Gooden, A. M., & Gooden, M. A. (2001). Gender representation in notable children's picture books: 1995–1999. Sex Roles, 45(1-2), 89-101. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1013064418674 Haase, D. (1993). Yours, mine, or ours? Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, and the ownership of fairy tales. Merveilles & contes, 383-402. Retrieved from https://hcommons.org/deposits/objects/hc:14080/datastreams/CONTENT/content Haase, D. (2004). Fairy tales and feminism: New approaches. Wayne State University Press. Retrieved from http://www.wsupress.wayne.edu/books/detail/fairy-tales-andfeminism Keyser, E. (1989). Feminist revisions: Frauds on the fairies?. Children's literature, 17(1), 156170. Retrieved from https://muse.jhu.edu/article/246190/summary Opie, I. A., & Opie, P. (1980). The classic fairy tales. Oxford University Press, USA. Retrieved from https://archive.org/stream/classicfairytale00opie#page/n1/mode/2up Tatar, M. (2003). The hard facts of the Grimms' fairy tales. Princeton University Press.Retrieved from https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=lTtMH_ezI4UC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9 &dq=Tatar,+M.+(2003).+The+hard+facts+of+the+Grimms%27+fairy+tales.+Princet on+University+Press.&ots=9mXGwK9yPO&sig=mKNn5aagomDk_ch7Q2ddH0aOG LU&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Tatar%2C%20M.%20(2003).%20The%20hard%20f acts%20of%20the%20Grimms'%20fairy%20tales.%20Princeton%20University%20P ress.&f=false Zipes, J. (2002). Breaking the magic spell: Radical theories of folk and fairy tales. University Press of Kentucky. Retrieved from https://www.studypool.com/questions/download?id=829515&path=uploads/questions /411156/20180613165646zipes_breaking_the_disney_spell_ilovepdf_compressed.pdf Zipes, J. (2014). Don't bet on the prince: Contemporary feminist fairy tales in North America and England. Routledge. Retrieved from https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=rV6hAwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP 1&dq=Zipes,+J.+(2014).+Don%27t+bet+on+the+prince:+Contemporary+feminist+fa iry+tales+in+North+America+and+England.+Routledge.&ots=6tKZMckuof&sig=4V PawXeH5MOd2DiVmsXp10MATWw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false Running head: SNOW WHITE’S TALE: THE TRUTH Snow White’s tale: The Truth Name Instructor Institution Course Date 1 SNOW WHITE’S TALE: THE TRUTH 2 Snow White fairy tale Sex and Gender Introduction The Snow White fairy tale was originally written by the brothers Jacob Grim and Wilhelm Grim. It is the tale of a queen who begets a daughter whom she names Snow White. Like many other tales, the gender bias in the tale is quite clear for anyone looking to critically analyze the tale. It is like many other tales, a tale in which the lady is depicted as exceptionally beautiful in such a manner that her beauty mesmerizes those around her; working to inevitably manipulate others through her beauty. The Male characters on the other hand, are depicted as saviors, often saving the beautiful ladies from a consequent danger following the lady’s inability to either have the physical or mental capability to manage the situation and save her from the predicament she is in (Grimm, 2015). Beauty is an asset in fairy tales, while the lack of it, or rather failing to fall under the threshold of the exceptionally beautiful is often a basis for malice and evil streaks in women. Due to this ideology, women devoid of a particular degree of beauty are thereby classified as evil and malicious, an ideology that a number of tales have adopted. Albeit the fact that snow white has been an evolutionary tale and has been over the years, some researchers and scholars have analyzed the tale to find inconsistencies that would subject the tale into scrutiny. Questions have been raised since, especially on the account made by the Grimm Brothers on what the tale was supposed to communicate to the audience it was essentially deemed to target. More so, it has been noted that such tales impact the life of a child based on how the child construed the elements of the tale. Subject to this, researchers and feminists have resulted to formulating an account of the tale that tells a different version in which Snow White may be beautiful and graceful, but she is far from SNOW WHITE’S TALE: THE TRUTH 3 being a helpless damsel in distress. Other authors have also resulted to retelling the account differently, neglecting to include aspects that were originally in the first tale by the Grimm Brothers such as cannibalism. The question therefore remains, what was the essence of the tale, are the roles of the characters in the tale defined on a gender basis: is the tale on snow white really a tale that perpetuates gender inequality to the viewers? Snow white Literary analysis Structure and morals Albeit the fact that the Grimm brother’s account of Snow White was the first published, other accounts have soon thereafter followed this account. The tale of snow white differs with different authors. For instance, the Grimm brother’s account of the tale: Snow White offers a different account from that of “The Classic Fairy Tales” by Iona and Peter Opie whereby the evil queen drops down dead after being overwhelmed with rage. In the Grim brothers account the queen has to dance to death in red hot clogs as a form of punishment for her wickedness (Opie, & Opie, 1980). They both use different prose albeit the plot being more or less similar. There are many accounts of the tale of Snow White published after the Grimm brother’s account that has certainly prompted authors in disputes of ownership (Haase, 1993). All accounts depict the personality of the characters therein differently, although they all strive to include a somewhat similar perception except for the revised versions by feminists. Fantasy literature has been, for the most part, found to comprise similarities in style in the elements depicted therein. The moral in the tale as with most tales is that in a world where good and purity may be evident, the opposite is often experienced as well. Thus, SNOW WHITE’S TALE: THE TRUTH 4 it becomes essential to keep from trusting anyone. Taking advantage of Snow White’s innocence the evil queen deceives Snow White on three accounts with the intention to kill her which she succeeds to do on the last account. The tale on Snow White is comprised of several characters such as the Queen, Snow White, Snow White’s stepmother who becomes the 2nd queen over the kingdom whom for the purposes of this paper will be referred to as the stepmother, the Huntsman, the dwarfs, and the prince. The depiction of the gender expectations in the fairy tale by the Grimm brothers conforms to an ideology that has been held by many cultures over the years and which feminists have been prompted and trying to refute owing to the manner in which fairy tales depict the lives of women in literature. The Merseyside Fairy Story Collection version of Snow White is such an example, whereby the tale of Snow White is retold in a bid to depict how women ought to be portrayed in literature as opposed to formulating characters that conform to gender bias (Keyser, 1989). As aforementioned, the tale may be used to depict the good and the bad that may exist in everyday life but in the tale, it is used to emphasize on the humanistic relationship that existed between snow white and her stepmother. The role of women in fairy tales is often polarized with women or girls either falling into good and evil connotations. Women are either good, full of innocence and of purity or they are the opposite of good; cunning, devious, and deceitful or even worse; witches. This can be seen in the Snow White tale, whereby, Snow white is depicted as a woman good, innocent and pure of heart whilst the queen is essentially evil, and deceitful whose mandate in the entire tale has been to kill Snow White over a jealous streak (Grimm, 2015). The tale by the Grimm brothers claims Snow White’s stepmother essentially demands that the Liver and heart belonging to snow white be delivered to her as proof of her death, SNOW WHITE’S TALE: THE TRUTH 5 boiled in salt water and served to her so she could eat. The huntsman delivers a deer’s heart and liver that the stepmother consumes, thinking that she had succeeded in killing Snow white (Grimm, 2015). The essence of the text is not only to depict how far her evil-minded in nature she was but rather that she had witch tendencies as well. In spite of the conditions that may explain the evil connotation in the witch or any other evil woman in fairytales, a twodimensional approach is used to portray the demeanor of women in fairy tales. The character of women, therefore, is in essence, influenced by social norms that have been the basis for administration of gender roles. Whilst, a story should be just that; a literary work, the message it communicates may be essentially so powerful that it is enough to mold characters of the audience it targets. For instance, albeit the fact that the Grimm’s fairy tale is well told, with prose and structure that cuts across all ages; allowing anyone to understand the tale and the elements and therein, the fact that its audience is inclusive of children and minors or people still trying to mold their personalities should be taken into account. The essence of the Snow White fairy tale has been to entertain. It is safe to note that the characters and personalities therein are often molded to fit the author’s intent (Zipes, 2014). Owing to the fact that the tale may have been written at a time when the culture may have been accepting of the gender stereotypes in the contemporary society such is not the case explaining the reason why feminists have taken the initiative to argue against gender stereotyping even in literature (Gooden, & Gooden, 2001). The Grimm’s fairy tale may as well have been translated and the tale altered by different authors but that doesn’t mean the tale has in itself become obsolete. With young children being exposed to these fairy tales the risk becomes to mold their perception that in reality, a woman needs to conform to either a good or bad or an ugly and beautiful. The fault in these biases is that inevitably they become truths that are in essence irrevocable, owing to SNOW WHITE’S TALE: THE TRUTH 6 the fact that perceptions have already been molded into children’s psychology from the stories that have been read to and by them over a span of time (Haase, 2004). For instance, in most fairy tales the prince often saves the princess or damsels that need saving at the time: a damsel in distress kind of predicament, a notion even Disney adopts in his film Snow White and the seven dwarfs (Zipes, 2002). In reality, the consequence of this is that it conforms to an ideology that a woman often needs saving and in most cases by a man. While the stories are often modified to entertain and engage the reader or viewer, after reading similar literature conforming to such ideology the ideas are shaped to create a reality: an irrevocable truth that becomes a factual basis for gender roles. The gender roles inevitably result in gender biases that then impact how the human beings each belonging to the opposite sex may relate to each other. The bias has slowly seeped in the contemporary society, and whilst women can define their elements and perceptions they are left in a state of conformity trying to assert freedom from bias and radicalized perceptions confounded to individuals through literary texts such as fairy tales. While women are depicted as individuals susceptible to the nuance of moral disintegration men have been depicted as quite the opposite (Zipes, 2014). The woman needs to be wary of having children or the lack thereof; similarly, the woman needs to be aware of her physical beauty. She needs to conform to acceptable standards that even the contemporary society has conformed to. The fairy tale of Snow White clearly depicts the fact that beauty is essential to a woman; the basis upon which she will find a mate. As such, the fact that Snow White’s stepmother was constantly aware of the fact that there existed another prettier and fairer than she became in essence basis for her hatred and envy thereby seeking approval of her beauty from her mirror (Grimm, 2015). The same is true even in contemporary societies. At a time when there are so many clashing viewpoints and different SNOW WHITE’S TALE: THE TRUTH 7 versions to fairy tales, parents are faced with a predicament on what exactly to offer the children that does not impose the wrong ideas on them such as sexism. The question a parent ought to ask is what message the tale is sending to a young one whose perception and personality is yet to be modeled (Tatar, 2003). Conclusion The tale on Snow white amongst other fairy tales may seem normal to the unassuming eye, but upon critical analysis, a lot of questions are raised to which answers need to be sort. Specifically, a tale must be able to address moral values so as to shape the personalities of young children by modeling them into respectable adults, thus it is evident from the growing number of feminists looking to retell stories and tales that the time has come when fairy tales need to be re-evaluated to seek clarity of the ideologies the authors are taking a stance for (Zipes 2014). Authors need to be aware of their audience and thus, that should inevitably shape the manner in which the story is being retold, both in structure and in language. The tale of Snow White may have some positive aspects, but the tale conforms to a bias held by many tales since, definition of the beauty of the woman or lack thereof, the deception and greed that is found in some women whilst some are considered pure as well as depiction of the woman as damsels in distress in need of saving (Gooden, & Gooden, 2001). With these perceptions, feminists have resulted in formulating accounts of the tales that do not depict the woman as a helpless person in need of saving but rather may be capable of power, stature, and capabilities. The essence has been to alter the ideology initially imposed on the minds of people that a woman is a helpless individual often with nothing to offer except her beauty. In this way, the updated literature will positively impact the lives of children at a young age (Gooden, & Gooden, 2001). SNOW WHITE’S TALE: THE TRUTH 8 References Gooden, A. M., & Gooden, M. A. (2001). Gender representation in notable children's picture books: 1995–1999. Sex Roles, 45(1-2), 89-101. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1013064418674 Haase, D. (1993). Yours, mine, or ours? Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, and the ownership of fairy tales. Merveilles & contes, 383-402. Retrieved from https://hcommons.org/deposits/objects/hc:14080/datastreams/CONTENT/content Haase, D. (2004). Fairy tales and feminism: New approaches. Wayne State University Press. Retrieved from http://www.wsupress.wayne.edu/books/detail/fairy-tales-andfeminism Keyser, E. (1989). Feminist revisions: Frauds on the fairies?. Children's literature, 17(1), 156170. Retrieved from https://muse.jhu.edu/article/246190/summary Opie, I. A., & Opie, P. (1980). The classic fairy tales. Oxford University Press, USA. Retrieved from https://archive.org/stream/classicfairytale00opie#page/n1/mode/2up Tatar, M. (2003). The hard facts of the Grimms' fairy tales. Princeton University Press.Retrieved from https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=lTtMH_ezI4UC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9 &dq=Tatar,+M.+(2003).+The+hard+facts+of+the+Grimms%27+fairy+tales.+Princet on+University+Press.&ots=9mXGwK9yPO&sig=mKNn5aagomDk_ch7Q2ddH0aOG LU&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Tatar%2C%20M.%20(2003).%20The%20hard%20f acts%20of%20the%20Grimms'%20fairy%20tales.%20Princeton%20University%20P ress.&f=false SNOW WHITE’S TALE: THE TRUTH 9 Zipes, J. (2002). Breaking the magic spell: Radical theories of folk and fairy tales. University Press of Kentucky. Retrieved from https://www.studypool.com/questions/download?id=829515&path=uploads/questions /411156/20180613165646zipes_breaking_the_disney_spell_ilovepdf_compressed.pdf Zipes, J. (2014). Don't bet on the prince: Contemporary feminist fairy tales in North America and England. Routledge. Retrieved from https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=rV6hAwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP 1&dq=Zipes,+J.+(2014).+Don%27t+bet+on+the+prince:+Contemporary+feminist+fa iry+tales+in+North+America+and+England.+Routledge.&ots=6tKZMckuof&sig=4V PawXeH5MOd2DiVmsXp10MATWw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
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