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. though this task is described as “easy,”8 In critiquing the work of authors Elizabeth’s intelligence is later proven like Munsch, Deborah !acker notes by the clever way in which she lulls the that these stories are often not as dragon to sleep. She tricks him by ap- thought provoking or complex as they pealing to his ego and asking him ques- could be. She says, tions like, “Is it true…that you can burn In most cases, these texts merely up ten forests with your "ery breath?”9 switch roles around but retain the stereotyped features of male and female and instructing him to repeat actions, characterization, so that strength, activity, like burning forests, over and over and triumph are still opposed to passivity, until he wears himself out. Here Eliza- beauty, and gentleness. In this way books beth again acts contrary to her presup- that attempt to act as a corrective only posed role. She uses intelligence and impose another way of thinking and reading perseverance, two characteristics of a conventionally, rather than challenging readers with a new way of approaching traditional prince, to beat the dragon. gender or inviting them to question the However, this scene can also be seen imposition of socially constructed modes of as an example of Elizabeth using her behavior. 11 feminine charms to %atter the dragon. !erefore, in outsmarting the dragon In relation to the plotline, this cri- her role in the story is reversed, how- tique seems to "t. Elizabeth is the tri- ever in a way it still conforms to the umphant savior and Prince Ronald traditional cultural norms. becomes the beautiful yet passive vic- After the dragon falls asleep, tim. However when this analysis is ap- Elizabeth is able to save Prince Ron- plied to the way in which the charac-
28 Figure 3: Elizabeth as depicted by Michael Martchenko in !e Paper Bag Princess. She is shocked, yet unlike the typical Cinderella she decides to #ght for the prince she desires. However, #rst she needs to put on her paper bag, because she is unable to fully transcend social precedent and save him unclothed.
ters operate it fails to correctly explain tive roles that are hegemonic, the dia- their complex behavior. For example, logue demonstrates that the characters Elizabeth is assertive when she knocks are much more complex than their re- on the dragon’s door until he "nally ductive roles might otherwise indicate. hears her speak, but she also tricks the One explanation for this phenomenon dragon with %attery, which is a meeker is that the author kept the basic gender approach to dragon slaying than the roles intact but reversed them in order typical sword. Furthermore, even to create a comic e$ect. By preserv- prince Ronald, whose masculinity is ing the basic premise of a traditional reduced because he is called “pretty,”12 fairy tale, Munsch creates a story that demonstrates assertiveness when he is familiar enough to challenge young commands Elizabeth to “come back.”13 readers without alienating them. !us, while the plot of !e Paper Bag One of the "rst books with a sim- Princess does preserve passive and ac- ilar princess to follow !e Paper Bag
29 Figure 4. Princess Smartypants, as illustrated by Babette Cole in her 1997 children’s book. In the picture she is unkempt and in a dirty room, which conveys the image of her as atypical for either a prince or a princess.
Princess successfully in publication beth as an average princess before he was Babette Cole’s Princess Smarty- breaks the traditional conventions. pants. Unlike, Munsch, however, Cole Cole does not dismiss the conven- did not write a story that reversed the tions entirely. On the second page she gender role so obviously within the describes Princess Smartypants and story. Whereas !e Paper Bag Princess applies the marks of the traditional is easily identi"ed as a reversal story, princess to her. She is “very pretty and because it reverses the characters’ rich, all the princes wanted her to be places within a traditional plot, Prin- their Mrs.”15 !ese descriptions are cess Smartypants is di$erent because in contrast with the "rst statement in the princess is initially identi"ed as the book, because the description of atypical for either role. !is does not her beauty and wealth align her with mean, however, that her reversed role the traditional princess. In contrast to is less apparent. For example, the "rst !acker’s criticism, which argues that line of the story identi"es clearly that these stories problematically maintain she is not going to act like a princess “the stereotyped features of male and because she does “not want to get female characterization,”16 Cole starts married.”14 !us, in this way, Cole’s ap- the story by creating the framework for proach to the nontraditional princess Princess Smartypants to be both beau- is much more straightforward than tiful and triumphant. Furthermore, Munsch’s, who initially depicts Eliza- as the title Princess Smartypants im-
30 Figure 5. Princess Smartypants kissing the prince, as illustrated by Babette Cole in her 1997 illustrated children’s book Princess Smartypants. Although the princess is depicted as a tomboy wearing overalls earlier in the book, when it comes time for her to kiss the prince she becomes more feminine. By depicting her as a typical princess, Cole is setting the viewer up to believe that the kiss will end in her marrying the prince.
plies, she is also allowed to reverse the ypants from any evil, rather they are mindset of the traditional princess by submitting to the conditions she cre- being strong-willed. !us, from the be- ated in an attempt to win her heart. In ginning, Cole creates characters that these ways, the book is structured so are complex mixtures of the polarizing that the plot is reminiscent of, but not sets of gender characteristics usually entirely conformant to, the traditional seen in princess tales. In this sense, al- plot of a princess tale. though her characters challenge the In accordance with a typical plot, dominant culture, they also at times a prince eventually appears who is able reinforce it. to complete the seemingly impossible Princess Smartypants ful"lls her tasks. !en, like a traditional princess, name when she cleverly outwits the Princess Smartypants kisses him,18 an usual authorities within a princess act that normally would lead to a mar- book: her parents and her suitors. riage and a happily ever after ending. She does this by creating challenges !e expectation that she marry the that the prince must complete before prince is nevertheless rejected because they can enter into a marriage that she her “magic kiss”19 turns him into a toad clearly dislikes but that her parents in- and he leaves. !is break with the con- sist on having. While some of these ventions is key because it explains that tasks, like rescuing her from a tower Princess Smartypants is not only more made of glass, have roots in traditional clever than the prince but also is in- tales, others, like riding a motobike dependent. Furthermore, her happy and roller-disco, are challenges that ending demonstrates that despite the are unique to Princess Smartypants.17 expectations of the people surround- In these ways her character becomes ing her, even a beautiful, rich princess increasingly complex. Although she does not need to marry to be happy. still relies upon the traditional idea However, her reliance on magic to es- that whoever completes the tasks can cape marriage, despite her determina- marry her, she is unique because she tion and wit, is a regression in behavior creates the obstacles herself instead reminiscent of a traditional princess. of having them imposed on her. Like- Again, the structure of the story indi- wise, the princes who are vying for her cates that even a strong princess can- attention have originality because they not reverse all the conditions that cul- are not trying to save Princess Smart- ture places upon her.
31 Although Princess Elizabeth and who relies on the customary fairy god- Princess Smartypants did not marry mother to "x all of her problems for their princes, some authors have al- her, Cinder Edna, “[does]n’t believe in lowed their princesses to embrace the fairy godmothers.”25 Instead, she relies traditional role and marry. One such on the money she has saved by work- author is Ellen Jackson whose Cinder- ing after her chores are done to buy ella spoof, Cinder Edna follows two her own dress and take a bus to the neighbor girls who face similar prob- ball.26 In a reversal of the archetypal lems. Whereas the other books did not plot, she decides to take control of her directly mention the princess model own fate. However, like Princess Eliz- that their heroines opposed, her book abeth and Princess Smartypants, she directly addresses the problems with is not a complete reversal of a typical the traditional princess by compar- princess. She is still marked as femi- ing her to a more modern princess. nine because she is depicted wearing !e plot, which tracks the lives of Cin- a dress at the ball and is asked by the derella and Cinder Edna, has the two prince, instead of asking him herself, princesses progress through the same to dance. In these ways, even though challenges at the same time.20 In this she is set up to be Cinderella’s oppo- parallel, Cinderella represents the tra- site, Cinder Edna does not fully trans- ditional princess in the conventional gress her cultural role. role, and Cinder Edna is presented as Another way in which the plot of a new, reversed alternative that is Cin- Cinder Edna reinforces cultural hege- derella’s complete opposite. mony is in her marriage at the end of Unlike the characters in !e Paper the story. Even though she is happy to Bag Princess and Princess Smarty- marry, because Cinder Edna uses mar- pants, Cinder Edna is not immediately riage as a way to escape her “wicked de"ned by the characteristics that typ- stepmother and stepsisters,”27 it rein- ically mark a princess, like beauty and forces the old message that marriage wealth, although her counterpart Cin- is the only way a princess can escape derella is. While Cinderella is “quite a bad situation. !is is problematic beautiful”21 and behaves passively, sit- because even for Cinder Edna, who is ting “among the cinders to keep warm, hard working, strong, and witty, mar- thinking about her troubles,”22 Cin- riage is the only solution to escaping der Edna is de"ned and depicted as a her oppressive family. Why is it that completely di$erent type of girl. Cin- she cannot "rst conquer them and der Edna is described as “strong and then marry? One possible reason is the spunky”23 and the narrator admits structure of the story. Since Cinder Ed- that Cinder Edna, unlike Cinderella, na’s situation needs to parallel that of “wasn’t much to look at.”24 !us, from Cinderella throughout the story for the the beginning, the namesake of the gimmick of the spoof to be complete, a story, Cinder Edna, is a foil to Cinder- break in the plot would challenge the ella, and is unlike her in every way. !e story’s form. !us, although Cinder structure of this story, which posits the Edna’s character and personality seem two characters as opposites, one thriv- to completely reject the archetype of ing on the princess tradition and one the princess, the way she escapes her rejecting it, o$ers to show by example stepmother and stepsisters reinforces that a princess need not be passive or the notion that a princess is saved only pretty to achieve a happy ending. through her marriage to a prince. One key di$erence between the !e reversal structure within these characteristics embodied by Cinder stories is one way in which the domi- Edna is initiative. Unlike Cinderella, nant idea of the princess is challenged.
32 As they demonstrate, even books with the expectations placed upon them. It a structure designed to oppose a he- is this realistic quality that makes char- gemonic norm can at times reinforce acters, like Cinder Edna or Princess the very positions they intend to chal- Smartypants rich and relatable "gures. lenge. Like humans, the princesses in By conveying a message, and working these stories they can neither com- within the dominant discourse, these pletely escape, nor completely reverse, princesses are able to challenge the the culture that surrounds them and stereotypical princess.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS !is research made possible by an Undergraduate Research Award from the Univeristy of Kansas Honors Program.
END NOTES 1. Baker-Sperry, Lori and Graueholz, Liz, “!e Pervasiveness and Persistence of the Feminine Beauty Ideal in Children’s Fairy Tales,” Gender and Society 2003, 17, 713. 2. Baker-Sperry and Graueholz, 711. 3. Westland, Ella, “Cinderella in the Classroom. Children’s Responses to Gender Roles in Fairy Tales,” Gender & Education 1993, 5:240. 4. Westland, 238. 5. Munsch, Robert “!e Paper Bag Princess,” !e O$cial Robert Munsch Web Site, 29 Feb. 2008
33 20. Jackson, Ellen, Cinder Edna (New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1994). 21. Jackson, 3. 22. Jackson, 1. 23. Jackson, 3. 24. Jackson, 3. 25. Jackson, 5. 26. Jackson, 5-8. 27. Jackson, 3.
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