Fairytales In The Black Cow

Many families have many traditions, but one tradition that is common among all households is that they read fairy tales to their children right before they put them to sleep. They do this to fill their minds with good positive thoughts and leave them with something to think about. Fairytales are constantly changed to adhere to cultural or social beliefs that are deemed important by diverse families. Religion dictates the characteristics of familiar fairy tales as religion provides a moral and ethical framework to having a good life, an ideal goal parents want their children to have.

A rendition of Cinderella, the story of The Black Cow, changes many renowned characteristics to adapt to Hindu practice and social norms since Indian folk tales

The author of the story is very demeaning to women regarding their attitude and role in society, as a result, it becomes obvious that the author was male. Throughout the story, women were pictured to be bad causing little children who read this tale to question women entirely. The tone of the story changes from heartbroken for the little Brahmin boy to the distaste of females when gender roles are discussed. The author explains that the wife wanted to get rid of the Black Cow after she found out the Black Cow was nourishing her Brahmin stepson, she “begged [her husband] to sell the black cow, and said she would neither sleep nor eat until this was done.” (Tatar 169). This form of childlike behavior emphasizes that the author views women as nagging and annoying which functions as a forewarning of future female behavior that could be harmful. The extent of how destructive and detrimental females are implied from the fact that “the cakes made by the Brahmin’s wife for her stepson were of ashes…” (Tatar 169) and that the mother used her daughter to spy on the Brahmin son, “at last the girl confessed that they ate sweets every day, and the black cow provided the feast” (Tatar 169). Upon these dark conclusions that women are not

Religion plays a big role in one’s everyday life in India as it shapes the character of the person in a community. This influence is evident for citizens in the social control, the premise of the law, solidarity, and moral qualities of life (Das). “Religion should just be utilized to partition and wreck, to make and teach, to persuade” (Das) others the beauty one can find with the result of a positive livelihood. In Hinduism, certain animals are sacred and holy, where they are prayed and celebrated in Indian society. Cows are cherished due to the fact that “ the cow is revered as the source of food and symbol of life and may never be killed” (Hindu Cow Taboo). Essentially, cows are the caretakers of all people in India as “the [black] cow asked no favours for herself…” (Tatar 170). Such personification shows the importance of the Black Cow and the unselfishness towards helping everyone, something females were not able to do. The fairytale incorporates magical powers as a special characteristic this Black Cow had as “the boy told her everything, and presently she beat her [black cow] hoofs upon the ground. As she did so, sweets of all kinds appeared, which the child ate greedily...” (Tatar 169). As children are reading this, the Black Cow’s miraculous powers evoke the feeling of security and reassurance as stated by this quote: “Do not weep, my child, but get up on my back,