Happily Ever After: The Ugly Truth of Beautiful

            Beauty is truly one of the most subjective terms. Beauty is as beauty does; beauty is in the eye of the beholder; beauty is only skin deep – people regurgitate these old proverbs when unattractive rears its ugly head. Placating and concealing one’s true feelings about what is attractive and what is not changes nothing; the real predicament lies in the source of people’s standards of what is appealing and what is not. Fairy tale literature entertains its readers with stories of princesses and happy endings; however, the real message of these antiquated tales suggests that society should distinguish what is good from evil on the sole basis of physical appearance. Parents teach their children sexism and racism with each “Once upon a time,” they share.

            Beautiful princesses and handsome princes fill the pages of most typical, classic fairy tales. Though the stories and their protagonists change with time, the motif of beautiful being good and ugly being evil remains the same. Professors Lori Baker-Sperry and Liz Grauerholz’s analyses reveal that 31% of all stories associate beauty with goodness and 17% associate ugliness with evil (718). A perfect example of this standard appears in Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm’s Snow White. The story describes the characteristics the queen hopes that her child will embody. The queen never mentions health, intelligence, or courage; she asks for her child to have skin “white as snow,” lips “red as blood,” and hair “as black as the wood of the window frame” (249). According to the tale, Snow White possesses the traits her mother requests, and she becomes “as beautiful as the bright day and more beautiful than the queen herself” (250). This beauty saves Snow White from the huntsman who seeks to kill her. He cares not about her empathy towards others or her philanthropic nature; the huntsman’s reasoning for sparing the young girl’s life stems solely from her physical appearance. Sparing a person’s life because she is good-looking suggests that beautiful people deserve to live and ugly people deserve to die. It sends a very negative message about the characteristics upon which society places value.

            This emphasis on beauty over virtue continues throughout the tale Snow White. After the huntsman spares the young girl, she seeks shelter in the home of seven dwarfs. When the dwarfs discover Snow White sleeping in their home, they do not react in typical hysterics; any reasonable person would exhibit anger and fear upon discovering an intruder napping in their home. The dwarfs, however, “were so delighted to see her that they decided not to wake her up, and they let her keep sleeping in the little bed” (Grimm 253).  Baker-Sperry and Grauerholz state that “women who achieve a high degree of attractiveness are psychologically and socially rewarded” (712). According to the dwarfs’ reaction, laws against breaking and entering do not apply to pretty people; the law of the land exists to keep ugly, evil people from wrongdoing. The dwarfs do not consider the possibility of danger, and they do not mention arming themselves against a potential threat; the dwarfs assume that a beautiful girl is trustworthy and her inappropriate actions do not need permission. Like the dwarfs, society allows pretty people to break the rules. Attractive female teachers who engage in sexual relationships with young male students easily earn forgiveness, glamorous celebrities who drink and drive walk away with a slap on the wrist, and beauty queens who are not able to spell rudimentary terms proudly wear their crowns.

            People who are not born with perfect bone structure and piercing blue eyes suffer a fate more horrific than the physically attractive. Entitlement evades them and warrants far less appealing identifiers. Snow White’s evil stepmother prides herself on being the, “fairest of them all” (Grimm 254). As evil takes hold of this once beautiful queen, her looks fade. It is not fathomable for a beautiful queen to engage in calamity; therefore, she takes on the form of an ugly, old peddler woman before she sets out to kill her stepdaughter. Scholars agree that “both men and women are being increasingly manipulated by media messages concerning attractiveness” (Baker-Sperry and Grauerholz 722). The queen’s transformation from the “fairest in the land” to an ugly peddler woman parallels her transformation into evil. As her looks fade, so does her sense of morality. The juxtaposition of the ugly, evil queen and the beautiful, wonderful princes, Snow White, confirms the stereotypes still present in society. When the nightly news regales the events of a beautiful, young couple’s carjacking, society shudders at the thought. Replace that attractive couple with a few old, toothless, dirty bikers and many argue justification for the attack.

            If old and ugly set the standard for evil, it is no wonder so many older women despise their younger competition. Snow White’s queen, the stepmother, mentions no ill-will towards her stepdaughter before the mirror tells her, “Snow White is a thousand times more fair” (Grimm 250).   The queen reacts with sudden jealousy and immediately plots the death of her young, beautiful stepdaughter. The queen is evil, and readers label her the obvious antagonist; however, the true antagonists are the people who confirm that with age comes a lack of desire. This message taunts the insecurities of all aging women and forces them to metaphorically destroy young, beautiful girls. One Western Folklore article states that “attention to specific social and cultural interactions is in part responsible for the complexity of today’s feminist responses to fairy tales” (Bacchilega 11). Women come with an expiration date, according to these tales, and in order to maintain any form of social or sexual status, they must rid their lives of all present threats. Though potentially unintentional, the messages fairy tales, such as Snow White, reveal transcend the period they were written and affect cultural beliefs, even hundreds of years later.

In today’s society, women are synonymous with petty fights and catty remarks. Men often comment on the simplicity of their friendships and the ease with which men befriend other men. Fortunately for men, their age denotes wisdom and experience.   The Hudon Review adds that “because their power was not primarily a sexual power, men in fairy tales never develop envious murderous passion against younger men; whatever power men have does not erode with time” (Sale 390). Women hear that they are only as powerful as they are beautiful; their power stops when their sexual prowess fades, and their flight or fight instincts engage. From a very young age, literature and society teach women that younger women are potential threats. Rather than embracing and training the upcoming generation, older women lose their sexual status, and in turn, their power. Any attempt to maintain their power results an association with evil. Society takes older, powerful women and reduces them to cut-throat villains or reassigns their powerful stance to credit male characteristics. A queen can rule, but only with a king by her side.

   Many little girls dream of sparkling crowns and giant castles; they call themselves princesses and hope to someday meet their very own Prince Charming. Imagine the damage these desires cause when the young girls grow up lacking the luster of which true princesses are made. Princesses do not adhere to set physical standards; however, due to direct and indirect characterization, a mental image of the typical princess is not hard to ascertain. Disney princesses typically have blonde hair, blue eyes, and a beautiful voice. They are naturally skilled dancers, and oftentimes, woodland creatures befriend them. Disney movies have shown progression throughout the years, and as a result, many non-typical princesses light up the big screen. Despite their best efforts, racial internalization regarding princesses already plagues many young children. A study from The Journal of Negro Education states that “most if not all children including children of color see ‘White’ as good, living happily ever after, and pretty” (Hurley 223). If white portrays all that is good, black obviously represents what is foul or unpleasant. Hurley states that “black and white color symbolism in … is pervasive and powerful” (225). She provides examples from various cinematic adaptations that clearly label white as good and black as bad. Case and point, readers most easily identify Snow White by her notably pale skin, white birds, and white-horse prince. Granted, her hair is dark, unlike my typical princesses; however, her hair is a minute detail in the evil presentation of black. Hurley notes that the tale, “features a wicked queen dressed in black who lives in a black castle and has black rats, a dangerous black forest containing black bats, and black owls” (225). Readers and viewers see black as threatening and dangerous. Sadly, this trend regularly presents itself in society. Fairy tales, like any form of literature from any time period, reflect the norms of that society. Understandably, older versions of the tales focus on a white royal family and present a white heroine. The problem with dismissing these issues under the guise of history is the magnitude of the effects racial stereotyping has on young, impressionable minds.

Fairy tales teach children, from very young age, that they must look a certain way or descend from a certain ethnicity to meet a handsome prince, fall in love, and live a life of prosperity. “The Science of Fairy Tales?” argues, “In all societies, the accidents and vicissitudes of line need accounting for in terms of the body of knowledge available to the members of society” (Jackson 121). Take Grimm’s Briar Rose for example, without the royal family’s social clout, the young, beautiful princess would face sure death. Had one of the Wise Women not intervened, Briar Rose would have to suffer for her father’s ridiculous choice. Many children, like Briar Rose, face punishment stemming from selfish choices their parents make. Briar Rose’s father excludes one of the thirteen Wise Women, “since the king had only twelve golden plates for them to dine on” (Grimm 241). His arrogance nearly cost him his child. Fortunately, she is a princess; therefore, consequences are not hers to endure. Give the royal princess a dark complexion and low socioeconomic status; it stands to reason that her fate may not be as pleasant.

Strong independent heroines often serve the protagonist role in fairy tales. Attractive women rise above their social status; they do not succumb to the pressures and abuses their unattractive counterparts subject them to. Sadly, however, much of the credit for overcoming said oppressions falls upon the male characters in the tales. Ruth B. Bottigheimer, author of “Tale Spinners: Submerged Voices in Grimms’ Fairy Tales,” focuses on the symbolic task of spinning and the motif of spindles. She states that “spinning is the symbol for and the visible attribute of the penury and personal degradation into which a princess is plunged when she is deprived of male protection” (147). Women who work menial jobs, such as spinning, simply need men to rescue them. Consider the rags-to-riches story of Cinderella. Before the handsome prince swoops in and saves poor, dirty Cinderella, she is nothing more than a low-class servant. It takes a man to come in and clean Cinderella up; this is clearly a task she is not capable of handling on her own. Snow White and Sleeping Beauty both follow this same trend; only true love’s kiss holds the power to save these beautiful women from certain death. The obvious translation is that women need men – typically well-off white men – to pull them from the wreckage of their lives.

Many parents share classic fairy tales with their children. They paint lovely images of castles and horses. They allow their daughters to wear tiaras and pretend ball gowns. Though these princess dreams are innocent and these stories are part of most people’s childhood, parents should consider their implications. The older, wiser women should not feel threatened by an immature novice. Powerful women should not have to feel ugly and evil. A person’s value should not have an expiration date that draws closer as her looks fade. Children should not be exposed to the concept of white superiority and black inferiority. Fairy tales should come with a label – “Warning: Sexism and Racism Ahead!”

Works Cited

Bacchilega, Cristina. “An Introduction to the ‘Innocent Persecuted Heroine’ Fairy Tale.” Western Folklore, vol. 52, no. 1, 1993, pp. 1–12., www.jstor.org/stable/1499490.

Baker-Sperry, Lori, and Liz Grauerholz. “The Pervasiveness and Persistence of the Feminine Beauty Ideal in Children's Fairy Tales.” Gender and Society, vol. 17, no. 5, 2003, pp. 711–726., www.jstor.org/stable/3594706.

Bottigheimer, Ruth B. “Tale Spinners: Submerged Voices in Grimms' Fairy Tales.” New German Critique, no. 27, 1982, pp. 141–150., www.jstor.org/stable/487989.

Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm. The Annotated Brothers Grimm. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012. Print.

Hurley, Dorothy L. “Seeing White: Children of Color and the Disney Fairy Tale Princess.” The Journal of Negro Education, vol. 74, no. 3, 2005, pp. 221–232., www.jstor.org/stable/40027429.

Jackson, Anthony. “The Science of Fairy Tales?” Folklore, vol. 84, no. 2, 1973, pp. 120–141., www.jstor.org/stable/1260418.

Sale, Roger. “Fairy Tales.” The Hudson Review, vol. 30, no. 3, 1977, pp. 372–394., www.jstor.org/stable/3850269.

Tatar, Maria. “Why Fairy Tales Matter: The Performative and the Transformative.” Western Folklore, vol. 69, no. 1, 2010, pp. 55–64., www.jstor.org/stable/2573528

Once Upon a Lesson Learned

I have always taken pride in my “nerdy ways.” I love to learn new things and explore ideas with other “nerds.” With that being said, this class has been so much fun!

I have never really thought about fairy tale literature in terms of analysis. I knew that Perrault and the Grimm brothers wrote some unusual tales, but I never really considered why. It never occurred to me that their versions of the tales were not intended for children. Honestly, it never occurred to me how irrelevant children were. It never registered that, perhaps, the lessons on jealousy and immorality were more relevant to adults. Though I am not proud of my term paper – procrastination and two jobs got the best of me – I really enjoyed the idea. My thesis developed from reading all of the discussion boards throughout the quarter. All of your questions and comments really made me think about the sexual and racial messages that are hidden in fairy tales. I learned, through the readings and discussions from this quarter, that many of my prejudices concerning good and evil started with fairy tales.

As a child, I was taught that pretty people are good and ugly people are bad. Let’s not get this twisted, I am no fairy tale princess. I chose to not wear makeup to school yesterday and a student asked me if I was sick. Of course my reply was, “No Kory, this is just my face!” That’s neither here nor there. The point I am trying to make is that I learned how much emphasis is placed on beauty. Pretty people are not held to the same standards as ugly people. Snow White should have caught a breaking and entering case, but because she is pretty, the dwarfs let her stay at rest. I would love to be pretty enough to get some rest!

Another important lesson I learned, through the readings and discussions this quarter, is that women are taught to hate each other. We are taught to see other women, whether they are family or not, as competition. Again, this trend dates back to early fairy tales. Older women are taught to see younger women as their replacement. Why do stepmothers hate their stepdaughters? Competition! While friendly competition can be very healthy, if it involves poisonous apples, I would venture to say that’s a bad idea.

I plan to continue reading fairy tale literature to my students and my daughter; however, I will present the information through a different lens. I will engage in the discussions that we shared this quarter and encourage them to question the underlying messages of what seems to be innocent bedtime stories. 

Tangled up in Laughs: A Modern Fairytale Review

Tangled up in Laughs

            In 2010, Walt Disney Pictures released a film loosely based on the classic fairytale Rapunzel. The title of the film, Tangled, makes an obvious reference to the hair for which the tale’s protagonist is synonymous. This delightful animation details the heroic escape of a young princess, Rapunzel, held captive by an evil woman, Mother Gothel. With the help of a handsome thief, Flynn Rider, Rapunzel learns that life outside of her tower is both beautiful and grotesque. Most importantly, through love and sacrifice, the princess discovers her true self.

            It stands to reason that the intended audience of this film is children; however, the touching storyline and laugh-out-loud entertainment render it suitable for people of all ages. A younger audience may enjoy the bright colors and catchy songs; whereas, a more mature audience will delight in the slapstick physical comedy. Tangled delivers a powerful message about the dangers of judging a person or situation without seeking evidence to support said judgement. Rapunzel assumes that Mother Gothel is her actual mother, despite the fact that the woman keeps her locked away in a tower. The girl longs for life outside of the tower, but allows her “mother” to convince her that her safety is at stake if she so much as thinks of leaving. In one rather questionable bar scene, several rough-and-tumble drunks sing about their dreams of performing Mozart, falling in love, and making cupcakes. At first sight, one would never suspect these interests. Rapunzel assumes Mother Gothel is good because she appears to be beautiful and non-threatening; she assumes the men in the bar are bad because they are missing a few teeth and like to get rowdy. When she truly gets to know these people, Rapunzel realizes that there is more than what meets the eye.

            Another compelling message the film conveys is the power of love. Rapunzel learns, because of her love for Flynn, that she possesses an ability of which she never knew. As she grieves over his dying body, Rapunzel sheds a tear that lands on Flynn and brings him back to life. Their struggles to overcome their pasts result in a true love that changes them both inside and out. Flynn, who soon reveals his true identity – Eugene – learns that somethings are more important that riches. His love for Rapunzel costs him the crown, but earns him a permanent place in the royal family.

            The most notable strength of the work is its humor. Pascal, the princess’s sidekick, is a tiny chameleon with a huge bravado. Despite Flynn’s ability to effortlessly flick the tiny lizard from his presence, Pascal stand his ground and elicits a ton of laughs. Keeping with the “small but powerful” theme, Rapunzel owns the screen with her feisty frying pan swinging and quick-witted schemes. Though the overall storyline is both entertaining and compelling, one noticeable weakness presents itself in the kidnapping of the princess. Mother Gothel, needing the magic of Rapunzel’s hair, steals the princess from the royal family. In the original version of the tale, the child’s father gives her to the sorceress to atone for taking herbs from her garden. While this transaction seems a bit farfetched, it better explains the span of time between Rapunzel’s kidnapping and her return to her family. A royal family with unlimited funds and resources would not give up on finding their daughter and resort to releasing lanterns in her memory; they would not rest until their precious princess was found.

            Disney’s Tangled is a modern spin on the classic fairytale Rapunzel. Its side-splitting laughs and girl-power message make for all-around family fun. Though there are a few weaknesses in the storyline, the strengths are far more prevalent. It shows the viewer that true love starts with discovering oneself. 

Bruno's Bedtime Stories

“Censorship reflects a society’s lack of confidence in itself.”

-          Potter Stewart

I straddle the fence where censorship is concerned. The proud-scholar side of me hates the idea of restricting information. The helicopter-mom side of me sets parental codes on anything possible. I hate televisions shows like South Park and Family Guy. Why take something intended for children – cartoons – and fill it with adult content?

Am I being too Wilhelm Grimm here? I do not want my daughter watching a show with sexual language and content. It infuriates me that seemingly child-appropriate television is anything but.

I do NOT want to explain things like this to my daughter…

With that being said, we love Tom and Jerry. Old school cartoons are the best! Can I get an amen?

Oh, wait… it that a gun? That’s right, Tom Jerry are known for beating the fresh hell out of each other. Bettelheim made an astute point about the joyous struggles of parenting, “the most important and also the most difficult task in raising a child is helping him to find meaning in life.” Am I hurting my child by keeping things from her? I do believe that censorship has a tendency to make things more appealing. Why did I read Fifty Shades of Grey? I wanted to know what all the fuss was about! I wanted to get in on the controversy. Whether I am arguing for or against something, I want to be an expert on the matter before I do so. Am I enabling my child by keeping things from her? Am I a hypocrite for allowing her to watch shows that are blatantly violent while forbidding shows that are overtly sexual?

Bettelheim said, “The acquisition of skills, including the ability to read, becomes devalued when what one has learned to read adds nothing of importance to one’s life.” So which version of Puss in Boots is more valuable? The one where a young miller’s apprentice is underestimated but later rewarded for his hard work, or the one that examines the objectification and subjugation of women?

As a nice, honorable, hardworking person, I know these characteristics are not always rewarded. The idea that the nice guy gains his riches for being pure of heart is, to put it mildly, a fairy tale. Though Angela Carter’s version of the tale is considerably more “adult,” it teaches valuable lessons about “bro code” and demonstrates that evil knows no gender. With that in mind, I see Bruno Bettelheim tucking his toddlers in at night with Carter’s Puss in Boots. 

Brodi Reid: A Fairy Tale Re-Write

George and Rebecca Bennet had it all – the money, the power, and the fame. Their lavish trips to foreign countries and rare, exotic cars were all the envy. From the outside looking in, the couple wanted for nothing; they had all the happiness money could buy. Unfortunately for the Bennets, true happiness could not be bought, and what they longed for most was not theirs.

Rebecca Bennet struggled with infertility issues throughout her marriage to George. They spent a fortune on medications, in vitro fertilization, and even surrogacy. Rebecca had all but lost hope when her luck suddenly changed.

One breezy October afternoon, Rebecca strolled through her neighborhood and admired the children as they played. She thought of the large swimming pool and the unoccupied tennis courts in her backyard. She sighed and accepted the harsh truth – the laughter of children was not hers to hear. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Rebecca heard a voice no louder than a whisper:

“Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer,” the voice breathed.

Rebecca looked around, but she saw no one. Later that night, she regaled the events that occurred earlier that day. She told her husband about the voice and the warm feeling she felt after it had spoken. She typed the words into her Google search engine and learned that the words were from the Holy Bible. Rebecca took these words as a sign from God, and she fervently prayed that he would bestow a child upon her.

In less than a year, the Bennet family grew by one. George and Rebecca loved their unborn son more than words could ever begin to express. The decided to call him Brodi Reid. Rebecca called in the best decorators in the industry and hired the finest furniture makers to design a crib for her, “Little Prince Brodi.”

As the due day of the beloved Bennet baby quickly approached, plans were made to shower the couple with gifts galore. All of the local socialites received invitations to the Bennets’ home. Everyone who was anyone was invited to attend. Rebecca sent special invitations to all of her Kappa Delta sorority sisters. She entrusted George with the special invitations and asked that he mail them right away. George hated Rebecca’s KD reunions! He dreaded every giggle and loathed every hair toss.

“How can I find a way out of this one?” George asked himself.

George decided that he would send the invitations just as his wife asked, but held onto one – Juliette Johnson Jones.

“Juliette Johnson Jones,” George said in a mocking voice. “Why does she insist on being referred to by all three names? Pretentious cow!”

George dropped twelve of the thirteen invitations in the mail then headed off to spin class. He had to be in tip-top shape to keep up with his “Little Prince Brodi.”

The day of the shower arrived, and the whole town bustled about. Everyone knew that Bennet social events were the most prestigious of all. Those who received invitations thrust their noses in the air and purchased gifts that cost more than a year’s salary. Those who were not lucky enough to make the cut drove back and forth by the Bennet mansion and hoped to catch a glimpse of someone remotely famous.

Juliette Johnson Jones waited for her invitation for weeks. She saw the Twitter posts made by the other KD girls, so she knew the date of the baby shower. When the day arrived and still no invitation came, Juliette was inconsolable.

“You think you’re better than me now that you have your perfect little family?” Juliette asked. “You will pay for this Rebecca Bennet!” she screamed as she sped down the freeway in her E-Class Benz.

Juliette knew the shame that came with exclusion. The newspapers talked more about who wasn’t invited than who was, and she refused to be on the reject list. Juliette arrived just in time for the gift-giving portion of the evening. She listened as each of her so-called sisters bragged about all they would do for the precious prince. Juliette, no longer able to contain her rage, burst from behind the hedges.

“Your college funds and plastic surgeries are all fine and dandy, but they are no match for the gift that I will give your precious prince.” Juliette’s words dripped with venom. She knew that the sweet taste of revenge would someday be hers. “When little Brodi sets out to celebrate his Sweet Sixteen, he will encounter a force greater than all the fury of hell!” Juliette shrieked just before security dragged her from the party kicking and screaming.  

Years past and Brodi Reid Bennet grew into a handsome, respectful young man. His parents had all but forgotten about the threats Juliette made against their son; they were just too busy loving their “Little Prince Brodi.”

On the night of Brodi’s sweet sixteen party, George and Rebecca Bennet felt a bit anxious. They had not seen nor heard from Juliette Johnson Jones since before Brodi had even been born, so they did not have any reason to think that she would try and follow through with the threats she had made sixteen years before. Nevertheless, they both felt an unease that neither could shake.

“Are you ok?” Rebecca asked George.

“Yea. I guess I am just nervous about Brodi driving by himself.” George responded. 

George and Rebecca decided to purchase a Fisker Karma to show their son just how much they love him. George spared no expense; he had the car custom painted so that no one else could have a car like “Little Prince Brodi.” George hid the car in the garage and warned Brodi not to go anywhere near it. He wanted to thoroughly inspect the vehicle before he allowed his baby boy to drive on the dangerous freeway without adult supervision. Though he was a lovely and respectful young man, Brodi let his curiosity get the best of him. He snuck into the garage and took pictures of his amazing birthday gift. In true sixteen-year-old form, Brodi Reid posted the pictures on his SnapChat account. He was not aware that his parents’ nemesis, Juliette Johnson Jones, was secretly following him.

Juliette laughed with delight. After sixteen years, she would finally get her revenge. She studied every detail of the car. She decided that she would wait for Brodi to get on the freeway, then, when he least expected it, she would run him off the road and leave him to rot in a watery grave!

Brodi Reid Bennet sat behind the wheel of his new car and breathed in the excitement of his new-found freedom. He turned onto the freeway; he never saw the black SUV that slammed into him and forced him off the road. Upon impact, Brodi’s perfect world went black.

George and Rebecca Bennet were devastated. George felt responsible, for he knew he was to blame for Juliette’s wrath. He watched his son struggle for life. He tried to tune out the machines, but their sounds echoed in his ears and taunted his very existence.  

As the days came and went, Brodi’s condition remained the same. His parents feared he may never awake from the coma. They tried to prepare themselves for the worst as they looked lovingly on the sleeping “Little Prince Brodi.”

Nearly 100 days after the crash, a beautiful raven-haired girl came to the hospital. She asked about Brodi’s condition, but she was quickly sent away. Brodi Reid’s family refused to talk to reporters and hired security to guard him around the clock. The girl hung around and waited for George and Rebecca to return. She needed to know about the young man whose life she saved 100 days before.

Priscilla Charming watched Juliette Johnson Jones plow into the side of Brodi Bennet’s $100,000 car. She immediately pulled her Ford Mustang over and called 911. Priscilla rushed to Brodi’s side and waited with him until an ambulance came. She explained to George and Rebecca that she would have come sooner, but a high-profile patient like Brodi was very hard to locate. The Bennets were not sure if they could trust Priscilla, but her story seemed to check out. She correctly identified the vehicle that caused the crash and she even knew what Brodi had on the night of the accident. Though it took some convincing, George and Rebecca eventually agreed to let Priscilla visit Brodi.

Priscilla’s heart was immediately broken when she laid eyes on the handsome young man fighting for his life. Before she knew what she had done, she leaned down and gently kissed Brodi on the forehead. Instantly, Brodi’s legs twitched. His hand moved. And for the first time in 100 days, his crystal blue eyes opened. He tried to speak, but the tubes in his throat rendered him inaudible. He pointed at Priscilla and a single tear rolled down his cheek. Doctors and nurses flooded the room and forced Priscilla out of their way. Brodi, despite his physical restraints continued to reach for Priscilla.

The doctors called it a medical mystery. They could not determine what woke Brodi from his seemingly eternal sleep. George, Rebecca, and Brodi, however, knew it was no mystery at all. Brodi was once again saved by his princess, Priscilla Charming. To this day, Brodi Reid feels a pain in his chest whenever he is apart from his precious princess Priscilla. Though her name will soon change to Priscilla Bennet, to Brodi, she will always be known as Princess Charming.

Literature and Living Documents

Religion and politics will always influence literature. We can tell a great deal about a time period based on its works…

Beauty and the Beast is hands down, no argument, my favorite Disney movie of all time! I was all giggly like a school girl at a Justin Bieber concert when I bought my ticket to see the live action version. During the movie, my fiancé got terribly annoyed with me and threatened to move away. I, of course, attributed his frustrations to my loud, off-key singing. Though I am sure the singing did not help, his aggravation came from the fact that every time something happened in the live action film that did not happen in the animated version, I leaned over and whispered, “That’s not right!” or “That’s not what really happened!” I am a firm believer in leaving the classics alone. I did not like the remake of Steel Magnolias. I despised the version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show recently aired. Why? Because they are classics. Leave them alone!

With that being said, I had a completely different take on the various versions of fairytales. I love watching the evolution of the characters and the softening of the storylines. I wrote my paper on Beauty and the Beast. I knew going in that my personal bias could affect the lens through which I read; however, I tried to remain objective. To my surprise, I enjoyed the reading. I actually continued reading the different versions long after I determined which tales I would use for the purpose of the paper. The assorted versions of the tale provide insight into the culture and values of the region in which they were written. The underlying messages and satirical commentary are so interesting and reflective of social issues. Why do the fairytales change? Because the moral changes; the purpose changes. The live action version of Beauty and the Beast was intended to draw in children AND adults, so changes were made and information was added. Did it make the tale worse? No! Actually, it answered a great deal of questions and offered new perspective. Reading multiple versions of fairytales works in the same manner.

The Grimms version of Beauty and the Beast, known as “The Signing, Springing Lark, was so different from the contemporary version. The girl immediately married the beast/lion and seemingly fell in love. He did not have to work for her affection or try to win her over. What also intrigued me is that he was only a lion by day; at night he took on a human form. Bettelheim made several interesting arguments about oedipal love and arranged marriages. He explained that sex without love is “beastly” and a person must be loved in order to become loveable. Very interesting perspective…

Reading various versions of fairytales is both insightful and interesting. 

Snow White: A Woman's Quest for Attention

On October 6, 2014, I went on a date with the man whom I would soon grow to love. On October 22, 2016, this man asked me to be his wife. We are currently in the throes of wedding planning; on October 28, 2017, I will become Mrs. Williams. Along with my new last name, I will gain three “bonus children.” We do not like the term “stepmother”; its connotations are far too negative. I mention all of this because I had no clue just how “fairy tale” our love story truly is. I could go on and on about the flowers he sends for no reason. I could regale you all with our engagement story (it was one for the books), but I will stick to the assignment and talk about “Snow White.”

Despite my best attempts to rise above “the evil stepmother” insignia emblazoned on my chest, I found myself unwillingly thrust into battle with my future husband’s teenage daughter. For the life of me, I could never understand why she hated me so much… then I read the assigned “Snow White” materials. As the introduction explains, “many versions of the story show (step) mother and daughter competing for the attention of a charismatic male figure” (86). When our relationship was budding and new, I was the center of the charismatic male’s attention. I failed to realize that in between the time when he divorced his former wife and met me, his beautiful, young daughter got all of the attention that I swooped in and stole. Now with that being said, I pride myself on self-awareness; I realize that I can be a jealous old hag. Following a divisive argument between my handsome prince’s daughter and myself, we determined that the young princess and the old queen needed separation. So, my prince spent time with his daughter… just them… without me! I became very jealous and nearly forced him to choose. Fortunately, I have a child of my own, so I realized that even suggesting such a choice would truly make me an evil witch. With time, the princess and I came to an agreement that did involve poisonous apples or tiny coal-mining men.

While reading the assigned material, I had several “ah-ha” moments. Why was I jealous of her? I knew very well why she was jealous of me, but why was I jealous of her? Was it her role as his daughter? I cannot, nor do I wish to take her place. Was it her ability to cause issues with my handsome prince and me? He has always stuck by my side, so that should not be a problem. Then it clicked: My jealousy may have nothing to do with her relationship with her father so much as her relationship with me!

Though the story has changed throughout history, the central idea remains the same – women are taught to be enslaved by their looks. Gilbert and Gubar insightfully state that “Snow White has exchanged one glass coffin for another, delivered from the prison where the Queen put her only to be imprisoned in the looking glass from which the King’s voice speaks daily.” In my personal situation, the roles were reversed. I was the raved-haired distraction that stole the queen’s attention. However, in time, I found that my position as star player was threatened, so I began to toy with sinister plots.

I have known the Disney version of this tale for as long as I can remember. The stepmother was jealous and wanted her beautiful stepdaughter out of the picture. That is a plot I can handle. The idea of the stepmother and birth mother being the same person blows my mind. BUT as an educator, I see this scenario play out far more often than I care to admit. Mothers are jealous of their daughters’ sixteen-year-old figure. They think back on their pre-baby bodies and begrudgingly blame their stretch marks on the younger, prettier versions of themselves. I have never considered “Snow White” a feminist tale, but I think it is safe to say the shoe fits (no Cinderella pun intended). The suggestion of women’s roles being dwarfed and their only stock and store being their looks… no wonder women hate each other so much! We have been taught to feel threatened by those who are younger and prettier than us. We expect men to “kill” for us before we accept that their love is true. This speaks volumes about the relationship between wives and their mothers-in-law and stepmothers and their stepdaughters. My bonus princes and I get along just fine, so why does the princess hate me?

I’m sorry for being so all over the place; my mind has been racing with ideas since I read the introduction and essay. I am truly enthralled by the ideas presented in the text about this classic tale.