Welcome To
(Grimm 050: Little Brier-Rose) ![]() Viewing Little Briar-Rose in a Feminist perspective helps understand the story better. In addition, this critical theory makes the story more interesting. After reading the story of Little Briar-Rose (click the button above) in a feminist perspective, the story means more than just true love. Since this fairy tale suppresses females, it shows the tension between female and male characters. Looking at Little Briar-Rose from a Feminist perspective, the thirteenth wise woman shows that she is powerful by casting an evil spell on the princess. This exceeds the reader's expectations of how female characters should be. The thirteenth wise woman is evil, rather than being a naive and caring character. However, the thirteenth wise woman is not an important character in the story. In Little Briar-Rose, a Prince saves the Princess from a deep sleep. Even if the Prince is aware of the danger of saving the Princess, he still wishes to see her. Since the Prince is not afraid of risking his own life, it suggests that he is the hero in the story. The innocent Little Briar-Rose (the Princess) falls asleep for hundreds of years, which makes her the damsel in distress who waits for a hero to save her. Little Briar-Rose and the Prince show the inequality between gender roles. According to Dr. Siegel's "Introduction to Modern Literary Theory", patriarchy is when male-dominated stories elaborate the oppression of women. Since the Prince is the dominate character, he defines patriarchy. Not only does the Prince rescue Little Briar-Rose, but also the whole kingdom. Since a male character saves the kingdom, it proves that patriarchy has a strong influence in this fairy tale. Whenever there are male characters in the story, the audience/reader immediately thinks that he will be the Knight in Shining Armour or Prince Charming (stereotype). The Prince goes to the kingdom when the hundred-year deep sleep is over, which is a coincidental event that demonstrates how the male character stereotype is evident in Little Briar-Rose. Without the Prince's help, Little Briar-Rose and the kingdom would still be asleep. Furthermore, Little Briar-Rose does not have any character development or involvement in the story. On the other hand, the Prince shows his strength and power by saving Little Briar-Rose. The Prince has a quest in the story, but Little Briar-Rose does not. Due to an evil spell, Little Briar-Rose just pricks her finger on a spinning wheel and falls into a deep sleep. According to Sparknotes, the spinning wheel symbolizes maturity and awakening. A theme in Little Briar-Rose is the power of true love and its impact, which the Prince demonstrates. The Prince and Little Briar-Rose do not know each other, but their kiss is strong enough to wake her up from a deep sleep. Looking at this theme in a Feminist perspective, the reader sees that the Prince affects the plot the most. Reading Little Briar-Rose, in a Feminist perspective, allows the reader to see how male characters typically influence/impact the story. Thus, Little Briar-Rose demonstrates the inequality between male and female roles. Works Cited
"Grimm 050: Little Brier-Rose." https://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm050.html. Accessed 13 Jul. 2018. "Introduction to Modern Literary Theory - Dr. Kristi Siegel." http://www.kristisiegel.com/theory.htm. Accessed 13 Jul. 2018. "SparkNotes: Sleeping Beauty: Themes, Motifs, and Symbols." http://www.sparknotes.com/film/sleepingbeauty/themes/. Accessed 13 Jul. 2018.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |