The Brothers Grimm

1
The Brothers Grimm

• Misogyny Gender Construction in Fairy Tales

2
Who are the Brothers Grimm?

• The Brothers Grimm, Jacob (1785-1863) and Wilhelm
  (1786-1859), were born in Hanau, near Frankfurt,
  in the German state of Hesse.
• Jacob was a pioneer in the study of German
  philology, although Wilhelm's work was hampered
  by poor health the brothers collaborated in the
  creation of a German dictionary, not completed
  until a century after their deaths.

3
The Brothers Grimm cont

• They were best known for the collection of over
  two hundred folk tales they made from oral
  sources and published in two volumes of Nursery
  and Household Tales in 1812 and 1814.

4
The Grimm Legacy

• Although their intention was to preserve such
  material as part of German cultural literary
  history, their collection was first published
  with scholarly notes and no illustration, the
  tales soon came into the possession of young
  readers.

5
The Tales

• Edgar Taylor, made the first English translation
  in 1823, selected about fifty stories "with the
  amusement of some young friends principally in
  view." They have been an essential ingredient of
  children's reading ever since.

6
What is misogyny?

• Hatred of Women
• Gender roles in literature are dependent on time
  period, social class, culture.
• They reinforce social norms, customs, laws,
  expectations, authority.

7
Negative Stereotypes of Women

• What to look for
• -evidence of pride, vanity, laziness,
• greed, curiosity, flightiness, malice,
• rebelliousness
• How is such different stereotyping different
  from that of men?

8
Characteristics that are Valued in Women

• What to look for
• -submissiveness, obedience, humility,
• modesty, diligence, beauty, silence,
• selflessness, generosity, passiveness,
• domesticity, piousness
• How does the idea of virtues vices for women
  influence gender construction?

9
Snow White

• Multiple Interpretations
• Rites of Passage
• -Passage from childhood into adulthood
• -Lack of father figure---the hunter, the
  
• dwarfs
• -Eating the apple---cant resist
• temptation, gives into desires, no sense of
• duty
• Does not complete transition, passes into other
  world---the good woman does not speak her mind

10
Snow White cont

• Women have subordinate roles in a male society
• Teach value domesticity, attention to
  appearance, service, selflessness to men
• Valued for beauty

11
Bluebeard

• Mother is missing in tale.
• Father gives daughter away to an abusive husband.
• Father Bluebeard linked---both controlling
  condescending.

12
Bluebeard cont

• Bluebeard cannot have his secret discovered by a
  mere woman.
• This secret is his weakness.
• He must kill to preserve it.

13
Undesirable Female Traits in Bluebeard

• Curiosity---victim in blamed for crime of
  villain.
• Male curiosity is celebrated while female
  curiosity is punished.
• Idea of temptation---sexual curiosity.