Fairy tales have been part of the collective work of different cultures for centuries. Their main functions were to dictate moral concepts such as good and evil, as well as ideal notions of beauty, femininity, and motherhood. Such tales often told the struggles of different women who were bound to fill out their designated roles in patriarchal societies and were thrashed against each other in order for the author to make a point. The typical representations of women in fairy tales as good or evil, feminine or wicked, is a valid topic for research because it leads to a variety of subtopics, such as women’s relationships as depicted in this literary form. The most interesting aspect of the latter is the rivalry shared between the heroine and
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. Religion dictates the characteristics of familiar fairy tales as religion provides a moral and ethical framework for having a good life, an ideal goal parents want their children to have. On the whole, fairy tales are constantly changed to adhere to cultural or social beliefs that are deemed important by diverse people in a community. 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 “were used to preserve history, important people, and places, as well as the religious rites and ceremonies of various Indian regions” (Gibbs).
She feels that by telling her aunt’s story she is giving her the voice she never had. We are given two versions of the story, the first being about the aunt as a rape victim and the second as a desiring object which was the oriental stereotype of how woman should be, silent and desired. Again in ‘No Name Woman’ we see the patriarchal society that China had at the time, women were expected to do as a man told them and stay quiet including lying with him and being his secret evil. (14) No matter if it was a husband, father or stranger, a woman must always do as commanded. Their silence proved pivotal for the men too as seen with Maxine’s nameless
Fairy tales have been told for centuries and have been used to portray the conflict of sexual politics over time. Little Red Riding Hood and Beauty and the Beast are both examples of fairy tales with this focus. Making use of this conflict in The Handmaid 's Tale, Margaret Atwood has used certain elements of fairy tale genre to have the opposite effect of the stereotypical ‘happy ever after’ as the novel plays in a dystopian world. More specifically, the author has borrowed elements of fairy tales to develop the theme of shifting power in The Handmaid’s Tale. In the novel the author uses the elements of good and evil from fairy tales to have an opposite effect in the novel.
In the dystopian genre, the role women play in these stories vary greatly from strong heroines to submissive housewives. In the novel titled The Chrysalids by John Wyndham, the women are portrayed far more like the latter throughout the story. This is a constantly repeated theme displaying to the reader that in this society, the women are expected to always be supportive and in constant servitude of their husband; the women who stray away from these preset quotas of how they must act are ridiculed; and a woman’s main purpose that defines her worth is her ability to produce normal, healthy children.. In Waknuk,the women are expected to act as one dimensional stereotypes. The women of Waknuk are expected to always stay supportive and
As a child, I enjoyed reading because I was able to go into a different world and travel through other people's minds. It also allowed me to learn about other cultures and household values that were different from my own at home. Classic fairy tales are part of our childhood to teach us about right and wrong through stories that demonstrate cause and effect situations that have consequences because we are developing our own morals. What people don't know is that the fairy tales we are exposed to are the “children friendly” versions and even then often the morals in them are really meant for adults. On the other hand, the original versions expose violence and contradicting acts to what's right in our society.
Most of Carter’s stories are not new tales, but retellings of old ones, and underline the fact that stories are a part of the human civilization and have always been there. However, in the general acceptance of stories as part of culture what has been overlooked is the fact that the stories shape culture and human behaviour. Stories encode moral norms and gender stereotypes and propagate them in society. Fairy-tales, in particular, portray stereotypical modes of behaviour for men and women, boys and girls and subtly urge them to internalize and thus perform this kind of stereotypical behaviour. Through her stories Carter draws attention to the passive acceptance of the social and moral codes by the readers and the need for all individuals to think anew and re-examine those blind spots in the tales and uncover what has been covered up.
As claimed by the author of, “Importance of Saree and benefits of wearing it” (2012), saris are very important to the Hindu faith because of its tradition, the fact that it is unstitched since stitched clothing is seen as impure, and that it is thought to lead women on a righteous path. Stemming from that, when looking at the significance of the sari it is important to know that the majority of India is Hindu. This is then a great part of its significance because it is greatly affected by religious practices. Another important part of its cultural significance is the practicality, which is impacted by things like climate and work habits. India is very close to the equator, meaning that it is very hot most of the time.
Cow, since the time of early nationalism has been one of the most controversial subjects of the Indian politics. It has been used by the political institutions as a tool to mobilize people on religious lines. The politics around this simple; decent animal poisoned the minds of the masses which became the reason for the death of hundreds and thousands of people, and division of the communities on religious grounds who should have, otherwise, united during the freedom struggle. Cow is regarded sacred in the realm of Hinduism and is given the position of mother. Its religious and agricultural importance is immense and one cannot ignore the fact that this animal has been a great part of mythology and economy.
I do not hold this view. Foundations of religion are essential to the society… At the roots of Hindu social system lies dogma