Gender and Children's Lit
Many scholars believe that fairy tales, especially those handed downfor hundreds of years, are in large part reflective of the societies thatthey depict. Towards this, feminist theorists have looked at how thesefairy tales expose cultural norms regarding patriarchy. In their study ofclassical fairy tales like Cinderella, Jerilyn Fisher and Ellen S. Silber(2000) conclude that these stories "recount true female experience underpatriarchy, a world in which innocent young women are set against theirsisters and mothers in rivalry for t
These feelingscontinue to resonate with children, preteens and teenagers today becausethe familiar emotions connect with their own. Sheattributes the tale's universalism and enduring popularity not in thefantasy aspect of fairy godmothers and royalty. Young people -- male orfemale -- greatly identify with the story's oppressed lead character. " However, not every scholar finds the story of Cinderella a metaphorfor female oppression. Mercer Krogness (1996) observes that versions ofthe ancient fairy tale of Cinderella exists across more than 500 differentcultures, including ancient Africa, China, India, Egypt, and Korea. Children and adolescents can also identify with theloneliness isolation and oppression faced by Cinderella and use thiscommonality as a springboard for sharing experiences and forming socialbonds with their peer groups. Whilethis can be interpreted as a continuation of gendered stereotypes, theenduring popularity of Cinderella can also be read as a springboard forcommonality. Currently, an upcoming movie called The Prince and Me follows the life of amodern-day Cinderella who falls in love with the Prince of England. These themes play into other forms of entertainment as well. The rivalry of women for men and the alienation caused by rejectionand abandonment continue to be familiar themes in the literature of youngpeople. Instead, Krogness locatesthe heart of this timeless tale in "a young girl's feelings of rejection,dejection, abandonment, and depression" (Krogness 1996).
Common topics in this essay:
Instead Krogness,
Prince England,
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Ellen Silber,
Mercer Krogness,
Egypt Korea,
fairy tales,
enduring popularity,
krogness 1996,
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Acceptance Essays
