In James Poniewozik's "The Princess Paradox" (323-325) the author explains how the idea of a feminist, independent woman becoming a fairy tale princess is a paradox and that society is engaging in a paradox through the belief of it. He utilizes the recent bout of Cinderella retellings to show the paradox of how girls cannot be both completely independent and a fairytale princess, and yet society perpetuates the paradox through believing that this is not only possible, but realistically attainable as well. Poniewozik exposes the contradictions that surround these new Cinderellas to defy these "realistic" stories that society has come to embrace. By showing how truly constrictive and illogical these fantasies are, Poniewozik also shows how hypocritical society has become for idolizing them and why this new princess is a true paradox. According to Poniewozik, this paradox has risen in society mostly through …show more content…
The woman society wants and idolizes cannot exist because it is impossible to remain true to oneself and one's personal goals completely, while still maintaining a relationship and the responsibilities of royalty. Society is not merely receiving this paradox, but perpetuating and encouraging it by turning a blind eye to something they do not want to see. This unrealistic, unattainable fantasy has become the goal of this modern feminist generation, and Poniewozik highlighted how this new tale has distracted from the true telling and story. Cinderella was simply a woman who just wanted to go to ball, and now she has become someone who is independent and driven, but still falls in love and learns to accept the fact that she is a princess. A woman who doesn't change who she is, but then changes titles and falls in love doesn’t exist, she is a
Modern-day feminists state that there are many repressed attitudes and fears which keep women in a kind of half-light, forcing them to subconsciously retreat from the full use of their minds and creativity (Dowling, 595). The archetypal Cinderella is often criticized by feminist critics for waiting for something external to transform her life (Abel, 192). Contrary to this assumption, passivity is not prevalent in the original Brothers’ Grimm tale. However, actions performed by women in the tale are often associated with darkness. It is this overpowering association with the color black and its implications that truly keep women in a “half-light” in the tale.
This book was written much earlier than Dworkin’s book, when this was acceptable behavior for a woman. Heckel uses these examples successfully in his article because they support his ideas and topic. Both sources provide two different views other than Heckel to make the article convey its purpose successfully. In the fairytales, women are dependent on their princes to come and rescue them. However, as time passed, women and fairytale princesses changed their dependent ways and started becoming
This passage from the story insinuates that men need women to see it they way they do, and men don’t appreciate it when women are free-thinking. Women in fiction, not just in books but in movies and television as well, are often represented in certain molds or ideas. The story of Cinderella and the story by Hurston both reinforce the idea that fictional portrayals of women are
Although Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” published in 1837, contains many patronizing nineteenth-century attitudes towards women, a value system that at least acknowledges the legitimacy of femininity shapes the fairytale. Unfortunately, Walt Disney’s 1989 film version of “The Little Mermaid” eliminates the values that affirm femininity in the original story (Trites 145)
Peggy Orenstein, a feminist mother, wrote the article, “Cinderella and Princess Culture” stating the princess culture is ruining young girl’s minds. Orenstein developed the theory that the princess movement would cause negative effects to her daughter and all the young females in their later futures.
For centuries, women have struggled in the fight to gain equality with men. Despite the major advances in civil and political rights, society still has a long way to go in addressing the issue of gender inequality. One major factor that prevents society from achieving gender equality is the idea that marriage is a women’s ultimate life goal. This notion has been significantly presented in literature causing women to appear less powerful than men, more specifically, in the fairly tales “Cinderella, or the little Glass Slipper” by Charles Perrault and “Ash Girl” by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. The stereotypical depiction of women only being ambitious toward marriage has led to women being inferior to men.
...present powerful characters, while females represent unimportant characters. Unaware of the influence of society’s perception of the importance of sexes, literature and culture go unchanged. Although fairytales such as Sleeping Beauty produce charming entertainment for children, their remains a didactic message that lays hidden beneath the surface; teaching future generations to be submissive to the inequalities of their gender. Feminist critic the works of former literature, highlighting sexual discriminations, and broadcasting their own versions of former works, that paints a composite image of women’s oppression (Feminist Theory and Criticism). Women of the twenty-first century serge forward investigating, and highlighting the inequalities of their race in effort to organize a better social life for women of the future (Feminist Theory and Criticism).
The scene where Danielle rescues Prince Henry from the gypsies is one of the paramount scenes within ‘Ever After’ that conveys sublime elements of feminism. Throughout the scene, the subversion of gender roles and Danielle’s contrasting attributes pertain and challenge the notion of femininity in the traditional Cinderella story. At the beginning of the scene, Danielle is depicted in her undergarments and remains this way when she returns to the ground to confront the gypsies. In the traditional story, no such events were detailed as prudency and morality were obligatory traits for women, and anyone who was to revolt would be shamed. On the contrary, Danielle shows minimal concern for her lack of clothing, but rather enforces self-empowerment
In “Escape from Wonderland” by Deborah Ross, the writer explains how the fictional characters are admired. Although they seem to be sending a bigger message to young girls. The writer talks about drawing a line between fantasy and reality. In the end Ross’s objective is to show how some Disney characters break the femininity and imagination tradition. Which can have an effect in children and how they value their own ability to have unique visions. By comparing Alice in Wonderland (1951), The Little Mermaid (1989) and Beauty and the Beast (1991) to heroines like Arabella from The female Quixote. “Charlotte Lennox’s (The Female Quixote illustrates both these conservative and progressive plot patterns, for it both draws upon and criticizes earlier romances, which themselves often both celebrate and punished female imagination and expressiveness. Therefore, like Disney’s movies today, which also use material from romance and fairy-tale tradition”, (pg. 473, Escape from Wonderland). Young women may not only begin to fantasize about a grandeur life more exciting than reality but to be disappointed with society in the workplace and relationships. For example, Meredith from Brave she is a princess that wishes to have a different life than what her mother has planned for her. She refuses to get married and have the duties of a princess. She wants to have adventures and be
In a society unbridled with double standards and set views about women, one may wonder the origins of such beliefs. It might come as a surprise that these ideals and standards are embedded and have been for centuries in the beloved fairy tales we enjoyed reading as kids. In her analytical essay, “To Spin a Yarn: The Female Voice in Folklore and Fairy Tales”, Karen Rowe argues that fairy tales present “cultural norms which exalt passivity, dependency, and self-sacrifice as a female’s cardinal virtues.” Rowe presents an excellent point, which can be supported by versions of the cult classics, “Cinderella” and “Snow White”. Charles Perrault’s “ The Little Glass Slipper” and the Brothers Grimm’s “ Snow White” exemplify the beliefs that females are supposed to be docile, dependent on the male persona and willing to sacrifice themselves. In many cases, when strong female characters are presented they are always contradicting in these characteristics, thus labeled as villainous. Such is the case of the Cinderella’s stepsisters in Perrault’s “Cinderella” and the stepmother in the Brothers Grimm’s “Snow White.” These female characters face judgment and disapproval when they commit the same acts as male characters. With such messages rooted in our beloved fairy tales it is no wonder that society is rampant with these ideals about women and disapprove of women when they try to break free of this mold.
As the world has transformed and progressed throughout history, so have its stories and legends, namely the infamous tale of Cinderella. With countless versions and adaptations, numerous authors from around the world have written this beauty’s tale with their own twists and additions to it. And while many may have a unique or interesting way of telling her story, Anne Sexton and The Brother’s Grimm’s Cinderellas show the effects cultures from different time periods can have on a timeless tale, effects such as changing the story’s moral. While Sexton chooses to keep some elements of her version, such as the story, the same as the Brothers Grimm version, she changes the format and context, and adds her own commentary to transform the story’s
In both Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple” and Kate Chopin’s “The Awakening”, we see that there are two types of women who arise from the demands of these expectations. The first is the obedient woman, the one who has buckled and succumbed to become an empty, emotionless shell. In men’s eyes, this type of woman was a sort of “angel” perfect in that she did and acted exactly as what was expected of her. The second type of woman is the “rebel”, the woman who is willing to fight in order to keep her creativity and passion. Patriarchal silencing inspires a bond between those women who are forced into submission and/or those who are too submissive to maintain their individuality, and those women who are able and willing to fight for the ability to be unique.
Being beautiful for a woman is the most looked at characteristic that each of these princesses have. Attractiveness is the most important attribute that women can posses, and is often an indicator of chances of future happiness (Neikirk). This is how these princesses get by in all of these stories. But what is that telling every young girl who watches or listens to these fairytales. Are we telling these youn...
Throughout most of history, women were seen as inferior to men. Men were viewed as more capable and smarter than women: men worked while women stayed at home; men were given control of the household and their wives, and men obtained education while women learned how to do household chores at home. Many of these inequalities were displayed in early literature, such as Andromeda and the Sea Monster and “Rapunzel”, where women, dubbed Damsels in Distress, either made unintelligent blunders or were captured by some evil or supreme force and put into a dire predicament. Since men were much more superior to women, they saved the Damsel in Distress from their asperity. The woman usually became entranced by their chivalric, valiant and benevolent characteristics and usually married them and lived happily ever after. However, these damsels evolved into ones that weren’t always in distress. The archetype of the Damsel in Distress remained relatively static throughout most of its history in the world. However, the gradual escalation of women’s rights and position in society during the late 19th, 20th and 21st centuries reflect the portrayal of the damsel in works of literature and film as a more prominent figure of importance, rather than the impotent and feeble character displayed in traditional literature.
Kelley, K. (1994). A modern cinderella. Journal of American Culture, 17(1), 87. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/200667825?accountid=32521