life for love. Still, I think the story has important empowering elements, such as showing a woman making independent decisions, going against authority, being emotionally strong, etc.
I had a book growing up called "Maid of the North: Feminist Fairy Tales from Around the World" that was a collection of traditional fairy tales that were all feminist friendly.
They included "The Twelve Huntsmen," about a princess who learns to be the best huntsman living in order to win back her fiance, "Gawain and the Lady Ragnell," an Arthurian legend with the moral that what women desire above all other things is the desire to freely choose their own destinies, and "The Hunter Maiden," a Zuni folk tale about a woman who goes out hunting for her family and survives an encounter with an evil giant.
In most of the stories the women succeed in saving themselves, the men in their lives, and their communities through their wits and the strength of their character.