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Gender Roles and the Princess in American Literature and Society

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Gender Roles and the Princess in American Literature and Society THE JOURNAL OF UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH University of Kansas | Summer 2008 Gender Roles and the Princess in American Literature and Society !e Disney characters that pro- traditional princess tales, they are also liferate American culture encapsulate a part of a general system that main- the traditional princess character in il- tains gender roles because even when lustrated children’s books published they challenge their traditional roles, in the United States. Sleeping Beauty, they are unable to fully transcend the Cinderella, and Snow White were, restrictions of their gender. and in many cases still are, the popu- Children’s books are an important lar princesses that sell. However, their aspect of American culture because in%uence has not remained unchal- they re%ect the changing values within lenged. Starting in the 1980’s, picture American society. !e books parents books such as Princess Smartypants, buy their children, and the messages Cinder Edna, and !e Paper Bag Prin- that they send, impact the way chil- cess, began to include princesses who dren accept or reject particular ideol- de"ed traditional gender roles. Yet, ogies. In picture books, the characters much like the readers who buy these “embody societal values and provide stories, these princesses never com- a means to observe shifts in such val- pletely transcend the traditional plot ues… [!ey] are a major means by and personality of a princess. !rough which children assimilate to culture.”1 plot structure and development that is !us, books are a way in which culture intended to challenge cultural norms, is re%ected. !is is not to say that they the characters unavoidably reinforce always embrace dominant culture. some aspects of traditional gender However, these stories are important roles. Due to a variety of factors such as because they are both a re%ection of beauty, assertiveness, modesty, desire cultural change and a means by which for marriage, and reliance on magic to change is created. solve problems, these stories present a Since books like Princess Smarty- range of characters with reversed gen- pants and Cinder Edna are reactions to der characteristics. !us, while these traditional fairy tales, they are in some books are important because they ways de"ned by their ability to reverse serve as a cultural counter-weight to the archetype. An example of the tra- CAITLIN SHANKS is a senior in English and American studies at the University of Kansas. 25 Figure 1. Cinderella, as illustrated by Kevin O’Malley in Ellen Jackson’s 1994 illustrated children’s book, Cinder Edna. Her distant gaze and immersion beneath the blankets, indicate her passive nature. She appears sullen, yet unable to assert change upon her situation without the help of others. !is is an example of the princess prototype. ditional form and character in a prin- only because the prince saves her. !e cess story is Cinderella. Although this values that these stories seek to impart tale is not unfamiliar, the moral be- on young girls, such as the importance hind the story is a re%ection of an out- of beauty, passivity, and submission dated notion of gender roles because support what is known as the feminine it enforces passivity. For example, Cin- beauty ideal. !is ideal is character- derella patiently waits for the harass- ized by “the socially constructed no- ment of her mother and stepsisters to tion that physical attractiveness is one end. She is submissive, complying with of women’s most important assets, and their demands. Only magic is able to something all women should strive to get her to act di$erently. Although she achieve and maintain.”2 !e princess is does "nally speak up and demand to saved because of her beauty, despite, have the slipper tried on her foot, the or perhaps even partially due to, her prince has to come to her "rst. Finally, passivity. she is rescued from being her fami- !e traditional princess, however, ly’s maid and lives “happily ever after” is not always re%ective of the ideas girls 26 have. !is is manifested in the girls in Ella Westland’s 1993 study, which demonstrates the love/hate relation- ship that exists between children and fairy tale princesses. In her study, she asked both boys and girls to draw their “favourite character from Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, or Cinderella.”3 Sur- prisingly, although many girls — had indulged in painting princesses, the girls were almost unanimous in denying that they would want to be princesses themselves.…What came across strongly in many of the girls’ comments was the desire for independence. No-one was prepared to admit that the ‘best thing’ about being a princess was having a prince to protect you.… !e children saw princesses and princes as representing Figure 2: Elizabeth as depicted by Michael more extreme versions of the gender models Martchenko in !e Paper Bag Princess. She they experienced themselves: princesses is originally shown as a traditional princess had the most negative associations of who loves and adores her prince. As the girlhood…4 picture illustrates, with her dress, crown, and love-struck hearts, she is originally identi#ed !e reactions of these 9-11 year as a typical princess in the illustrations and olds demonstrate that while many girls text. enjoy fairy tales, they are also able to realize the implication of the gender the princess? Why can’t the princess roles within the stories. !ough the save the prince?”5 !is basic inquiry children in this study were older than became the basis for a story that en- the target age group for most picture courages young readers to ask the books, their reactions demonstrate the same question. impact that fairy tales have on their Munsch starts by introducing the notions of gender. !eir dislike for the main character, writing, “Elizabeth was princesses speci"cally because they a beautiful princess. She lived in castle are not independent characters dem- and had expensive princess clothes. onstrates that children are ready for She was going to marry a prince named princesses that break the gender ideal. Ronald.”6 In these three sentences, !is might represent a new trend, be- Munsch establishes information that cause just as these books are relatively indicates the traditional princess pat- recent in challenging gender roles, tern. She is praised as beautiful, rich, girls have not always been exposed to and she desires to marry. Like Cinder- these ideas. ella or Sleeping Beauty, at "rst Eliza- !e "rst American author to di- beth seems to "t the traditional prin- rectly challenge the archetypal prin- cess mold. !is sets the reader up to cess and sell millions of books was believe that he/she will be hearing a Robert Munsch, who reversed the roles more traditional story. of the prince and princess in !e Paper However, when the dragon burns Bag Princess. According to Munsch, down her castle and carries away her the inspiration for the story was a com- prince, she switches places with the ment from his wife, who worked at the traditional prince and becomes the same daycare as him, and said, “How hero. It becomes her job to rescue come you always have the prince save Ronald, and he, like the traditional 27 princess, must be saved. !is rever- ald. At this point in a traditional prin- sal is the basic plot structure that al- cess story, they would have kissed and lows the reversal to occur. Elizabeth’s married “happily ever after.” However, role as “the prince” is not, as it might Elizabeth’s transgression of her role as seem, absolute. For example, her "rst the princess is evident to Prince Ron- problem is that her clothing has been ald. It is so apparent, in fact, that he burnt by the dragon’s "ery breath. Her proceeds to scold her for not behaving modesty, typically seen as a feminine and appearing as a princess should. In virtue, requires that she "nd clothing his directions for her to “come back” instead of pursuing the dragon naked. later when she is ready to act like a Elizabeth “look[s] everywhere for real princess, he implies that he is not something to wear, but the only thing as upset about Elizabeth transgress- she could "nd that was not burnt was ing her gender role and saving him as a paper bag. So she put[s] on the paper he is about her not looking beautiful bag and follow[s] the dragon.”7 In this while she does it. His views represent scene, Elizabeth rejects her gender the stereotypes of a typical prince, and role by wearing a paper bag instead he insinuates, correctly so, that the ar- of a fancy frilly dress, but is unable to chetypal princess is, above all else, val- fully reverse her place because she ued for her beauty. Elizabeth directly cannot wear nothing at all. !e paper counters him with a strong argument bag, which now serves as a marker of that re%ects her character. She says to her reversal and acceptance of her pre- him, “your clothes are really pretty and supposed role, will follow her through- your hair is very neat. You look like a out the book and creates the paradox real prince, but you are a bum.”10 In her upon which the title of the book !e address to Prince Ronald, Elizabeth as- Paper Bag Princess is based. serts her authority, which reverses not Elizabeth then traces the dragon only her role in the story, but the end- to his cave to "nd Prince Ronald. Al- ing of a traditional fairy tale too.
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