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Marxist Feminism In Fairy Tales

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In this section the facts and information will be displayed as a result of the research that has been conducted, and conferred in the methodology, so as to be able to understand the discussion and analysis in the next segment. 6.1 Feminism and Fairytales How different branches of feminism can be applied to fairytales vary greatly. To keep this essay focused on sexuality and gender. Marxist feminism explains that the oppression of women as a result of economical control through capitalism, with a focus on the domestication of women as a result of economical control leading to further oppression of women socially. Women in fairytales assume the character trait of wanting to appease the male gaze to receive wealth and status, and thus remain …show more content…

A direct correlation between appearance and disposition here as well. The stepmothers are greedy, jealous, ambitious and have a strong sense of pride. Although they may be described as beautiful or regal it is not without its own downfall as pride is decidedly not effeminate. The queen in Snow White is a prime example of this. ''She was a beautiful woman, but she was proud and arrogant, and she could not stand it if anyone might surpass her in beauty. She had a magic mirror. Every morning she stood before it, looked at herself, and said: Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who in this land is fairest of all? To this the mirror answered: You, my queen, are fairest of all.'' When she later learns that her beauty is surpassed by that of Snow White's she becomes obsessed with regaining her status as the most desirable, so she orders the death of Snow White. The huntsman given the task refuses to do so once he takes pity on Snow White, not because he is opposed to killing a girl, but because he is enthralled by her beauty. After several murder attempts the queen ends up dead as beauty and the maiden prevails. Possessing so called undesirable characteristics in women is ultimately what kills the

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The Cinderella tale has been at the heart of many stories for generations. People have become very familiar with the storyline, as it is very prevalent in society today through many moderns movies and stories. The Cinderella story is adored by young children, more specifically by young girls. However as a more feminist culture has emerged, society’s viewpoint of fairytales is becoming increasingly negative. In, “The Princess Paradox” and “Cinderella and Princess Culture”, authors James Poniewozik and Peggy Orenstein further evaluate themes found in the Cinderella stories.

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“Tell that to my daughters’ My mother would address the screen as if none of us were there to hear. ”[Pg.41 ] She uses her mother's sarcasm to get her point across to try to teach adolescent girls that beauty is not everything and that beauty will fade with time but your inner beauty just keeps getting better with time. Another example of her use of verbal irony is shown through the passage of, “My mother would inevitably shake her head & say ‘Truth is Americans believe in democracy-even in looks” Through this she tries to explain that there is never a cookie cutter in beauty, that they are fine they way they are, whether it be short with frizzy hair or tall with slick hair, they are beautiful the way

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The prejudice that the author brings forward strongly is the notion of feminism. The author’s main purpose of writing this novel is to examine the role of women played around

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Since the knight pledged his life he has to marry her, but is miserable because he has to marry an ugly old woman. The woman later asks the knight why he is miserable, and upon hearing his response she asks him which he would rather have and ugly old wife who is faithful or a beautiful wife who cheats. The knight then tells her to decide, trusting her judgement, and upon having what women desire most she turns into a beautiful

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Orual, the princess of Glome and protagonist of C.S. Lewis’s Till We Have Faces, and her sister Psyche, epitomize this belief. Psyche is the representation of inner purity translating to outer beauty, and Orual is just the opposite, her repulsive exterior stemming from an immoral conscience. Psyche, Orual’s young stepsister, is viewed as a goddess by the rest of the kingdom, and her behavior mimics her beauty. Psyche possesses a beauty “Prettier than

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It treats women poorly to cause them to comply with gender expectations. Not only do women have to face pressures of conformity in real life, but they also face intimidation in fairytales. Grimm’s Snow White and Cinderella perpetuate society’s notion that a woman is the inferior being whose value lies not only in her beauty but also in her abilities to perform domestic work and satisfy men. Grimm uses the characters of Cinderella and Snow White to perpetuate the idea that women should lead quietly domestic lives. In Cinderella, Cinderella spent most of her time in a kitchen.

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Through these texts it is evident to discern the decline of patriarchal norms that were originally embedded into society. Modern women eliminated the virtuous roles so deeply enforced, and have become aware of the abuse and victimization that roots from innocence. As females emerged from the happy homemaker ideal to breaking the set rules in education, workplaces, and expansion of rights, males accepted the female role that can provide more than just house life stability. As younger generations become exposed to more veracious knowledge behind the equality between women and men, humanity will thrive with respect and identification skills. The different tales of a young girl solely being manipulated behind the flesh of her innocence can be abandoned.

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Conner Brosmer ACP Comp. Mr. Albonetti 02/21/18 “Cinderella: Not So Morally Superior” Critique Essay Fairy tales indicate to entertain as well as provide an underlying moral lesson to its’ readers. In the tale of Cinderella, the lesson is that if you keep a positive attitude you can overcome any obstacles and achieve your dreams.

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This theory says the woman should be submissive, nurturing, motherly, and quite. It also exposes how women are undervalued and below men (Introduction to Literary Theory, 22-63). In the Lawyer’s tale of Canterbury Tales there is a woman, Constance, who is forced to go to foreign lands and do things she does not want to because it is expected of her as a woman. At the beginning of the story a prince from a far away land decides he wants to marry Constance. He contacts her father and her father agrees to send her to him to be married.

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Numerous schools of criticisms have attempted to find the meaning behind most of our favorite childhood stories. From Marxist who pursue the idea of social classes portrayed in literary works, to Psychoanalysts who depict the sexual tensions and desires that are subconsciously embedded behind characters’ motives and actions, to Historicists who try to show the preservation of tradition in stories, many different concepts exist for each fairy tale. The Feminist school of criticism greatly focuses on unveiling the patriarchal system and sexist roles that are displayed in stories, and more specifically, fairytales. Four versions of the well-known fairytale of The Little Mermaid will be compared and discussed while focusing on many distinctive

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He states that rather than believing they must solely prove their independence girls recognize that they can “have the girly dream of glass slippers and true love, these films say, as well as the womanly ideal of self-determination and independence” (Poniewozik 324). Poniewozik explains how a previous generation of women simply aspired to have the ability to do anything a man could. In this new generation, however, he states that choosing the fairytale ending does not debase a woman (Poniewozik 324). A quote from Marlo Thomas, a feminist author, included in the article says, “What women have tried to achieve for other women is choice in every step of their lives” (Poniewozik 324) Through including specific movies, such as Ella Enchanted and The Prince & Me, in which princesshood and feminism blend together to form empowered women who choose to be princesses, the author of this article begins gathering his support for the claim that girls have been affected by this recent transformation in the movie-making

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Claudia recognizes that if we conform to the Western standard of beauty, we may gain beauty but only at the expense of others. However, Claudia learns to love Shirley Temple; Claudia “learned much later to worship her” (Morrison, page 16) This suggests that the idea of beauty is something that is learned and not natural or

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When I came back I was happy but i had a little bit of regret. That regret was gone as soon as I asked, “ The magic mirror who is the prettiest of them all.” It answered, “ Snow white is now that she has been seen, You 're still the second prettiest my queen.” She had enough. Back at the cottage, The dwarves just saved Snow White by cutting her lace in two.

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And lastly, the fairy came in on her noble steed to save Lanval, when in traditional stories, the male saves the damsel in distress. So, as you can see, the fairy has qualities of both types of women in medieval literature. In summary, the role of women seen in medieval literature is seen in a pattern throughout Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and Lanval. Being powerful, ugly, or disobedient made you unworthy of being a women, if you wanted to be respected and well-liked, you must become quiet and attractive.

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The role of women in literature crosses many broad spectrums in works of the past and present. Women are often portrayed as weak and feeble individuals that submit to the situations around them, but in many cases women are shown to be strong, independent individuals. This is a common theme that has appeared many times in literature. Across all literature, there is a common element that causes the suffering and pain of women. This catalyst, the thing that initiates the suffering of women, is essentially always in the form of a man.

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