Charles Perrault: The Sleeping Beauty In The Wood

Fairy tales are stories that allow kids to leave their normal lives and venture into a world of imaginary creatures, princesses, and magical places. The stories provide valuable lessons on confronting fear, overcoming a problem, and responsibility. The fairy tales that instill a sense of adventure and children connect with emotionally are classic short stories that have been around since the late 17th century. However, the happy, sweet stories that people grow up listening to are quite different than the original fairy tales. The Disney version of the story, “The Sleeping Beauty”, is a kind tale of a princess that overcomes obstacles and in the end has a happy life. The story, “The Sleeping Beauty in the wood”, written by Charles Perrault,

The creator of Charles Perrault’s biography, states, “Though the stories of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Puss in Boots, and Sleeping Beauty are among the best known and most popular works of literature in the world, few people recognize the name of Charles Perrault”. This is due to the famous, modified version by Walt Disney. “The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood”, is derived from a french culture. This fairy tale represents young women with values like self appreciation and patience. Sleeping Beauty's first influence comes from "Perceforest," a French romance from 1528. It also is derived from the story, “Sun, Moon, and Talia”, by Giambattista Basile. The story ends with Aurora marrying and having kids with the prince that appears at her bedside and saves her. However, the Prince’s mother, an evil ogress, threatens to eat the princess and her kids. Much to the Mother’s dismay, she is tricked and does not actually eat the family. In the end she kills herself because she does not want her son to find out. Perrault writes, “When the ogress, all enraged to see what had happened, threw herself head foremost into the tub, and was instantly devoured by the ugly creatures”(63). This ending is not happy but creepy and

The damsel in distress, portrayed by the princess, Aurora, is a vulnerable girl that needs to be saved. In this version of “Sleeping Beauty”, the Prince’s kiss is not the cause of her awakening. The young fairy exclaims, “Instead of dying, she shall only fall into a profound sleep, which shall last a hundred years, at the expiration of which a king's son shall come and awake her"(Perrault 54). This says nothing about the kiss. In fact, In the book, Return With New Complexities: Robert Coover's Briar Rose, the author Sunje Redies states, “The prince is present when the princess wakes up, but only in the Grimms' tale are the release and the kiss one and the same”. Also, the seven fairies symbolizes divinity and mankind. The king specifically calls seven fairies to give presents and wish the princess well. When the eighth, evil fairy joins the party and curses Aurora, the setting of the story changes and the situation turns for the worst. The last archetypal element is the forest. The forest that is guarding the castle represents evilness and fear. The brave prince must travel through the thorns and trees in order to see the beautiful princess. The elements make this story interesting and possess a deeper