My fairy tale students are currently wrestling with a paper about male characters in fairy tales. It can be a fun topic, especially since we explore why male characters who are pretty bad generally get a pass, while the women villains get to dance in red-hot iron shoes ("Snow White").
Yet, if bad male characters -- even the worst of the worst ("Donkey Skin") -- often get a pass in fairy tales, they also tend to get far less attention in the field of fairy tale studies.
Yet, if bad male characters -- even the worst of the worst ("Donkey Skin") -- often get a pass in fairy tales, they also tend to get far less attention in the field of fairy tale studies.
Really, is Prince Charming that great? He's at best a handsome, rather dull fellow, and at worst, he's the kind of guy who wants to take a dead girl in a coffin to his place so he can look at her all the time -- again, "Snow White." What's to say about him? Even feminist takes like Don't Bet on the Prince don't really seem to focus that much on the poor dull fellow.
We do have the trickster and noodle head characters in fairy tales: "Jack and the Beanstalk" and "Puss in Boots" leap to mind. Robert Darnton has a wonderful section on the trickster in his book The Great Cat Massacre. And please don't miss the JoMA article on tricksters.
Yet, perhaps the most notable aspect of men in fairy tales in the absence of fathers and the havoc they wreak upon families when they skive off to the glories of war or treasure hunting or kingdom building rather than face the dreary everyday traumas of family life. They just drift away from home on some trip and all hell breaks loose. They are the ultimate abdicators. The worst kind of slackers. What can be said about them is all in the empty spots they leave in their homes, making ever more room for the battles between mothers and children to expand into jealousy, flight and murder. In Terri Windling's article on the orphaned hero in fairy tales, we get some examination of fathers and absent parents in general (and not just through death). Yet, it is a fundamental fact that fairy tale fathers are absent in many kinds of ways.
Perhaps my choice of images are a perfect example of the marginalization of men in fairy tales. They are by Adrienne Segur. As you can see, no evil fathers are apparent in this picture from "Donkey Skin," although the handsome Puss in Boots does seem to have a lazy male peasant in the background. I rest my case.
41 comments:
And the deeds they do and get away with! Like that father in Hansel and Gretel. Who agrees to leave their kids out in the middle of the forest? Note; he's also considered a good character at the end as well.
Just to mix it up a little (and because this tale is getting a lot of attention this year) it would be interesting to hear a discussion on the two fathers in Rapunzel: 1) Rapunzel's own who tries to look after his wife but sacrifices his daughter and 2) the prince who fathers Rapunzel's twins. In both cases the men are bested by Mother Gothel but what happens to each family is very different.
I've never seen a contrast/compare on this before but there's a lot to consider especially when you consider all the parallels (wall climbing by both, the effect of plants on each [lettuce, thorns], etc). Considering this story is often looked at as a model of bad parenting and that the mothers are often targeted, a comparison of the two fathers should prove interesting.
I agree with this post very much, as I continue to work on my paper I am focusing on the aspect of missing fathers in fairy tales. It seems to me that many little children would not notice things like this but in all reality even the young children that are reading these fairy tales sometimes notice that the princess has no father and sometimes they wonder where they are. Stories like these with the missing father are very important to focus on but does the fact that the father is missing really lead to jealousy between the daughter and the mother. As a single parent I I would think that having the father figure missing in the stories would lead the mothers and daughters to become closer but in most of these stories it leads to the mother and daughter hate each other. I also find it very interesting that the stories that do have the father figure in them most of the time the father is meant to be seen as the bad guy.
K.A
Yes but it's not only in fairy tales, but in real life as well. I should know, I have been one, much to my great regret. Men, relatively speaking, tend to be emotionally retarded.
masterymistery at cosmic rapture
Which is worse, the missing fathers or the fact that so many of the mothers are just plain dead?
Fairy tales as we know them today tend to be very different than the original which were often meant more as "cautionary tales" as opposed to "fairy tales". Great blog, I love the sketched.
This is a great area of interest and many different opinions. As I began to write my paper I titled it bad fathers. I realized that the fathers in many tales of often missing in physical appearance. I began to focus on the tales that mention a father figure and noticed that in many of these tales the father is missing in mental appearance as well. The father seems to be around, but is a complete push over when it comes to making decisions or believing what others say. For instance in Hansel and Gretel the father is present. However it is the wife that suggests all the ideals and plans to dump their children. The father doesn’t want to do that to his poor children, but goes along with his wife anyway. How weak willed does one have to be in order to not stand up for his children. Then to be so deceitful as to rig a branch to hit the tree, sounding as if it were an ax chopping wood. Poor Hansel and Gretel thought there father the protector of the family was near. There are more stories that reflect the weakness of the father in very similar ways. ~James B
How do we put into words all that has been influenced throughout our childhood by the struggles we have been through because of a father who was not around? It has been done so many times before, in fairy tales. While the prevailing opinion on fathers in fairy tales, even of scholar’s who study the subject, not being exactly a glowing recommendation of males in our society. Which begs the question, if men abandoning children is not what we want from them than why are we setting up the perfect fantasy life, which is what fairy tales are suppose to be, and actively constructing emotional scars for the next generation by promoting this abandonment to the next generation through film? The answers to this woe lay within our own hands. We, as a society, have the power to change the message being sent. Buying power is all the power in America. If we actually boycotted the movies that promote bad fathers, and parenting, the production of such movies would halt. We live in a capitalist society where money talks, use your voice! If someone do not agree with the message in a movie, it would beneficial to let it be known, through your buying power. Be a voice, no matter how loud or soft, that says “I will not stand for this anymore”!
I believe that this comment is part of the problem with our society. We think that just because “our child” is not running around burning down buildings that they have not suffered emotional scars from our father not being interested in us as individuals, let alone as their offspring to be loved and cared for in the most fundamentally necessary way. Why do we, as mothers, think that other children struggle because of not having their father, but that our own children will be okay? Why do we think our children will be exempt from this pain? Sheer survival often mandates that we lie to ourselves, so we may have a measurable chance at success. This is not to say that single mothers can not do a good job, I am one who is doing all I can to maintain a stable life for my children since their dad fell asleep in death. It is not easy being a parent, much less a good father in a society that when we look at fairy tale depictions, clearly illuminates our under-valuing a man’s role in their child’s life. Let’s stop this harmful message and start fresh. Let us encourage the best for children and parents the world over, being a good parent to your children.
This is certainly another problem in our society, seeing dad’s as bad guys. It begs the question, is this life imitating art or art imitating life. I would have to say that I believe this is art imitating life seeing as how the art had to have something to draw from. This is where the writer’s become a literary artists depicting societies woe’s, in all it’s glory. Father’s have been all but removed from the parenting scene. This is easily if one merely glances at Sleeping Beauty. This poor princess wakes from her long and peaceful sleep, only to find twin babies she had apparently had while still unconscious. Apparently, she is such a strong woman she does not even need to be awake for the birth of her children. This shows further why it should be okay for a man to flee the scene, this woman in completely capable of raising children on her own, she does not need the help of a mere man. With this attitude on the rise, many women have stopped trying to even have fathers in children’s lives. The trend is a sad one that is not with out consequences’ to the fatherless child.
To respond to master mystery’s blog I would like to say that while I agree that men are often emotionally retarded it is often due to the way society has constructed the way an American man should think. Think about it, could we really flourish if men were spending time at home with his off-spring instead of in a factory, an office, or making money for our capitalist country? Please do not get me wrong, I love America. However, I do believe we have our values mixed up. Why should work come before our children if we are not even supporting them? I think it is time for some new fairy tales to be written, so new societal norms to be established, starting with Disney movies. Disney had the power to change a child’s life forever. Let us begin teaching our children, boys and girls that a man’s place is in the lives of his children. He should teach and guide them. Let the interest in the story be about an adventure taken, some magical fairy, or something else comparably interesting. One thing is for certain though, we do not need or desire anyone absentee father stories, we want better for now and always.
This has definitely been a hot topic apparently. I did not choose to write my paper on missing fathers in fairy tales because in my opinion, it is just too close to the reality that many children face today. Yes, there were probably missing fathers since the beginning of time, however, I am seeing a growing number of children growing up without fathers now than I did when I was a child, and yes, I grew up without a father too.
I would however, disagree with one of the anonymous posters who said “she does not need the help of a mere man. With this attitude on the rise, many women have stopped trying to even have fathers in children’s lives” I personally do not think women have stopped trying to have fathers in their children’s lives. From my experience, and watching several of my single parent friends, they are just tired of trying to force the fathers to actually be fathers. We are strong women and mothers because we have to be, not because we want to be. We cannot force men into a role they cannot or will not play. I believe every mother wants their child to have a father, however, due to unforeseen situations or bad lifestyle choices, it is just not possible for some.
KristiS. T390
As reading other student’s blogs in this topic it’s an interesting topic and one that a person can agree and disagree with certain points. I just think that with us reading fairy tales and children ever since they can understand I think we make them think that the only true happiness is finding your princes charming and getting married and live happily ever after without thinking about what comes next after marriage. I have my father with me so I’ve always have a male figure in my life and one that cares for me and the family. As other blogs wrote that now in society people only think about making money and providing for their family but who said that money was everything. Even if the parents are married but never see each other to spend time with the family it’s like not having the other parent around. And I agree new stories have to be written about and family with a mother and father. Now I see more single parents that the father didn’t want to be part of the family and only cared about himself. It is not like the mother is going to make the father stay with them just to be like all American family. I think this topic can be viewed in many different ways. I think a family doesn’t always have to be a mother and father it can be a mother or just a father with the children.
Maria G.
The element of the missing father is such a quickly glanced over role in nearly all great fairy tales yet it plays such an important role to the entire story. Mostly, it plays the background information to the story which, without the father role, the story would make no sense. Think about Cinderella for instance, if her father were alive (and thus not missing/absent) we would likely have no evil step mother (perhaps the step mother would then be in-check). Similarly with Snow White, would the evil step-mother gotten away with her attempts had the father intervened? But he is essential to the story because had he intervened, there would be no story to tell. Look at Beauty and the Beast, though not missing he was certainly a defunct father yet if he were a good father Beauty and Beast would never have met, there would be no reason for them to meet. In this sense, the father role is a strong “supportive role” to the main character, it is a role which is essential to most of the popular tales. ~Angiej T390
For me the most interesting characters are those that seem to be purposefully underdeveloped. Case in point: The Prince. It is almost like he is a character that gets used continually, but is not developed in any story. It seems that female characters often get the most attention for being represented negitively, but at least for female characters there is some nuance.
In researching several stories for the most recent assignment, I realized how unfair and limiting it is for little boys who might be reading fairy tales and looking for someone to identify with. One of the only options is the Prince, who's actions can be summed up as conquest, possession and competition. The Prince's efforts to get Snow White from the dwarves, the intense competition among the princes to reach Sleeping Beauty, and the Beast's imprisonment of Beauty. While some of these Princes (like Beast) seems to be more complicated, their motives are simple. This is an unfair representation of what it means to be a male, and deserves to be studied as much as women's role in fairy tales.
I find the most interesting missing father to be Snow White's. We hear absolutely no mention of his existence in the entire fairy tale. Which brings one major question to mind. If her father does exist, why does he do nothing to stop his wife (the wicked stepmother) from tormenting his daughter? It would seem as though any half decent father would try and do something to protect his daughter. The lack of a father figure in Snow White, brings me to another question. Is her lack of a father figure the reason she ends up being so spiteful at the end of the story? At the end of "Snow White," when she makes her stepmother dance in red hot shoes, we obviously see a more angry side to Snow White. A side we never began to see at any other point in the story. Maybe it is just because she is upset at all of the terrible things the wicked stepmother tried to do to her. Or perhaps, she has some sort of built up resentment inside of her stemming from her lack of a father figure in the tale. Some would argue it better to have no father figure, then a father figure like we see in some other fairy tales.
I think that most fairy tales portray the male characters as one of the following: a hero, a villian, or an absent/bad father figure. In the tales that portray the bad father figures, most of the time, when they did something wrong, it was depicted as a result of a woman's influence on him. (for example, Hansel and Gretel or The Juniper Tree)
Men always get what they want almost without an effort, and this makes them famous in the tale and people admire them (Peter Pan). Women in tales have to work hard to get what they want and overcome some kind of obstacle.
I have also noticed, in some tales, that men were saved by females. (the prince in The Little Mermaid, the prince in Rapunzel, and Beauty saves her father and the beast) It's interesting because just like in reality, we can not live without one another.
MelissaW
Well, whereas there are many fairy tales and some having fathers and other not having them, I must say that I must reserve some of the comments that I wish to make but I will give some. In such tales as Donkeyskin and Rumplestilskin, I find that the fathers in these tales to be very disappointing and not even considered neither men nor fathers as I see it. It is a shame that a father would even conceive of the idea to want to marry his own daughter. It is utterly repulsive. And as far as the father in Rumplestilskin, he seemed to want to take his own daughter and sell her out for his own self gain. A father, in my opinion would never do such a thing. A real father and a real man, because I believe to be a father you have to be a real man too, would never do that to his daughter
This issue of missing fathers in fairy tales might be an important key in understanding how some are brought up in society today. Due to the lack of a father figure, some boys are completely lost and have lost all sense of masculinity and power. Having a mother and a father figure in a child’s life is the most important part of growing up and being able to grow as an individual. It’s necessary to get the motherly attention and nurturing as well as the fatherly wrestling and masculine influence. By these absent fathers in the fairy tales, there is a bigger impact on the influence of mothers and stepmothers in young women’s lives. It’s unnecessary to make the mother figure to be the “bad guy” in the fairy tales so that’s why we see mostly stepmothers instead. Still, why can’t fairy tales have a simple mother and father present in a child’s life? That might seem like a far stretch of the imagination, but I think it’s necessary to stay close to home.
Jessica L.
The style of these paintings put's me in mind of the current film version of Alice in Wonderland.
I would have to agree with what is being said here in this post on the fact that fathers' do leave a blank role in tales, and if they are present they receive no punishment at all. Even in real life this could take place depending on when the father has left his children or how involved he is in their lives. If they were young enough they probably won't even remember him, and many children won't go looking for their father if he has left them at a very young. It’s the mother who ends up being left with the kids and has to take the blame for their father leaving. They don’t even take into account the mother’s side of the story. Now some kids probably do based on the memories they may have and what they saw, but other kids will go in another direction and blame the one that is there with them now. But here again, it’s the mother taking the blame from her children, because they believe that she is the reason as to why he left and that the father had nothing to with it. So overall the father role is given too much leeway while the mother role is given too much punishment. ~Lisa C.
I would have to agree with what is being said here in this post on the fact that fathers' do leave a blank role in tales, and if they are present they receive no punishment at all. Even in real life this could take place depending on when the father has left his children or how involved he is in their lives.
I just think that with us reading fairy tales and children ever since they can understand I think we make them think that the only true happiness is finding your princes charming and getting married and live happily ever after without thinking about what comes next after marriage. I have my father with me so I’ve always have a male figure in my life and one that cares for me and the family. As other blogs wrote that now in society people only think about making money and providing for their family but who said that money was everything.
I find that the fathers in these tales to be very disappointing and not even considered neither men nor fathers as I see it. It is a shame that a father would even conceive of the idea to want to marry his own daughter, thanx.
This is an interesting topic. In many fairy tales it always seems that the father is pertained to be someone else in the story. I believe the author at some point wants the reader to imagine our own fatherly figure in the story. It is different for many cultures the characteristics of a father is set to be. It seems that the father lack of presence seems to be contracting to many readers. Many fairy tales convey that the lack of the father generally brings trouble to their children. To makes this even more clear fathers are portrayed as evil creatures for that fact that they are not playing their fatherly role as a parent. It seems that the father is always criticized for not nurturing their children or family. As result, many children in the fairy tales become evil, rebellious, and wicked with the absences of their father. As is seen in the fairy tale: “Snow White,” Little Red Riding Hood,” and The Little Mermaid” all the young girls in some essence lose their identity and dignity because the lack of their parenthood from both parents. The reality is it sets forth a bad the example for young children who read stories like these because it makes them believe that all fathers are somewhat a bad parent.
I think we should all ask ourselves the question what are some the characteristics that make a true father in our culture?
Mary Cruz A.
I have my father with me so I’ve always have a male figure in my life and one that cares for me and the family.
The very lack of heroes in fairy tales is something I’ve been aware of and yet never really focused on. I guess this comes from the fact that the majority really does not focus on them at all. While I still prefer the more whimsical versions of fairy tales, this class has opened my eyes to the original versions and how cruel some of the male characters can be at times. I suppose no one can really say why they get a pass but the original authors. We could sit and throw around assumptions all day but never really come any closer to an answer. I would venture to guess the original intent of placing princes and fathers in tales was to make the story a little more interesting. Some tales, like Snow White, perhaps would not have as much flavor to it if the prince had not come along and inadvertently saved her. Without her being saved, the story would have just left an open window for a resolution that would never come.
In terms of the absent fathers in tales, these original tales were written in a very different time. I would assume most families functioned where the father would work and the mother would stay home and look after the kids. So of course the fathers must be absent. Without their absence, the story could not really grow. If the fathers aren’t away working to support the very existence of the family, there is no story. There are some exceptions, such as Hansel and Gretel, but these stories flow differently in terms of what they are about as compared to stories where the father is absent.
Paul W. :: T390
Fathers are really interesting to look at within fairy tales because there are always do-overs. With a mother figure we often see a stepmother as well. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a stepfather, so the stories make do with what they’ve got. Do-overs only apply to the mother when the biological one is killed off, only to be replaced by an evil unrepentant stepmother.
Part of my theory for the next paper has a lot to do with this somewhat puzzling, and very arbitrary play among sexes. From my gathering of stories I’ve read, I see the father as non-existent. In fact, he may as well be dead. His significance alive, while it makes characters within the story “happy” does not shape things according to how we typically perceive “happy endings”. Fathers are not part of that process at all. If anything their inclusion at the end of the story is simply icing on the cake.
If these father characters had died within the story, they would be remembered more fondly. Almost as if looking at the past through rose colored glasses. Yet, what is even more puzzling is that fathers don’t need to die to receive any admiration, although all seems to be undeserved anyway. They are accepted by the end of stories. Or so we are made to think. What exactly is it that makes them so shielded, whereas mothers are left without a second chance?
To state this theory plainly, fathers are largely what fairy tales want them to be. This is not conniving murderers or incestuous perverts but reformed and worldly men who have been shaped by their follies. All this evidence points to men being better equipped to regret and reform their bad ways. However women are never really given the chance to do so. Maybe they are just too bad, perhaps illustrating the dynamism of females all the more.
I feel as though there may be an explanation as to why the fathers in fairy tales get so many passes while the mother figures are evil and wicked for the smallest things. When the fairy tales where being told, many children had their biological fathers but their mothers had died during childbirth. Many families were step families possibly even multiple steps. Medicine was bad back then and families could have gone through a few mothers before the children moved out. The fathers weren’t around much because they were the bread winner of the family while the step mothers stayed home and looked after the children. The reasons as to why the fathers in fairy tales may get a pass while the mothers don’t could be:
1) The father is a constant figure while mother figures change more often.
2) Because the mother is a step mother, the children have no “blood ties” and may possibly feel greater attachment and loyalty to the father.
3) Because the father is absent from the home so much, seeing him is a special occasion for the children. Fathers were more “exciting” than the mother they saw every day.
I personally don’t believe that there is anything wrong with being in a step family because I am from one myself. I actually have a greater attachment to my step father, whom I call dad, than my biological father, whom I feel awkward to be around.
Stacey B. T390
This is very true, looking at fairytales they are all about the women and girls, the fathers and men are pretty much absent or just scum. We talked some about this in class and I liked the idea that the reason for this is most likely because of they were present they would ruin the fairytale. The fairytale would not be as interesting and shocking. I feel like most fairytales have that shock factor and with the men they would not have as much drama in them. And when they are present they look almost always are really bad fathers and then later get the pass. I am not sure for th reason on this. It seems unfair to me because the mothers almost never get the pass, like your example stated about Snow White’s mother dancing to her death in fire hot shoes. There are plenty of other examples that the mother always gets the worst even of the father is just as bad as the mother.
Amanda F.
This is a very interesting topic because I feel that we are seeing more and more families with absent fathers, or even mothers, now a days. In the past the fathers were absent because they had to go off to work, or war, or because they felt the role of caring for the children and their emotional needs belonged to the mother and all they had to do was provide the money. Today they are absent because most of them simply don't care. In many cases the fathers don't know the children exist therefore, they do not provide any emotional of financial support. It is viewed differently today because the mothers are just as able to support their children, money wise, as the father. I believe that being a single mother is much better then exposing your children to a bad father figure who, even though is present, is absent from your child's life and in worse cases abusing the children.
Yesenia C.
The notion of absentee fathers in fairy tales is very intriguing to me. Before I even read a fairy tale, I remember watching Cinderella as a child and thinking how FURIOUS the father would have been if he knew his daughter was being treated this way. It made me so sad. After reading the story, I felt the same way. That father would have been devastated if he knew his daughter was being treated as poorly as she was. I suppose that is what makes me so sad and ultimately angry; this man is entrusting the life of his daughter in his new wives hands and she is not doing what he would have liked. Perhaps no t voluntarily, but when someone with a child marries a person he is essentially saying that this person is worthy of himself and his children. So the knowledge that in the event of death or an extended absence, that person would be there to take good care of his child.
Vanessa R.
Having read this article it makes me think of Disney’s image of fairytales they have instilled in generations of children, with me included. Everyone seems to want a happy ending with a prince and the wicked stepmother dead. Why is it that the father is never there to stop the stepmother from overstepping her boundaries? He is always absent, but isn’t the American dream to have the perfect husband and two wonderful kids who are outside all the time playing with their dad who is very much in the picture? I think the fairytales are conveying a message to girls that the father does not have to be there and this will weaken strong family structures in the generations to come. People look up to entertainment so much that it sets the norms for some people, so if the fathers are not present in Disney or Hollywood, then what does it matter if they are not in the scene in real life? If little boys are watching these fairytales they do not see an important male figure, nor do they see little boys that often. So does this tell them that girls are more important or special or that stepmoms only hate the girls? It is sad that these questions arise seeing as they are more than just a flaw of Disney, but in everyday life as well. There will always be an evil mother, stepmother, father, or one or all of them will absent, it is just the cold, hard, saddening truth.
Heather V.
While it is true that most fathers in fairy tales are completely absent like in “Snow White”, what really comes to my mind is how terrible the fathers that are present actually are. In “Beauty and the Beast” Beauty’s father is actually willing to allow Beauty to sacrifice herself to the Beast so that he can live. He even had the chance to allow himself to be killed but chose to go home and ask his daughters. The next example of a horrible father comes from the Brothers Grimm version of “Hansel and Gretel”. The father is convinced by the children’s stepmother to abandon them in the woods. Even though he feels terrible about his decision he does it again. The most shocking thing about this is the fact that he rigs tree branches to trick the kids into thinking he is near by. I think that the absence or ineffective fathers in fairy tales makes it possible for the hero or heroine to experience such hardships. If Beauty’s father would have sacrificed himself like most fathers would choose to do then there really wouldn’t be any story. Also in “Hansel and Gretel” if their father would have been stronger and said no to abandoning his children then there would have been no story there either. A lack of a strong parent is key to developing fairy tales. In a patriarchal society a strong father figure would have simply put an end to most of the terrible behavior by mothers and stepmothers and there would be no adversary for the hero or heroines to overcome. Brandon H.
This posting is very interesting in the connection made with the happenings of conflict at home with the family members and the absence of the male figure loosing control over the negative developing occurrences in the core of the fairy tale families. In most cases, not always, the main character in the tale happens to be a female character. The fact that the male figure is not present in a way allows for the tragic and “heartbreaking” abuses against the heroine. This fact is very interesting taking into consideration the psychological idea of Electra Complex. Like stated before since in most cases the fairy tale main character is a heroine and not a hero, this idea of Electra Complex is highly absent in the core of fairy tale families with the absence of the father figure. Even in the case of those tales that do include the father, the connection between father and daughter is not one that we would see more of in our society or supported by the basic idea of Electra Complex. Jose M.
I really really like this post! Throughout the majority of the fairy tales we have read in class, the father figure has been absent in a sense throughout all the stories. In "Snow White" the father figure is pretty much absent leaving us with this impression of how horrible fathers are. Not only how horrible fathers can be but what not having a father figure in their family can do. Throughout many fairy tales it is portrayed that being the prettiest and most loved women is important in order to win a man's love. The best man's love to have is, in my eyes, a father's love. Fairy tales lead us with this idea that not having a father figure in the family is okay when in reality it is a very important part of a womens life to have a father figure to look up to and confide in. Not all fairy tales lead us to believe this, although a great number of these fairy tales do!
Courtney Stewart
Missing fathers in fairy tales: this is the one topic I will not be omitting from voicing my opinion. I am absolutely appaulled by so many of the fathers in fairy tales. Many of them are completely missing from the tale and are likely to leave an evil second wife in charge of the kingdom. Some are so chicken to be a man, that they permit their women to commit horrendous acts of crime upon their children right in front of them. I want to know what the source of the control the woman held over the king in Lasair Gheug. The king went along with whatever the queen wanted to the point where the prince is murdered and the king is lopping off digits from the daughter's hand. What sane man would do such a thing? That story stirred up a lot of fatherly emotions in me. The father in The Tiger Bride was a materialistic degenerate gambler that traded his lovely daughter as if she were a poker chip. My daughter is ten years old now and there is no way in heaven or hell she would ever be risked in any circumstance to a stranger or beast. The part of the story that really did it for me was when the beast relayed through his servant that if the father truly valued the girl then he would not be so foolishly willing to gamble her. Right on, I say.
Brian N.
The post is very interesting. I've never seen a contrast/compare on this before but there's a lot to consider especially when you consider all the parallels (wall climbing by both, the effect of plants on each [lettuce, thorns], etc).
Since being in a Fairy Tale class and learning about fairy tales I haven’t ever heard of or fairy tale stories that are completely different from what I have read before. I have learned a lot about the characters in most of these stories that I have read and that is the father’s character and Prince Charming’s character. I feel that the father in most of the stories has been absent or ignored any issues that were going on in the home. I felt that is was unbelievable that a character’s father supposedly loved her so much and yet allowed to have her stepsisters treat her awfully along with the stepmother. I really don’t see that as being believable to any reader. I also think that most Prince Charming characters are so lame because they instantly fall in love with a random girl who is possibly dead and that just doesn’t seem to be believable either. I think a lot of these characters are undeniably stupid and really don’t seem to be realistic with their feelings for someone. C. Guy 04.20.11
This is something we discussed multiple times it seems this year in our class. Fathers seem to consistently be out of the picture when it comes to the lives of the heroines. The only one that comes to mind where the father is really apparent throughout the tale is “Hansel and Gretel”. However the father does not play a positive role in the tale but he is present. In other tales however the father is present to start the tale and then leaves or is killed off somehow, leaving the heroine with usually a step mother. This just causes the heroine to fall into an even bigger struggle then just losing their father. Now if the father was present throughout the tale would it change the stories in a positive way? It may but it would not be as intriguing as it is with the father not being present. So is the father not being present a key to a good fairy tale? It seems like it at least helps.
--Tyler Biller
I can’t imagine not having my father around to show me everything that I needed to know when I was younger, but this is often the case in fairy tales. How could these characters survive without a positive male role model in their lives? No one would be there to teach you how to swing, tie your shoes, give you a piggy back ride when you’re too tired to walk around a big store? How could this be possible? It’s a sad truth that those of us with this luxury often don’t think about. Where in the heck is Snow White’s father when her stepmother tries to kill her not once, but four times? The only positive father I can think of is in “Beauty and the Beast.” This poor man will do anything for his ungrateful children and Beauty. Of course Beauty wouldn’t allow him to die for her, but he would have rather that happened than for her to live with Beast. An absence of fathers must mean that they provide the necessary components for becoming a well-rounded individual. Although, let’s not forget that mothers provide maybe an even more important role. Fairy tales just choose to focus on the missing male influence.
-Katie E.
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