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.
23 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.
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