Gender Roles In Fairy Tales

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Fairy tales are an essential part of literature. They play a significant role in children’s lives as they provide an understanding of the world, as well as the difference between good and evil. Fairy tales are introduced during a time when children soak up knowledge, therefore it is no surprise tales play a role in shaping youth (Nanda, 2014). Knowing this, it is important to be aware of the ways in which characters are portrayed within these tales. The “typical” stereotypes associated with male and female characters can be dangerous as it provides children with a simplified perception of gender roles and the way the world functions. Women are perceived as the beautiful princess who needs help and is “inferior,” while men are the strong and courageous prince who save the naive princess from “evil” (Patel, 2009). Since these portrayals can be found within most fairy tales it allows children to view them as “norms.” This can lead children to have an improper/sexist view of men and women. Due to how often these behaviours are seen, they become “typical.” This essay will look at typical and biased portrayals of gender roles in fairy tales to find out if they have a positive or negative influence on young children and how this …show more content…

The female protagonists are beautiful, kind hearted and obedient (Veselá, 2014). In Cinderella, the female protagonist does not rebel until she seeks help of a magic entity (animals, tree, fairy godmother etc.). Cinderella finds happiness when she escapes her evil step family, however, this is only possible with the help of the prince. In Beauty and the Beast, though the portrayal of the male character goes beyond that of the typical “prince,” the female protagonist still follows the stereotypical gender norms. With no other option Belle is forced to marry the Beast, however, she willingly goes to the castle and lives with him (Nanda,

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