Fairytales occupy a special place in the mindset of youngsters while consciously and
subconsciously shaping their outlook regarding the issues mentioned in those tales. Occupying almost every
child‟s hearts as bedtime stories, fairytales describe it all. We are given a brief description of a prince, a maiden
or a princess, her sorrows and sufferings and a heroic and adventurous narration of the prince rescuing the
princess. This paper shows the way politics of patriarchy is put to work through these mere fairytales. It further
explains how telling and re-telling of these stories “normalize” the situation in such a way that women in
general feel the necessity of being under patriarchal rule. For this paper, several versions of some famous
fairytales were analyzed that showed how all the variations end up delivering partially or completely the same
kind of messages. This paper used the computer animated film Happily N’Ever After directed by Yvette Kaplan
and Paul Bolger as an example that emphasizes the observations made here about these fairy tales. Finally, it
also details how a new kind of re-telling can go a long way to bring about a change in these stereotypes.
What inspired me to write books for children? My inner child, I firmly believe. Memories, nostalgia, unanswered questions and my own observations of children have triggered many of my stories. Readers' feedback is important too...
What inspired me to write books for children? My inner child, I firmly believe. Memories, nostalgia, unanswered questions and my own observations of children have triggered many of my stories. Readers' feedback is important too...
Grade 8 - Compilation of Assignment and Book ReportR Borres
Grade 8 - Compilation of Assignment and Book Report
This is a compilation of assignments in Grade 8 in different subjects arranged alphabetically in MS Word Format. Get this compilation for a minimum fee of Php 200 (Philippines) or $5 (US) for the time spent researching and formatting these assignments. Payment is thru Paypal or Smart Money.
Email me: r_borres@yahoo.com
Thanks!
This essay is a rhetorical analysis/literary critique. Use direct evidence from the novel The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman, outside sources are optional (I recommend against it, unless it’s used to define the literary features or to explain how it’s used), must be MLA format, 5 pages long, and focus on the HOW rather than the what.
Prompt: Look at a literary feature, or several literary features of the novel your group is reading. This could mean, for example: metaphor, tone, imagery, symbol, diction (word choice), sentence style, structure, character, dialogue, use of repetition, use of questions, etc. Discuss the way the literary features…. (it’s up to you to choose the effect/purpose/etc that these literary features have on the audience/text)
Writertain Publishers presents the maiden cover of her Emagazine, Writertain Creatives.
Writertain Publishers started with the aim of rejuvenating the concept of creativity in African Literature. And for that, we have studies some methods used by established countries and have decided to employ them in the African fiction-writing world. One major example is the way the French military employed science fiction writers to help imagine future threats [1].
In that light, we have decided to take the following steps:
Goal 1: Training of Students
We are focused on training children that want to go into fiction writing. Our aim is not only to teach them how to improve their writing but also how to make money off it, since there are international markets like Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancers that accept works from Nigerians.
Goal 2: Branding the Online Writing Community
Our foreign counterparts are involved in different ways of making authors feel confident about their works as well as making their readers part of it by giving publishing bestsellers of the week, month and year. Nigeria is yet to have an established rate company for this.
Thus, we have created our website to help in keeping Wiki of Nigerian writers, accumulating bestsellers, and training Nigerian fiction writers. This is a first of its kind in Africa.
Grade 8 - Compilation of Assignment and Book ReportR Borres
Grade 8 - Compilation of Assignment and Book Report
This is a compilation of assignments in Grade 8 in different subjects arranged alphabetically in MS Word Format. Get this compilation for a minimum fee of Php 200 (Philippines) or $5 (US) for the time spent researching and formatting these assignments. Payment is thru Paypal or Smart Money.
Email me: r_borres@yahoo.com
Thanks!
This essay is a rhetorical analysis/literary critique. Use direct evidence from the novel The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman, outside sources are optional (I recommend against it, unless it’s used to define the literary features or to explain how it’s used), must be MLA format, 5 pages long, and focus on the HOW rather than the what.
Prompt: Look at a literary feature, or several literary features of the novel your group is reading. This could mean, for example: metaphor, tone, imagery, symbol, diction (word choice), sentence style, structure, character, dialogue, use of repetition, use of questions, etc. Discuss the way the literary features…. (it’s up to you to choose the effect/purpose/etc that these literary features have on the audience/text)
Writertain Publishers presents the maiden cover of her Emagazine, Writertain Creatives.
Writertain Publishers started with the aim of rejuvenating the concept of creativity in African Literature. And for that, we have studies some methods used by established countries and have decided to employ them in the African fiction-writing world. One major example is the way the French military employed science fiction writers to help imagine future threats [1].
In that light, we have decided to take the following steps:
Goal 1: Training of Students
We are focused on training children that want to go into fiction writing. Our aim is not only to teach them how to improve their writing but also how to make money off it, since there are international markets like Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancers that accept works from Nigerians.
Goal 2: Branding the Online Writing Community
Our foreign counterparts are involved in different ways of making authors feel confident about their works as well as making their readers part of it by giving publishing bestsellers of the week, month and year. Nigeria is yet to have an established rate company for this.
Thus, we have created our website to help in keeping Wiki of Nigerian writers, accumulating bestsellers, and training Nigerian fiction writers. This is a first of its kind in Africa.
Progress in Training -Training in Progress La sostenibilità dei Progetti di F...Gabriella Paolini
Attraverso l’esempio del progetto di formazione “Progress in Training”, si evidenzierà come, grazie a Moodle e al suo utilizzo, si può ottenere una sostenibilità a medio/lungo termine nei progetti di formazione. In particolare si farà riferimento ai progetti finanziati su fondi pubblici, con l’ottimizzazione delle risorse grazie al riutilizzo del materiale prodotto nel corso del progetto, anche se per attività in presenza. Il paper è disponibile all'indirizzo: http://segreteria.ememitalia.org/index.php?page=downloadPaper&filename=Paolini-Progress_in_Training_-Training_in_Progress_La_sostenibilit%C3%A0_dei_Progetti_di_Formazione_su_fondi__a.pdf&form_id=88&form_version=final
Celery is a nutrients rich vegetable which is known for curing the several problems. So in this ppt we are sharing some of the most important and helpful health benefits of celery and hope that the mentioned benefits helps you.
Mode of Suicide and Alcohol Use Pattern among Female Commercial Sex Workersinventionjournals
The purpose of this study was to explore the pattern of alcohol use, mode of suicide and extent of
depression among 150 female commercial sex workers (CSWs) in Bangalore, India and use Karma yoga
principles of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita as a tool for Cognitive Behaviour therapy (CBT) for a period of 4 weeks
to maintain abstinence after a short detoxification programme of 2 weeks and lower their depression. A 6 month
follow up indicated they had maintained abstinence for that period and had not attempted suicide also.
REQUIREMENTS:
Rough Draft: 2-4 pages typed, double-spaced and due on Monday of Week 3. Please post your rough draft in the “Peer Workshop for Essay One” forum in the Week Three Module.
Final Draft: 3-4 pages typed, double-spaced and due on Monday of Week 4. Make sure the final draft is at least 3 full pages long. Please submit your final draft in the Essay One assignment dropbox in the Week Four module.
ASSIGNMENT:
Write an essay that analyzes the underlying social messages about what Isaac Asimov's short story “Reason”(p.160-176 ) or Ted Chiang's short story "Exhalation" (p.742-756) in The Wesleyan Anthology of Science Fiction reveals about what it means to be human.
HELPFUL HINTS:
Introduction and Thesis: Your introduction should briefly set up the novel. Your introduction should then lead into your thesis, which should make an arguable claim about the underlying social messages about what it means to be human. Please look at the handout on writing a thesis. Thesis Handout.doc
Body Paragraphs: Your body paragraphs should support your thesis with clear topic sentences, which support your thesis. Remember the PIE format and please look at this handout on Paper Structure. Paper Structure for Cinderella.DOC
Conclusion: Your conclusion should wrap up your points, paraphrase your thesis if necessary, and draw a larger conclusion.
Questions to Consider:
What are the underlying social messages about the role of empathy in being human?
What are the underlying social messages about the role of religion in being human?
What are the underlying social messages about the role of intelligence in being human?
What are the underlying social messages about the role of love and relationships in being human?
What are the underlying social messages about the role of community in being human?
What are the underlying social messages about creativity and invention in being human?
What are the underlying social messages about mortality in being human?
Additional Hints:
There are many directions you can take under the broad topic of “what it means to be human,” and I’d suggest narrowing it down to a more manageable focus. The questions above will help you narrow down your thesis and focus for the essay.
An outline is not required but is strongly recommended. Please look at this handout of a sample outline. Outline for Cinderella.doc
Please look at this sample analysis essay. Sample Essay on Gender in Cinderella 2.doc
Again, the text and the topic of the essay are different, but it will give you an idea of what an analysis of social messages looks like.
Please review the handout on conventions on writing about literature. Conventions for Writing about Literature.doc
Although you will not be directly including the reading “What Is a Human?” in the essay, think of it as a “lens” through which you can examine the social messages of what it is to be human. For example, one (or a combination) of the nine psychological benchmarks would be an excellent way.
firs t le c tu re n o te s (updated 2017)Why does Gilgam.docxAKHIL969626
firs t le c tu re n o te s (updated 2017)
Why does Gilgamesh still matter? Why does any ancient epic hero still matter? Why does Achilles
or Odysseus still matter? Why does the ancient epic still resonate and inspire people today? An epic hero is
an interesting invention—he is made of usually many interesting stories that tell us about ourselves in an
earlier stage of civilization—the epic hero is not just an individual. He explains to us why many things in
our civilization are the way that they are. Epic heroes often work like foundation myths. They also show us
how people can become greater by exemplifying some of the virtues of civilized people.
The Garden of Eden story is not an epic, but it resembles other foundation myths—it tells us that
people were disobedient when they were in paradise. So that explains why life is so hard and painful now;
it helps explain why people are wicked and why they do spiteful, vicious things sometimes. It also sets up a
hierarchy so that the Creator is always on top, and man must obey and obey without challenging the
Creator or he will suffer, and his woman will suffer even more and have to obey the Creator and the man,
and so on. The story sets up an “orderly” universe where every being has a rank and a station, a place to
be, even though we may not think it is fair—it is at least an explanation.
On one level, Gilgamesh explains to us how to live with loss and to overcome the fear of death,
which is a journey toward wisdom, and all of us are still on that same journey because everyone has to die.
One learns to accept the limits of being a human, for even kings must submit to greater powers. No
human gets to literally live forever.
At the same time, Gilgamesh begins as a terrible king. So as a foundation myth he also shows us
what happens to tyrants who hurt their people too much; the people pray for help, and a new hero may
rise who could be equally strong, Enkidu.
The people don’t get the relief they wanted in the way that they wanted it, but ultimately they do
get a better, wiser king. In order for a tyrant to grow wise, his life will be hard and inconceivably painful in
spite of his superhuman strength and size etc.
(Speaking of that, did you know that if a cubit is roughly 20", then Gilgamesh’s foot would be five
feet long? (See p. 3). Every stride would then be about ten feet long. To be in the proportions of a human,
he would need to be about thirty feet tall! Does that make sense? No. But in an ancient time, size meant
power, and power meant privilege and entitlement, so his gigantic size is a way of saying how he is above
everyone else.)
So there is a moral that everyone can understand—even the mightiest have to fail, which seems
bad. But then even the most proud can be humbled, which turns out well, in the end, after many painful
twists. For he becomes mature and wise through suffering. So in the end, the people get what they need
from their great hero in spite ...
Multi-source connectivity as the driver of solar wind variability in the heli...Sérgio Sacani
The ambient solar wind that flls the heliosphere originates from multiple
sources in the solar corona and is highly structured. It is often described
as high-speed, relatively homogeneous, plasma streams from coronal
holes and slow-speed, highly variable, streams whose source regions are
under debate. A key goal of ESA/NASA’s Solar Orbiter mission is to identify
solar wind sources and understand what drives the complexity seen in the
heliosphere. By combining magnetic feld modelling and spectroscopic
techniques with high-resolution observations and measurements, we show
that the solar wind variability detected in situ by Solar Orbiter in March
2022 is driven by spatio-temporal changes in the magnetic connectivity to
multiple sources in the solar atmosphere. The magnetic feld footpoints
connected to the spacecraft moved from the boundaries of a coronal hole
to one active region (12961) and then across to another region (12957). This
is refected in the in situ measurements, which show the transition from fast
to highly Alfvénic then to slow solar wind that is disrupted by the arrival of
a coronal mass ejection. Our results describe solar wind variability at 0.5 au
but are applicable to near-Earth observatories.
Richard's entangled aventures in wonderlandRichard Gill
Since the loophole-free Bell experiments of 2020 and the Nobel prizes in physics of 2022, critics of Bell's work have retreated to the fortress of super-determinism. Now, super-determinism is a derogatory word - it just means "determinism". Palmer, Hance and Hossenfelder argue that quantum mechanics and determinism are not incompatible, using a sophisticated mathematical construction based on a subtle thinning of allowed states and measurements in quantum mechanics, such that what is left appears to make Bell's argument fail, without altering the empirical predictions of quantum mechanics. I think however that it is a smoke screen, and the slogan "lost in math" comes to my mind. I will discuss some other recent disproofs of Bell's theorem using the language of causality based on causal graphs. Causal thinking is also central to law and justice. I will mention surprising connections to my work on serial killer nurse cases, in particular the Dutch case of Lucia de Berk and the current UK case of Lucy Letby.
(May 29th, 2024) Advancements in Intravital Microscopy- Insights for Preclini...Scintica Instrumentation
Intravital microscopy (IVM) is a powerful tool utilized to study cellular behavior over time and space in vivo. Much of our understanding of cell biology has been accomplished using various in vitro and ex vivo methods; however, these studies do not necessarily reflect the natural dynamics of biological processes. Unlike traditional cell culture or fixed tissue imaging, IVM allows for the ultra-fast high-resolution imaging of cellular processes over time and space and were studied in its natural environment. Real-time visualization of biological processes in the context of an intact organism helps maintain physiological relevance and provide insights into the progression of disease, response to treatments or developmental processes.
In this webinar we give an overview of advanced applications of the IVM system in preclinical research. IVIM technology is a provider of all-in-one intravital microscopy systems and solutions optimized for in vivo imaging of live animal models at sub-micron resolution. The system’s unique features and user-friendly software enables researchers to probe fast dynamic biological processes such as immune cell tracking, cell-cell interaction as well as vascularization and tumor metastasis with exceptional detail. This webinar will also give an overview of IVM being utilized in drug development, offering a view into the intricate interaction between drugs/nanoparticles and tissues in vivo and allows for the evaluation of therapeutic intervention in a variety of tissues and organs. This interdisciplinary collaboration continues to drive the advancements of novel therapeutic strategies.
A brief information about the SCOP protein database used in bioinformatics.
The Structural Classification of Proteins (SCOP) database is a comprehensive and authoritative resource for the structural and evolutionary relationships of proteins. It provides a detailed and curated classification of protein structures, grouping them into families, superfamilies, and folds based on their structural and sequence similarities.
Observation of Io’s Resurfacing via Plume Deposition Using Ground-based Adapt...Sérgio Sacani
Since volcanic activity was first discovered on Io from Voyager images in 1979, changes
on Io’s surface have been monitored from both spacecraft and ground-based telescopes.
Here, we present the highest spatial resolution images of Io ever obtained from a groundbased telescope. These images, acquired by the SHARK-VIS instrument on the Large
Binocular Telescope, show evidence of a major resurfacing event on Io’s trailing hemisphere. When compared to the most recent spacecraft images, the SHARK-VIS images
show that a plume deposit from a powerful eruption at Pillan Patera has covered part
of the long-lived Pele plume deposit. Although this type of resurfacing event may be common on Io, few have been detected due to the rarity of spacecraft visits and the previously low spatial resolution available from Earth-based telescopes. The SHARK-VIS instrument ushers in a new era of high resolution imaging of Io’s surface using adaptive
optics at visible wavelengths.
THE IMPORTANCE OF MARTIAN ATMOSPHERE SAMPLE RETURN.Sérgio Sacani
The return of a sample of near-surface atmosphere from Mars would facilitate answers to several first-order science questions surrounding the formation and evolution of the planet. One of the important aspects of terrestrial planet formation in general is the role that primary atmospheres played in influencing the chemistry and structure of the planets and their antecedents. Studies of the martian atmosphere can be used to investigate the role of a primary atmosphere in its history. Atmosphere samples would also inform our understanding of the near-surface chemistry of the planet, and ultimately the prospects for life. High-precision isotopic analyses of constituent gases are needed to address these questions, requiring that the analyses are made on returned samples rather than in situ.
Earliest Galaxies in the JADES Origins Field: Luminosity Function and Cosmic ...Sérgio Sacani
We characterize the earliest galaxy population in the JADES Origins Field (JOF), the deepest
imaging field observed with JWST. We make use of the ancillary Hubble optical images (5 filters
spanning 0.4−0.9µm) and novel JWST images with 14 filters spanning 0.8−5µm, including 7 mediumband filters, and reaching total exposure times of up to 46 hours per filter. We combine all our data
at > 2.3µm to construct an ultradeep image, reaching as deep as ≈ 31.4 AB mag in the stack and
30.3-31.0 AB mag (5σ, r = 0.1” circular aperture) in individual filters. We measure photometric
redshifts and use robust selection criteria to identify a sample of eight galaxy candidates at redshifts
z = 11.5 − 15. These objects show compact half-light radii of R1/2 ∼ 50 − 200pc, stellar masses of
M⋆ ∼ 107−108M⊙, and star-formation rates of SFR ∼ 0.1−1 M⊙ yr−1
. Our search finds no candidates
at 15 < z < 20, placing upper limits at these redshifts. We develop a forward modeling approach to
infer the properties of the evolving luminosity function without binning in redshift or luminosity that
marginalizes over the photometric redshift uncertainty of our candidate galaxies and incorporates the
impact of non-detections. We find a z = 12 luminosity function in good agreement with prior results,
and that the luminosity function normalization and UV luminosity density decline by a factor of ∼ 2.5
from z = 12 to z = 14. We discuss the possible implications of our results in the context of theoretical
models for evolution of the dark matter halo mass function.
What is greenhouse gasses and how many gasses are there to affect the Earth.moosaasad1975
What are greenhouse gasses how they affect the earth and its environment what is the future of the environment and earth how the weather and the climate effects.
Comparing Evolved Extractive Text Summary Scores of Bidirectional Encoder Rep...University of Maribor
Slides from:
11th International Conference on Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering (IcETRAN), Niš, 3-6 June 2024
Track: Artificial Intelligence
https://www.etran.rs/2024/en/home-english/
1. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention
ISSN (Online): 2319 – 7722, ISSN (Print): 2319 – 7714
www.ijhssi.org ||Volume 4 Issue 8 || August. 2015 || PP.49-54
www.ijhssi.org 49 | P a g e
Re-thinking Fairytales: Happily “Never” After?
Munira Mutmainna
Lecturer, Department of English, Dhaka International University, Bangladesh
ABSTRACT: Fairytales occupy a special place in the mindset of youngsters while consciously and
subconsciously shaping their outlook regarding the issues mentioned in those tales. Occupying almost every
child‟s hearts as bedtime stories, fairytales describe it all. We are given a brief description of a prince, a maiden
or a princess, her sorrows and sufferings and a heroic and adventurous narration of the prince rescuing the
princess. This paper shows the way politics of patriarchy is put to work through these mere fairytales. It further
explains how telling and re-telling of these stories “normalize” the situation in such a way that women in
general feel the necessity of being under patriarchal rule. For this paper, several versions of some famous
fairytales were analyzed that showed how all the variations end up delivering partially or completely the same
kind of messages. This paper used the computer animated film Happily N’Ever After directed by Yvette Kaplan
and Paul Bolger as an example that emphasizes the observations made here about these fairy tales. Finally, it
also details how a new kind of re-telling can go a long way to bring about a change in these stereotypes.
KEYWORDS: fairytale, films, stereotype, happily ever after, patriarchy
I. INTRODUCTION
Fairytales seem to be very innocent in general sense. But little do we realize that there might be more
elements in these tales than it meets the eye. As Jack Zipes suggests fairy tales are not intended solely for
children, that they have a purpose in “socializing [all] readers” (Zipes qtd. in Brown par 2). Fairytales, in the
beginning, may have had entertainment as the sole purpose but later on, they became more like a tool, serving
for historical purposes. When youngsters are listening to a story that has a beginning like “Once upon a time in a
land far away...” their minds are drawn automatically into a land of kings and queens, of rivers and hills and
snowfalls, scary witches and fairy godmothers. Finally when the story ends with a happy note saying “…and
they lived happily ever after”, which happens most often, a sense of completion fills up their hearts with joy.
But the question is, with the change of time did the purpose remain confined only to entertainment or was it
modified to meet the needs of the society? If the latter is taken to be true, then what impact did it have on the
outlook of the people? These are the questions regarding which I give my opinions in this paper. I show how the
idea of a „perfect‟ fairytale is subtly mocked at in the film Happily N’Ever After. Also I express the process
through which, I believe, a change can be brought about.
II. FAIRYTALE: WHAT ACTUALLY WAS ITS‟ PURPOSE?
The inception of fairytales goes far back in time. Fairytales by Perrault or Grimm Brothers‟ were only
rewrites intended for children (Bacchilega 3). They were different from prior tales because they omitted sex,
limited violence to bad characters, and had “virtuous” heroes or heroines and a moral (Bottigheimer 8-9). These
tales were used to define the social conventions and norms and make the children aware of it.
“…in old days the primary purpose of folktales was less to entertain than it was to train.
This is not to suggest that fairy tales had never since been used for training, but that stories in
the old days were like survival guides of sorts, training people in survival strategies and
practical wisdom and were used for, besides explaining the mysteries of life and nature,
providing people with such practical wisdom as not to dream too big, as opposed to stories
that are now produced primarily for entertainment before anything else” (Dutta 2).
Even when the fairytales started serving entertainment purpose primarily, these were not meant for
everyone in the society. The modification was made mainly for the higher class audience, and most of the
modifications were made regarding the portrayal of the female characters-
“… the stories over the years lost some of their feisty women characters, and were replaced by
more passive, patiently gentle, helpless and docile women characters, as these qualities came to
be regarded as desirable in women” (Dutta 2).
2. Re-thinking Fairytales: Happily…
www.ijhssi.org 50 | P a g e
Later these stories were started to be used as a great way to help in a child‟s psychological growth.
Tales ending with a moral tone often helped a child realizing the significance of conforming to values. This way
the fairytales had spread largely in almost every society.
“Fairy tales have passed from generation to generation, almost as a rite of passage, throughout
western civilization. Whether it is the tales of the Grimm Brothers‟ or modern Disney versions,
fairy tales have permeated society for ages. The question is whether they are merely stories told
to children for entertainment or something more. Every tale offers children morals to live up to
such as not trusting strangers to being kind to animals. Are morals all that are provided though?
Fairy tales seem to have a much more lasting effect on a child‟s psyche than simply a lesson
learned.” (Patel 1)
Based on what Henal Patel has said, this question can be raised easily. From this point onwards, I will
go on discussing what has lead to these modifications and the stereotypical beliefs resulting from it.
III. RECIPE FOR A „PERFECT‟ FAIRYTALE:
While going through some popular fairytales I realized that with the course of time these fairytales
were changed following a similar kind of pattern. Thus it can be said that there is a „recipe‟ for almost every
story to become a perfect fairytale. No matter how wonderful a storyline is, it cannot be called a fairytale if it
fails to meet the „requirements‟. The two most important „ingredients‟ for a perfect fairytale can be marked as–
1. A female lead who always ends up suffering and is in some way or the other subject to physical or mental
torture, often without a very convincing logic.
2. A male lead, most of the times to be seen appearing out of nowhere only to save his ladylove.
Then there is the portrayal of these characters. As far as the girl is concerned, she has to be an epitome
of everything the society assumes is positive. She must have sweetness, beauty, kindness, submissiveness and
all those „good‟ qualities in her.
“[…] the beautiful single daughter is nearly always noted for her docility, gentleness and good
temper” (Lieberman 188).
In short, she has to be whiteness personified, figuratively and literally. Even mere inner goodness or
beauty is not enough. Here the idea of good nature is associated with good looks.
“This is one reason why fairy tales are based on the attractive physical appearances…This also
sends the message to girls that being beautiful also means having a good personality or
attitude” (Metz 2).
So to make an ideal fairytale, it is a must to show the girl as a complete package of what everyone
„thinks‟ is conventional. Anything out-of-the-box is plain evil-
“The heroine is perfect in every way. She is beautiful, kind, helpful, and compassionate. She is
the idealized „good.‟ She is also helpless, naive and lacks any sort of intelligence…She is
certainly not smart, clever, or ambitious. She does not find her way out of situations with the
use of her wit or savvy, but waits for others to save her…When it comes to female roles the
message these tales convey is that there are only two types of women: the helpless and the
malicious. Good women do not save the day, they do not scheme, nor do they get themselves
out of bad situations; they wait until a Prince saves them. Women who have desires and the
moxie to achieve them are villainous and will be punished in the end” (Patel 17).
Now coming to the male lead, or the hero of the story, who must be (most of the times) a prince.
Generally there is no mention of the prince until one day he suddenly appears out of thin air. Just for the story‟s
sake let us assume he was busy minding his own business till now and the poor fellow got tired and decided to
take a „stroll‟ for a while, and that too outside his kingdom. In this way, he meets or comes to know about the
heroine, falls in love with her at the first sight and so on. I find that Henal Patel‟s description of such a hero is
quite apt.
3. Re-thinking Fairytales: Happily…
www.ijhssi.org 51 | P a g e
“The hero in fairy tales is never wrong. He is handsome and wealthy and generally reputed to
be brave. However in many fairy tales, he does not actually do much. He is simply the
character who seems to cause everything to work out. Upon closer study, it is clear that the
supporting actors are those who play the largest part in ensuring that the hero saves the
heroine. Still, the fairy tales tell us that the Prince is the ideal. He is the man every woman
wants. He is also the one who guarantees the happy ending needed for a fairy tale to be
complete” (Patel 2).
So what does he do? Almost nothing, as long as one does not count horse-riding and deer-hunting as
„heroic‟ deeds. Yet, he is the one who gets all the accolades in the end.
“He gets his bride and a happy ending, regardless of the plot. Most of the time, he does not
even cause the successful conclusion, but depends on minor characters who are on his side.
Regardless, he is still the unequivocal hero” (Patel 26).
IV. THE „PRINCE CHARMING‟ SAVING THE „DAMSEL IN DISTRESS‟: THE „HAPPILY
EVER AFTER‟
This is something almost everyone knows. Those who have heard or told fairytale at least once in their
lives are very much familiar with the phrases „damsel in distress‟ and „Prince Charming‟. Generally, fairytales
include a beautiful girl who is often showed to be in a state of suffering, be it mental or physical and is at last
saved by a brave and handsome prince. In famous fairytales like “Cinderella”, “Snow-White”, “Sleeping
Beauty”, “Rapunzel” etc the scenario is quite similar. How many times have we come across a fairytale where
the prince is prohibited from going to „The Ball‟? Or is made to do all the household chores? Clean the
chimneys? Or fetch water from the well? Never. What are these fairytales doing to us then? The scenario
unconsciously promotes within us the idea of women being the submissive one, the sacrificing one, the domestic
laborer.
“Rarely do you read a fairy tale and not have the women laboring in some way or
another....These ideas of women doing housework all the time has probably helped to keep
traditional family patriarchy alive today. Fairy tales teach young girls that they should grow
up to become good housewives. These thoughts may inadvertently be placed in the minds of
girls today. They could feel that their only purpose is to have children and keep house while
their husbands go out and live the more active life” (Metz 8).
In “Cinderella”, Cinderella is seen suffering because of her step-mother and step-sisters. She is
beautiful, gentle- everything the society seeks in a „perfect‟ wife. In the turn of events, she finally meets her
Prince Charming, gets married and is left to live happily ever after. But what role does she get to play
throughout the whole story?
“After leaving her slipper at the ball she has nothing more to do but stay home and wait. The
prince has commanded that the slipper be carried to every house in the kingdom, and that it be
tried on the foot of every woman. Cinderella can remain quietly at home; the prince's servant
will come to her house and will discover her identity” (Lieberman 389).
Similarly, the Sleeping Beauty portrays passivity herself. She is put to sleep using an enchantment. The
only way out for her is getting a „true‟ love. When the Prince finally comes and kisses her (in the children‟s
version), she wakes up from the enchanted sleep. Same fate follows Rapunzel who remains imprisoned in a
tower and needs a Prince to rescue her.
“So many of the heroines of fairy stories, including the well-known Rapunzel, are locked up
in towers, locked into a magic sleep, imprisoned by giants, or otherwise enslaved, and waiting
to be rescued by a passing prince, that the helpless, imprisoned maiden is the quintessential
heroine of the fairy tale” (Lieberman 192).
Now this is quite obvious to ask what is wrong to have such endings. Listening to stories with happy
endings is not a problem. The main problem lies in the aftereffects of listening and telling of these stories over
generations.
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“Fairy tales affect the way our society in general thinks about girls and their role in society.
They also affect the way girls feel and interact with each other….Because fairy tales are read
to children in their impressionable years, they imbed thought into the child that affect the way
they think about women and “normal” social roles” (Metz 1).
Agreeing with what Metz has said in the statement above, I feel that all the familiar fairytales which are
told over generations modify the society‟s outlook to a great extent. The child and specially the female child,
grow up having a stereotypical image of themselves and their future. Their views and beliefs are changed, sub-
consciously if not consciously, to such a level that often they themselves fall victim to these. They are led to
believe deeply that if they want their part of happy ending, they must be like these heroines. This is because
“The female characters that do show signs of intelligence or ambition are evil” (Patel 17). Doing anything to
improve their condition or aspiring for a better life may lead to harmful consequences.
“The princesses in "The Yellow Dwarf," "Goldilocks," and "Trusty John" are described as
being spoiled, vain, and wilful: the problem is that they refuse to marry anyone…These
princesses are portrayed as reprehensible because they refuse to marry; hence, they are
considered "stuck-up," as children would say. The alternate construction, that they wished to
preserve their freedom and their identity, is denied or disallowed …There is a sense of
triumph when a wilful princess submits or is forced to submit to a husband” (Lieberman 393).
So, the „good‟ girls are not even given a chance to decide what do they want to do with their lives, or
whether they even want to get married or not. All of this is done “in accord with the social values of their time”
(cited in Haase 11). Therefore, all we have to do is get a brave prince, a tamed princess, every piece put into its
proper place and we will have the same old happily ever after we are so eagerly looking for!
V. FIDDLING WITH THE BALANCE: HAPPILY NEVER AFTER?
So far, we have the proper ingredients for a traditional fairytale. A prince, a damsel, an adventure and
finally the happily ever after; it sounds just perfect. But what happens when one slightly messes up the
ingredients?
“I just wish we could mix it up a little bit…What if we make the seven dwarves seven feet
tall? ... What about making Rapunzel go bald?” (Happliy N’Ever After)
The statement is given by Mambo, the helper/assistant of the Wizard in the animation film Happily
N’Ever After directed by Yvette Kaplan and Paul Bolger based on the fairy tales of the Brothers
Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen. On a surface level, this statement is only meant to be funny. However, on
a serious note, I also feel quite similar to Mambo after listening to these fairytales in the same way over and
over again. This film also shows the female lead, Ella, having her happily ever after with a lad. But at least for a
change, this time it is not the Prince, rather it is his servant, Rick. The film subtly mocks the typical fairytale-ish
requirements for a perfect ending and a lot of it is done through the portrayal of the character of the Prince. He is
shown following the „book‟ that instructs him on almost everything. From this book, he gets the idea of
becoming a „perfect‟ Prince Charming which even includes cutting his hair “Not too much off the front”.
“Everything must be perfect. Tonight‟s the night I meet my Damsel it says so right here in the
book…“on his 21st
birthday”” (Happily N’Ever After).
The Prince prepares himself to go to the ball where he is to find his damsel, according to the book, who
is “preferably blonde, who is either imprisoned, cursed or distressed” (Happily N’Ever After). To succeed in his
attempt, he follows the rulebook and tries to “be romantic”, “look heroic” in the ball. On the other side Mambo
starts playing with the magical ball and in the course of events the very familiar wicked step-mother ends up
conjuring the magic scepter. When she discovers about Ella‟s happy ending she dismantles the balance of good
and evil resulting in a wide range of changes in the fairytale endings of the whole fairytale land. Thus we see
Sleeping Beauty‟s Prince falling into a deep slumber himself after kissing the Princess, Rumplestiltskin winning
his bet with the queen and taking her baby and so on. When the enchantment on Ella wears off and the Prince is
left with nothing except a shoe of her, the first thing he does is check the book for his next plan of action! It is
not because he actually loves Ella, but because the book says to save that particular girl that he goes to find her,
and that too when she is standing in front of him and trying to talk to him. Even in a crucial moment where he
has failed and has been captured by trolls, instead of using his „Princely‟ brain he opens up the book for a
solution and with the comment “Kiss thy royal butt goodbye” he finds there, all he can do is panic.
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The female lead Ella is no less. She keeps waiting for her Prince Charming when she doesn‟t even
know whether or not she stands the chance. All the thoughts regarding the Prince occupy her mind in such a way
that she does not realize Rick‟s true feelings for her. Disillusioned by this stereotypical fairytale-like idea, she
does not realize her feelings for Rick as well. Does she ever think of having a life of her own without a Prince
for once? Why does she have to meet the Prince and wait for being rescued by him? As we often say, “Self-help
is the best help”- then why does she need a fairy godmother and a Prince to help her have a happy ending? The
answer is quite simple- it would be an „imbalanced‟ fairytale then. It is the „norm‟ “that they put the princess on
display and exaggerate her passivity” (Seago 16).
Throughout most part of the story, Ella hopes to reunite with the Prince. She never gives herself a
chance at love with Rick until the end. Though the film meets a different end compared to the traditional
fairytales the stereotype remains there. Ella has her „happy ending‟ with Rick instead of the Prince. It shows that
she needs to be saved after all, even if it is by the servant. Therefore, we are back to the point where we started
from- the whole „damsel-in-distress‟ thing.
VI. RE-TELLING: A WAY OF RE-CONSTRUCTING
Apart from fairytales, there are other stories to listen to as we grow up. There are famous classic
novels, historical narratives, plays, short stories covering a vast area of themes. There are stories where the only
lead is a female character, or where the whole storyline revolves around one. But since fairytales are the ones
that contribute largely in shaping our outlook it can also be used to bring about a change as well. Through
appropriation, the same old fairytale can be shown in a totally different light. Fortunately, some have already
set many examples of how this can be done. Very recently some authors have come up with unique ways of
retelling well-known fairytales which are mainly of science-fiction genre or set in the current time period,
making it somewhat easier for the readers to feel a connection. One such would be the Lunar Chronicles series
by Marissa Meyer. The author uses known characters, or at the least the known female main character, to retell a
tale in her own style. The readers are able to almost instantly connect to the storyline and the hint of fairytale is
still there. In the first three books of the Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder, the science-fiction version of
Cinderella, is not some damsel-in-distress who needs to be saved. She has her own qualities and talents, setting
herself in a stark contrast against the Cinderella of the traditional fairytale. Yet you cannot help feeling a sense
of connection to Cinder in a similar way you do for Cinderella. Both have their own evil queens or stepmothers
to deal with, but while Cinderella is more like suffer-in-silence kind of a girl, Cinder has a spark within her, a
strength to fight back for herself. In this case, therefore, she stands against the traditional notion the society has
created through the fairytales- she is not breathtakingly beautiful, has a prosthetic leg, not „tamed‟ at all, and
most certainly can take care of herself without the Prince. Appropriation has often been taken as a means to
freedom, or to assert one‟s identity. Therefore, it is possible to appropriate the fairytales in such a way that we
feel we are still connected to the age-old traditional tales, but these are something more liberating, more
refreshing. It is like new candy in an old wrapper.
VII. CONCLUSION
Through seemingly innocent narration and storyline, the former, „traditional‟ pattern of fairytales
portrays the boundaries set by the society. Fairytales of these kinds influence the readers or listeners to believe
in the boundaries as unquestionable norms, resisting them from asserting their individual wills. Using literature
to assert individuality is nothing peculiar. Feminists have always tried to break through this hegemonic system
through their writings. Specially in today‟s age of media and technological revolution, movies and retellings like
Happily N’Ever After and Lunar Chronicles can go a long way to bring about a change. Gradually but
effectively, it can contribute in redefining the traditional definition of a fairytale and of „balance‟. After all, it is
the first few steps that count, no matter how small.
REFERENCES:
[1] Brown, Judy. No Dust Gathers Here. canlit.ca. Canadian Literature, 8 Dec. 2011. Web. November 30, 2013.
<http://canlit.ca/reviews/no_dust_gathers_here>
[2] Bacchilega, Cristina. Postmodern Fairy Tales: Gender and Narrative Strategies. (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press,
1997).
[3] Bottigheimer, Ruth. "Misperceived Perceptions: Perrault's Fairy Tales and English Children's Literature." Children's Literature :
Annual of the Modern Language Association Division on Children's Literature and the Children's Literature Association.Vol.30.
(2002).
[4] Dutta, Ritam. “The Making of a Woman: Gender Stereotypes in Cinderella and Aschenputtel. Academia. n.d, Web. November
27, 2013.
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[5] Patel, Henal. Gender Roles Indoctrinated Through Fairy Tales in Western Civilization. (Swami Shreeji, n.d.)
[6] Lieberman, Marcia R. “„Some Day My Prince Will Come‟: Female Acculturation through the Fairy Tale.” College English. 34.3
(1972): 383-95. Print.
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[7] Metz, Heather. Fairy Tales Manipulate Women.Russian Fairy Tales, Russian 0090.15, n.p., n.d. Web. November 27, 2013.
[8] Haase, Donald. “Feminist Fairy-Tale Scholarship.” Fairy Tales and Feminism: New Approaches. (Detroit: Wayne State
University Press, 2004).
[9] Hapily N’Ever After. Dir. Yvette Kaplan and Paul Bolger. Perfs. Andy Dick, Patrick Warburton. 2006. DVD. Lionsgate.
[10] Seago, Karen. “Theorising pre-feminist translation practice.” Academia. n.d, Web. November 27, 2013.
<https://www.academia.edu/703276/Theorising_pre-feminist_translation_practice>
[11] Meyer, Marissa. Cinder. (New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2012).