Masaryk University

Faculty of Education

Department of English Language and Literature

Gender Stereotypes in Fairy Tales

Diploma Thesis

Brno 2014

Supervisor: Mgr. Pavla Buchtová Author: Bc. Alena Veselá

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I hereby declare that I have worked on this thesis on my own, and that I used only the sources listed in the bibliography.

I agree that this thesis can be filed in the Library of the Faculty of Education at Masaryk University in Brno and made available for academic purposes.

......

Švábenice 20.4.2014 Bc. Alena Veselá

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Acknowledgment

I would like to heartily thank my supervisor Mgr. Pavla Buchtová for her kind help, time, willingness and for her valuable comments.

Furthermore, I would also like to express my gratitude to my family and friends for their support during the process of writing this thesis.

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Abstract

This diploma thesis deals with gender stereotypes in fairy tales, i.e. typical stereotyped and biased portrayals of the main male and female characters in fairy stories. The theoretical part concerns with the history and development of fairy tales and provides with the explanations of the terms gender, gender identity, gender role, gender stereotype and sexism. The practical part is based on the analysis of the two most well-known fairy tales, i.e. Cinderella and Snow White and their five variations by different authors, namely brothers Grimm, Joseph Jacobs and Roald Dahl, the animated films by Walt Disney and the film adaptations from the 21st century. The aim of the thesis is to analyse typical stereotyped portrayals of the male and female characters in the fairy tales and it focuses on the negative aspects of gender stereotypes in connection with children´s perception of the reality. The goal of the thesis is also to find out whether some alterations connected with the depiction of the main characters in these versions have been made.

Key words

Fairy tales, gender, gender identity, gender role, gender stereotypes, stereotype, sexism, Cinderella, Snow White, brothers Grimm, Joseph Jacobs, Roald Dahl, Walt Disney, A Cinderella Story, Mirror Mirror, children, perception of reality

Veselá, Alena. Gender Stereotypes in Fairy Tales. Diploma thesis. Masaryk University, 2014. Print.

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Anotace

Tato diplomová práce se zabývá genderovými stereotypy v pohádkách, což znamená stereotypními a zaujatými vyobrazeními hlavních mužských a ženských postav. Teoretická část se věnuje historii a vývojem pohádek a vysvětluje pojmy jako gender, genderová identita, genderová role, genderový stereotyp a sexismus. Praktická část je založena na analýze dvou nejznámějších pohádek, Popelky a Sněhurky, a jejich pěti verzí od různých autorů. Konkrétně se jedná o verze bratří Grimmů, Josepha Jacobse a Roalda Dahla, dále o animované filmy Walta Disneyho a filmové adaptace z 21. století. Záměrem této práce je analyzovat typická stereotypní vyobrazení mužských a ženských postav v pohádkách, přičemž analýza se zaměřuje na negativní aspekty genderových stereotypů ve spojení s dětským vnímáním světa. Cílem této práce je také zjistit, zda se v těchto verzích objevují nějaké změny týkající se vyobrazení hlavních postav.

Klíčová slova

Pohádky, gender, genderová identita, genderová role, genderové stereotypy, stereotyp, sexismus, Popelka, Sněhurka, bratři Grimmové, Joseph Jacobs, Roald Dahl, Walt Disney, Moderní Popelka, děti, vnímání světa

VESELÁ, Alena. Gender stereotypes in fairy tales. Brno, 2014. Diplomová práce. Masarykova univerzita. Vedoucí práce Mgr. Pavla Buchtová.

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction ...... 7 2. Fairy Tales ...... 10 2.1. Brief History of Fairy Tales ...... 11 3. Gender Stereotypes ...... 17 4. Gender Stereotypes in Fairy Tales ...... 22 4.1. Cinderella ...... 24 4.1.1. Portrayal of Cinderella ...... 27 4.1.2. Portrayal of Cinderella´s Stepmother and Stepsisters ...... 31 4.1.3. Presence of Cinderella´s Father and Mother ...... 35 4.1.4. Presence of Magic Objects ...... 36 4.1.5. Portrayal of the Prince ...... 38 4.1.6. Prince´s Affections towards Cinderella ...... 39 4.1.7. Wedding and Marriage ...... 41 4.2. Snow White ...... 42 4.2.1. Portrayal of Snow White ...... 44 4.2.2. Portrayal of Snow White´s Stepmother ...... 47 4.2.3. Presence of Snow White´s Father and Mother ...... 48 4.2.4. Role of the Dwarfs ...... 49 4.2.5. Portrayal of the Prince ...... 50 4.2.6. Prince´s Affections towards Snow White ...... 51 4.2.7. Wedding and Marriage ...... 52 5. Conclusion ...... 54

Résumé ...... 57

Works Cited ...... 58

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1. Introduction

Fairy tales have always been the very first kind of literature with which children meet. They listen to their parents´ telling or reading the stories or they simply watch some fairy tales on television. The children come into contact with them very frequently that we cannot be surprised that they are also formed by them, especially by the way the stories depict the behaviour of people who are usually portrayed in a stereotyped way. Therefore it is necessary to be aware of such portrayals not only in fairy tales.

Undoubtedly, the author of this thesis does not deny the importance of fairy tales in children´s lives and especially their influence on the fundamental moral principles the children should obtain. Fairy tales are a very essential part of literature and they should not be deleted from children´s lives. After all, famous people emphasizes the significance of fairy tales as well, for instance, Albert Einstein was aware of their magnitude in forming children as it is obvious from his well-known quote: "If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales." Nevertheless, not only do children meet with the first differences between the good and evil or consequences of their own demeanour, they also acquire the basic stereotypes related to both women and men, which can be harmful in case of children´s general and simplified perception of the world. Regarding the typical gender stereotypes present in fairy tales, it is not necessary to stress the fact that the inappropriate and one-sided portrayals concern females to a large extent.

As for the characteristic portrayals themselves, women are typically depicted in an inferior or even unfavourable way. They are portrayed as weak princesses that wait for a brave prince to rescue them, or as evil witches who want to kill someone or thwart anybody´s plans. Princesses are always very beautiful with a gorgeous dress and they are also naive and unable to act or decide without a necessary help either of animals or miraculous objects. On the other hand, typical characters that men represent in fairy tales are courageous princes who are able to save anyone, usually the weak princesses, almost without any obstacles and, moreover, they get the princess as a reward.

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These typical portrayals of women and men, gender stereotypes, occur in children´s literature regularly, which often means that children can begin to consider these sexist features normal, usual and also right. Undoubtedly, this point of view is not proper as it deepens the prejudices against both women and men and, at the same time, it contributes to form children´s incorrect and biased ideas about the typical behaviour patterns of females and males.

The main aim of this study is to point to this problem that children have to face every day as well as to analyse the issue concerning the occurrence and potential change of gender stereotypes in fairy tales. The research was based on the analysis of the two well-known fairy tales, namely "Cinderella" and "Snow White" and their variations by brothers Grimm, Jacobs, Disney and Dahl written from the beginning of the 19th century to the late 20th century and their contemporary film adaptations. This diploma thesis calls attention to typical gender stereotypes present in the fairy tales and their negative aspects in connection with children´s perception of the reality. The goal of this study is also to find out whether some alterations connected with the portrayal of the main female and male protagonists in the fairy tales have been made throughout the course of time.

This diploma thesis consists of two parts - theoretical and practical. The theoretical part focuses on a brief history and development of fairy tales in general as well as the explanation of the term gender stereotypes and other important expressions and it provides with more information about this issue. Primarily secondary sources were used for this part.

The practical part of the thesis concentrates on the analysis of the two fairy tales, "Cinderella" and "Snow White", and the portrayal of the individual characters that play the most important roles in the stories. The study focuses on the typical depiction of both men and women, gender stereotypes, in the fairy tales and their potential change and development with the course of time in the different versions. As it has been already written, the findings for this study were collected by examining the certain versions of the fairy stories for children and focusing primarily on the portrayal of the main characters in the stories. The comparison of the gender stereotypes typical for each character in different versions of the fairy tales is also included.

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The findings of the diploma thesis provides with an overview of the typical features of gender stereotypes connected with the main characters of the fairy tales written from the nineteenth century to the present day. The results of this work also compares the differences between the characteristic attributes of stereotyped depictions of each main protagonist in the certain period.

As it was already mentioned at the beginning, children encounter fairy tales very frequently and they play an inseparable role in their lives. Thanks to the fairy tales, children can experience fun and adventures; nevertheless, they can learn a great number of information about the behaviour of men and women. Therefore it is necessary to point out that inaccurate and one-sided portrayals of the main characters in children´s literature are dangerous as the children are prone to be influenced very easily and these stereotypes contribute to deepen these misleading ideas. The thesis should help not only parents, but all people become more aware of this fact and focus on eliminating such stereotyped features in fairy tales and children´s literature in general.

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2. Fairy Tales

Regarding the origin of the expression fairy tale itself, its inception can be found three centuries earlier, the English term is derived from the French word contes des fées, namely the word contes (Carpenter and Prichard 177). According to Baldick, the term can be explained as "[a] traditional folktale adapted and written down for the entertainment of children, usually featuring marvellous events and characters, although fairies as such are less often found in them than princesses, talking animals, ogres, and witches" (361). At the same time, as another definition explains the term, "[f]airy tales, fairy stories, or wonder tales, a subdivision of folktales that usually involve magic, tell of transformations and wondrous changes in fortune of a disadvantaged protagonist, usually culminating in a happy end" (O´Sullivan 94).

As it was already mentioned in this work, fairy tales play a significant role in children´s lives as they are the very first kind of literature young readers are acquainted with. Furthermore, fairy tales serve as a basic means of children´s understanding of the real world and they provide them with the essential conception of the difference between the good and evil. As Zipes discusses in his work, "we all pass through fairy tales, which inscribe indelible marks on our imagination and affect our behavior and role playing" (The Trials and Tribulations xi). This concerns not only our moral values, but also the way we perceive the world around us.

A great impact of fairy tales on children and their understanding of the reality has been proved even by "psychologists and educators time and again that stories and fairy tales do influence the manner in which children conceive the world and their places in it even before they begin to read" (Zipes, "Don´t Bet on the Prince" xii). Even an American psychologist Bruno Bettelheim was aware of the importance of fairy stories, he held the view that fairy tales "contribute to the emotional health of the child" (Carpenter and Prichard 179). He also helped fairy tales expand in society by means of his treatise called "The Uses of Enchantment (1976) and its claims about the psychologically beneficial aspects" of fairy stories in general (O´Sullivan 96).

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2.1. Brief History of Fairy Tales

As Windling points out in her article, it is necessary to focus our attention on the difference between "the oral folk tales and the literary fairy tales of Europe" (Les Contes de Fées). Undoubtedly, oral folktales as well as fairy tales has a very rich and long history, they have existed in our society for thousands years. As people were first able to speak than write, at the very beginnings fairy tales were passed on orally and the topics they concerned with were closely connected with the life of the people within the community. Windling further explains how the oral folktales and fairy tales differ from the literary ones. It is obvious that the first mentioned "are humbler stories than the great cosmological myth cycles or long heroic Romances, and as such have been passed through the generations largely by the lower caste portions of society: women, peasants, slaves, and outcast groups such as the gypsies" (Les Contes de Fées), which can be supplemented by Zipes´ description of very early fairy stories:

Fairy tales were first told by gifted tellers and were based on rituals intended to endow meaning to the daily lives of members of a tribe. As oral folk tales, they were intended to explain natural occurrences such as the change of the seasons and shifts in the weather or to celebrate the rites of harvesting, hunting, marriage, and conquest. The emphasis in most folk tales was on communal harmony. A narrator or narrators told tales to bring members of a group or tribe closer together and to provide them with a sense of mission, a telos. (Fairy Tale as Myth 10)

Regarding the very first written records of fairy stories, it had been assumed that the history of these tales is rather young. Nevertheless, it is obvious that fairy tales are much older than it had been believed. Stories in which we can find the features of contemporary fairy narratives "appear in several early oriental story-collections, such as the Indian Panchatantra (which was in existence by the 6th cent. AD) and the Katha Sarit Sagara (Ocean of Streams of Story), the Book of Sindibad (which

~ 11 ~ probably originated in Persia at the beginning of the 9th cent.)" (Carpenter and Prichard 177) as well as "the Oriental Arabian Nights (ca. 10th century)" (O´Sullivan 94).

The history of the European awareness of the written tales is closely connected with the invention "of printing in the 15th century [and the] first printed collection of wonder tales from the oral tradition set down to amuse educated readers were in Italian" and lately in French (O´Sullivan 94). However, it is surprising that the original audience of the first fairy stories were not children as it could be assumed, especially because "[the] narratives were often violent or bawdy [but such stories were written especially to entertain adults] and during most of the 16th and 17th cents. there was no special attempt to make fairy stories available in print for young readers" (Carpenter and Prichard 177).

Regarding the audience, it is a known fact that only upper class of people was able to read and therefore enjoy the literary fairy tales and stories that were very favourite in the 17th century not only in France. As Zipes explains, fairy-tale books were "written in a standard "high" language that the folk could not read, and it was written as a form of entertainment and education for members of the ruling classes. Indeed, only the well-to-do could purchase the books and read them" (Fairy Tale as Myth 13). As Windling suggests, this could be also influenced "by advances in printing methods and rising literacy" (Les Contes de Fées).

What can be interesting is the fact that primarily women were the originators and tellers of the very first fairy narratives. As Windling notes, even very famous male writers such as "Straparola, Basile, Perrault, and even the Brothers Grimm made no secret of the fact that their source material came largely or entirely from women storytellers" (Les Contes de Fées). On the other hand, it is not surprising as it is widely known that women stayed at home with children and therefore they had time to tell stories besides other duties concerning keeping the household whereas men had to work outside to be able to sustain the rest of the family.

As it was already mentioned earlier, fairy tales originally served as a kind of entertainment for upper classes whose members usually met in Parisian salons which were "hosted by prominent aristocratic women, where women and men could

~ 12 ~ gather together to discuss the issues of the day" (Windling, "Les Contes de Fées"). Thanks to these salons "women were able to demonstrate their intelligence and education through different types of conversational games" (Zipes, "Fairy Tale as Myth" 20). As the author comments more on this subject, it is obvious that being tellers helped women express themselves without fear or rejection of others:

Eventually, women began telling the tales as a literary divertimento, intermezzo, or as a kind of dessert that one would invent to amuse other listeners. This social function of amusement was complemented by another purpose, namely, that of self-portrayal and representation of proper aristocratic manners. The telling of fairy tales enabled women to picture themselves, social manners, and relations in a manner that represented their interests and those of the aristocracy. (21)

The performers in the salons intentionally made a decision to choose just fairy narratives that were more than convenient for the demanding audience of early modern France. Regarding the choice and suitability of fairy stories of the salons, Carpenter and Prichard suggest the explanation that this decision may be connected with the age the people lived in:

It may also be argued that in the later years of Louis XIV a society exhausted by extravagant wars and by fervid court competition and intrigue, was happy to retreat to the relatively simple moral basis and childhood associations of fairy tales. The intelligent and comparatively pious Mme de Maintenon, first the governess of Louis XIV´s children, then his mistress, and from about 1684 his wife, possibly also contributed to a general sense that scandal was out of fashion, and that stories which were fit for children were suitable for adults. (178)

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Since the performers in the salons were primarily females, it is not surprising that the first literary fairy tales were written by women as well. "Mme d´Aulnoy, in 1690, was the first writer of this fashion to publish a fairy story, slipping it into a novel, though there is no evidence that she was in any other sense an originator of the cult" (Carpenter and Prichard 178). Marie-Catherine D´Aulnoy "was known as an entertaining raconteur whose fairy tales circulated in fashionable circles and female salons" (O´Sullivan 80). Furthermore, "d´Aulnoy had a significant influence on the development of the genre in France and other countries" (Zipes, "The Oxford Companion" 29). As the author further adds, she wrote a number of works although "she is best known for the two collections of fairy tales published in 1697 and 1698: Les Contes des fées . . . and Contes nouveaux ou les fées à la mode" (The Oxford Companion 31). This writer is also frequently associated with the very first use of the "term conte de fées, or fairy tale" (O´Sullivan 94-5).

It is obvious that this genre apace became very favourite and it expanded throughout the whole France as there were more and more authors of fairy tales, for example Charles Perrault and his "famous collection Histoires, our Contes du temps passé" (O´Sullivan 95), "The Sleeping Beauty (La Belle au bois dormant), the first prose fairy tale" (Carpenter and Prichard 178) or his well-known "Contes de ma Mère l´Oye (Mother Goose Tales)" (Zipes, "The Oxford Companion" 176). With the course of time, there were more fairy stories published and "then in 1704 the French text of the Arabian nights was published . . . [and] the products of the fashion for fairy stories were gathered together in Le Cabinet des fées (from 1785) [and] they extended to 41 volumes" (Carpenter and Prichard 178). Regarding other famous and remarkable authors concerning with this fashion, the following names such as "Mademoiselle La Force, Les Contes des Contes (1697), Mademoiselle L´Héritier, Oeuvres meslées (1696), . . . [or] Madame de Murat, Contes de Féés (1698)" (Zipes, "Fairy Tale as Myth" 23) cannot be omitted.

As it was already mentioned, the first fairy tales were intended primarily for entertaining adults. Nevertheless, children´s audience was not forgotten at all as

~ 14 ~ there were so-called chapbooks1 that were a very favourite kind of literature especially among English young readers and these "did include such tales as Tom Thumb (first printed in 1621) and The Seven Champions of Christendom (1596-7), as well as versions of many medieval romances which contained marvels and magical happenings, such as Guy of Warwick and Fortunatus" (Carpenter and Prichard 177). As Zipes further presents, the first "chapbooks . . . [also] contained numerous abbreviated and truncated versions of the literary tales" (Fairy Tale as Myth 12). Windling further states that in "the 18th century, stories by d’Aulnoy, de Murat, L’Héritier, Perrault and other salonnières began to find their way into the pages of the Bibliotheque Bleue -- a series of cheap and popular chapbooks" (Les Contes de Fées).

Nevertheless, fairy tales did not always contend only with their acceptance since especially "[e]ducators in the Puritan tradition rejected fairy tales for their lack of moral instruction" (O´Sullivan 95) and for the presence of "ignorant superstition" (Carpenter and Prichard 179). Therefore, as the authors further explain, there was "the growing popularity of moral tales by such writers as Mrs Barbauld and Maria Edgeworth . . . [which] led to the belief that fairy stories could be entirely dispensed with as nursery reading" (179).

Fortunately, some publishers did not recoil from issuing fairy tales and they persevered in publishing "collections of them with such regularity that it is evident there was still an audience for them" (Carpenter and Prichard 179). Additionally, "in 1823, the number and variety of fairy tales available to English children was greatly increased by the appearance of the first translation of the work of the brothers Grimm" (Carpenter and Prichard 179). "The English translation of these tales by Edgar Taylor, German Popular Stories (1823), brought about a change in attitude toward this genre for children in the English-speaking world, leading to the recognition that imaginative literature was an important element for children´s recreation" (O´Sullivan 95) and fairy stories became popular anew. There was also a number of other English translations of foreign fairy narratives, such as those by Hans Christian Andersen or translated versions "of collection of Danish, Indian, and Russian tales . . .

1 "Works of popular literature sold for a few pence, often by itinerant pedlars or 'chapmen'" (Carpenter and Prichard 105).

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[and this] renaissance of the traditional fairy story was related to a new wave of imaginative writing in Britain and elsewhere " (Carpenter and Prichard 179).

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3. Gender stereotypes

Before focusing on the analysis of gender stereotypes in the fairy tales it is necessary to deal with the most important terms, namely gender identity, gender roles, gender stereotypes and sexism. It is essential to concentrate on the explanations and meanings of these expressions as they are crucial for understanding of the issue concerning gender stereotypes and typical portrayals of the main characters in fairy tales and consequent influence on children.

One of the most important key terms is gender. The explanation of this expression can be sometimes misleading as there are two primary interpretations of the word. The first one is sex, that is to say if an individual is a man or woman according to genitalia. As Cranny-Francis et al. further explain the term sex, it can be described as "a theory about human beings which divides them into two biologically based categories - male or female" (7). We use this term "when we want to talk about basic physiological differences between men and women, i.e. particularly distinctions relating to genitalia and reproduction dispositions"2 (Společnost žen a mužů z aspektu gender 10).

Regarding the second meaning of the term, according to the World Health Organization, gender "refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women" ("What Do We Mean by 'Sex' and 'Gender'?"). As Cranny-Francis et al. describe, gender "divides humans into two categories: male and female" (1). At the same time, this expression "is used to term the differences between men and women that are not biologically given but they are given by upbringing under the terms of a certain society or culture"3 (Průvodce na cestě k rovnosti žen a mužů 5). Regarding the differences, as we can find out by further reading in the brochure, we talk about "distinguishing social and psychical distinctions . . . that change in time and they also differ in different cultures"4 (5). Furthermore, gender also "includes primarily social and socially conditioned

2,3,4 Translated from Czech.

~ 17 ~ cultural differences, expectations, prejudices and particularities of men´s and women´s statuses"5 (10).

As it has been already discussed, the term gender does not mean only the sex in connection with genitalia, but it also signifies everything around us that "help" us exist either as a man or woman. In terms of being a male or female, we can talk about "one´s subjective realization as being a woman or man - a subjective feeling of femininity or masculinity"6 (Valdrová 7), which is called gender identity. This phrase can be also described as "[t]he sense of identification with either the male or female sex, as manifested in appearance, behavior, and other aspects of a person's life" ("Gender Identity"). It refers to "how we feel about and express our gender and gender roles - clothing, behavior, and personal appearance. It is a feeling that we have as early as age two or three" ("Gender & Gender Identity") and this realization "is reinforced at puberty. Once established, it is generally fixed for life" ("Gender Identity").

Regarding femininity and masculinity and the term gender identity, there are certain feminine and masculine traits that can be characterized as "ways of behaving that our culture usually associates with being a girl or woman [or a boy or man] ("Gender & Gender Identity"). Such traits are also connected with certain adjectives that are frequently used in connection with either femininity or masculinity, such as "dependent, emotional, passive, sensitive [for feminine attributes and] independent, non-emotional, aggressive, tough-skinned" ("Gender & Gender Identity") for masculine characteristics. Other examples of such stereotyped traits and adjectives are illustrated in connection with gender stereotypes below.

In relation to being a male or female, there are certain "social roles that the society prescribes to individuals on the basis of their sex"7 (Průvodce na cestě k rovnosti 5) which are called gender roles. In other words, such roles can be characterized as "an aggregate of evident and hidden regulations valid for women´s and men´s behaviour and actions and relationships between them; there are certain work, values, duties and responsibilities that are ascribed to women and men within gender roles"8 ("Gender(ová) Role"). Moore defines gender roles as "[s]ets of attributes,

5,6,7,8 Translated from Czech.

~ 18 ~ including attitudes, personality traits, abilities, interests, and behaviors that are defined as appropriate for each sex" (578). As Valdrová further adds on this subject in her book, "a child learns her/his female or male role under the assistance of his/her surroundings - parents, school, media, church, various institutions. These socializing subjects appreciate when a child demonstrates the 'right' character traits and they adjust the 'wrong' ones"9 (10). It is obvious that the realization of gender identity is closely connected with gender roles. What is a surprising fact is that while "gender identity as man or woman is stable, some of the content of an individual's gender role may change over a lifetime because of changing social norms or a move to another society" (Lehne 729).

After explaining the key terms related to the topic of this work, it is possible to focus on the most crucial expression that is gender stereotypes. As Cranny-Francis et al. firstly deal with the term stereotype itself, it can be described as "a radically reductive way of representing whole communities of people by identifying them with a few key characteristics. Individuals from the group who [do not] fit that stereotype are then said to be atypical" (141). Stereotypes can be seen in our society very frequently. It is obvious that in terms of stereotypes people are accustomed to certain norms and they are afraid of changes and therefore if one behaves in contradiction with such norms, others find it inappropriate and uncommon.

Psychologists have also noted the role stereotypes play in human memory. When meeting a new person, for example, people sometimes combine their firsthand perceptions of that person — appearance, personality, intelligence — with stereotypes they have formed about similar people. Later, when trying to describe or recall that person, the actual characteristics become distorted by the stereotypical features that often have no relation to that person. ("Stereotype" 628)

9 Translated from Czech.

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Therefore, gender stereotypes can be characterized, according to Průvodce na cestě k rovnosti žen a mužů, as "stereotyped opinions, prejudices and ideas about 'right' and 'natural' general behaviour and considering individuals on the basis of their gender without deep concerning the fact what is innate and what they gained by upbringing, what their individual abilities or ideas about life are and so on"10 (6). As Moore further explains, we can talk about gender stereotypes "when individuals employ [gender-role] sets of behaviors as rules to be applied to all males and females" (579). In other words, as Renzetti and Curran summarize in their book, "gender stereotypes are simplifying descriptions of what a 'masculine man' or a 'feminine woman' should look like"11 (20). As Deaux and Kite add, "people usually think of such stereotypes in a bipolar way, i.e. a normal man does not have any feminine features and vice versa"12 (qtd. in Renzetti and Curran 20).

Gender stereotypes are widespread in our society and a great deal of people follow these stereotypes without noticing. As Moore provides with some examples of typical gender stereotypes, those "for femininity include expectations to be domestic, warm, pretty, emotional, dependent, physically weak, and passive" (579). Furthermore, females "have come to be seen as naturally nurturing, sensitive . . . and deferring" (Cranny-Francis et al. 143). On the contrary, "men are thought of as being more competitive and less emotional than women. Masculinity stereotypes can be described by words such as unemotional, physically strong, independent, active, and aggressive" (Moore 579). At the same time, "men are seen as removed, rational and authoritative" (Cranny-Francis et al. 145).

As stated in the paragraph above, it is obvious that women are frequently associated with either negative or inferior attributes and characteristics while men seem to be "the stronger ones". In terms of such prejudiced traits and expectations of women, another significant term must be explained, which is sexism that is closely connected with gender stereotypes. This expression can be described as "the appraisal of one sex, in this case male, as more valuable than the second one"13 (Renzetti and Curran 31). Another explanation of the word says that sexism "commonly describes attitudes, statements, acts, strategies, or methods that lead to the discrimination, marginalization,

10,11,12,13 Translated from Czech.

~ 20 ~ or oppression of individuals or groups based on their sex" ("Sexism" 473). As it was written, females are usually those who are treated in a lesser way, which has a great impact on their lives and, in terms of children´s perception of gender roles and their general and superficial understanding of the world, they are at a disadvantage of being considered an inferior sex. Furthermore, "[s]exism against women pervades all areas of their lives, public and private, legal and economic, educational and social, religious and psychological, and gender relations in particular" ("Sexism" 473). Sexism is also often called gender discrimination, which "is any action that specifically denies opportunities, privileges, or rewards to a person (or a group) because of gender. The practice of letting a person's gender become a factor when deciding who receives a job or a promotion" ("Gender Discriminations" 533).

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4. Gender stereotypes in fairy tales

Thanks to the two previous chapters we were acquainted with the development of fairy tales as well as the key terms connected to gender stereotypes in general. As it has been already written in this thesis, already small children realize the differences between their gender, especially thanks to the environment they are surrounded by. When we talk about the environment, it includes not only parents or peers who have a great impact on children´s formation, but also fairy tales in connection with children´s perception and embracing gender roles. As Zipes claims:

Children are conditioned to assume and accept arbitrary sex roles. These socially conditioned roles prepare females to become passive, self-denying, obedient, and self-sacrificial . . . as well as nurturing, caring, and responsible in personal situations . . . They prepare males to become competitive, authoritarian, and power-hungry as well as rational, abstract, and principled. (Don´t Bet on the Prince 3)

There have been a number of research the findings of which prove that "children start to give preference to certain toys in compliance with gender stereotypes already at the age of eighteen months. Two-year-old children are aware of their own and others´ gender and during their third year of life they start to evaluate certain qualities and characteristics in a stereotyped way"14 (qtd. in Renzetti and Curran 93-4). At this age, children come into contact with fairy tales regularly and therefore it is obvious that already in such early age they form their basic ideas about women´s and men´s roles in the society. As Cranny-Francis et al. state in their book:

The dichotomies and associated connotations of (active) masculinity and (passive) femininity, (good) beauty and (evil) ugliness, and (pure) whiteness

14 Translated from Czech. Golombok, Susan, and Robyn Fivush. Gender development. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Print.

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and (corrupt, contaminated) blackness recur as potent archetypes within a range of favourite children´s stories. As such, they become inscribed on developing psyches as heavily encoded and covert signifiers of societal values, and from the point of view of gender, race and class analysis, they are far from egalitarian. (244-5)

Regarding typical portrayals of men and women in the tales, Moore provides in his study with a number of examples of such stereotyped and sexist portrayals. "(1) Females are poor girls or beautiful princesses who will only be rewarded if they demonstrate passivity, obedience, and submissiveness. (2) Stepmothers are always evil . . . (4) Beauty is the highest value for women . . . (6) Money and property are the most desirable goals in life [for women]"15 (qtd. in Zipes, "Don´t Bet on the Prince" 6).

There have been a great deal of research concerning gender stereotypes in fairy tales which proved that male characters are portrayed in a positive and active way to a large extent whereas female characters are depicted in a negative or passive way or they are not present at all. Weitzman et al. found out that "male characters are depicted in active roles of adventurers and leaders whereas female characters are portrayed in passive roles of companions and helpers"16 (qtd. in Renzeti and Curran 117). Furthermore, as Odean found out in her study from 1997, "female characters play an inferior role and only a small part of the characters is described as brave, physically fit or independent"17 (qtd. in Renzetti and Curran 118).

On the following pages, the analysis of the two well-known fairy tales, namely "Cinderella" and "Snow White", is provided, which focus especially on the negative aspects of stereotyped and biased portrayals of the main characters in relation with their impact on children´s perception of typical behavioural pattern related to men and women.

15 Moore, Robert B. From Rags to Witches: Sterotypes, Distortions and Anti-humanism in Fairy Tales. Vol. 6. New York: Council on Interracial for Children, 1975. Print. 16 Translated from Czech. Weitzman, Lenore J. et al. "Sex-Role Socialization in Picture Books for Preschool Children." American Journal of Sociology 77.6 (1972): 1125-150. Print. 17 Translated from Czech. Odean, Kathleen. Great Books for Girls: More than 600 Books to Inspire Today's Girls and Tomorrow's Women. New York: Ballantine, 1997. Print.

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4.1. Cinderella

Undoubtedly, "Cinderella" can be considered as one of the most famous as well as favourite fairy tales throughout the world. There is a large number of variations of this story as the first mentions of the tale are almost two thousand years old. There are two extant versions of this fairy tale that are considered to be the oldest known interpretations based on the main theme of the story, which are "a Chinese version from the ninth century AD, and a much less well-publicised Sanskrit version underlying Kalidasa´s drama Sakuntala, of the fifth century AD, and also known as early as an allusion in the Mahabharata of some two centuries earlier" (Anderson 27).

As it has been already written, there have been a number of versions as well as the names of Cinderella´s story; nevertheless, the main theme always remains the same. As Anderson refers to Aarne-Thompson´s division of the folktales and fairy tales18, the structure seen in the stories based on Cinderella´s topic can be divided as follows:

1. The persecuted heroine (a1) The heroine is abused by her stepmother and stepsisters; she stays on the hearth and ashes; and (a2) is dressed in rough clothing - cap of rushes, wooden cloak, etc. (b) She flees in disguise from her father who wants to marry her; or (c) is to be killed by a servant.

2. Magic help While she is acting as servant (at home or among strangers) she is advised, provided for, and fed (a) by her dead mother; or (b) by a tree on the mother´s grave; or (c) by a supernatural being, or (d) by birds; or (e) by a goat, a sheep, or a cow.

18 Aarne, Antti, and Stith Thompson. The Types of the Folktale. Helsinki: Academia Scientiarum Fennica, 1961. Print. (Type 510)

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(f) When the goat (or other helpful animal) is killed, there springs up from her remains a magic tree.

3. Meeting the prince (a) She dances in beautiful clothing several times with a prine who seeks in vain to keep her, or she is seen by him in church; (b) she gives hints of the abuse she has endured as a servant girl; or (c) she is seen in beautiful clothing in her room or in the church.

4. Proof of identity (a) She is discovered through the slipper test; or (b) through a ring which she throws into the prince´s drink or bakes in his bread (c) She alone is able to pluck the apple desired by the prince.

5. Marriage with the prince (24-25)

On the subject of the versions chosen for the analysis in this diploma thesis, there are five different ones of Cinderella´s story present in this work, which are Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm´s "Aschenputtel" originally published in 1812 in the book called Kinder- und Hausmärchen. Secondly, there is Joseph Jacobs´ "The Cinder Maid" published in 1916 in the book consisting of the collection of fairy tales called Europa´s Fairy Book, which is his own variation of the stories known throughout the whole Europe. The next used version is one of the first animated adaptations of this fairy tale Cinderella by Walt Disney that was released in 1950 by Walt Disney Productions. It can be also characterized as an animated musical because of a number of songs it contains. The film refers to one of the very first writers and publishers of fairy tales Charles Perrault´s version from the 17th century and it is 74 minutes long and was directed by Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske and Wilfred Jackson.

Roald Dahl´s "Cinderella" is written as a poem that was published together with other rhymed fairy tales in his book called Revolting Rhymes, which is rather a parody

~ 25 ~ of traditional fairy tales and it was originally published in 1982. Undoubtedly, this version differs from the classical ones to a large extent not only by the style of writing, but also by the end of the story – Cinderella does not marry the prince who she met at the ball, she gets married with "a lovely feller, simple jam-maker by trade" (Dahl 12). It is obvious from reading the text that it really is a parody rather than a traditional fairy tale. The author uses a large number of informal words and expressions that are not suitable for fairy tales, such as "crate of beer" or "dirty slut". Furthermore, he calls the main character Cindy rather than Cinderella. Undoubtedly, this story is different since the time it was written in was different from the past and the author tried to connect the modern perspective of the youth as well as gender approaches and the traditional story.

As for the last version analysed in the thesis, there is another film adaptation of the fairy tale, which is an American romantic comedy called A Cinderella Story that was released in 2004 by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film is 95 minutes long and it was directed by Mark Rosman. At the very beginning it is necessary to mention that this filmed interpretation of the story is affected by the modern age, which means that there is not any occurrence of the supernatural, there is not a royal family, the characters are ordinary people. Furthermore, the thing Samantha, Cinderella´s personification, loses at the ball is not a slipper but a mobile phone. The story is adapted to the 21st century and it takes place in San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles.

As mentioned above, the plot is always identical. After Cinderella´s mother´s death, her father marries another woman with two daughters. Her stepmother and stepsisters treat Cinderella as a maid who has to work very hard. One day, there is a ball in the town and everybody is to partake in that event except Cinderella. Nevertheless, she manages to attend the ball by means of some supernatural power where she meets the prince and, at the same time, loses her slipper, which is important for unfolding the story. The prince tries to find the girl in the town whom the slipper belongs to, after some time he finally manages and as a result Cinderella becomes his wife.

Regarding the plot of the versions listed above, there are not many differences in the storyline; however, some changes occur, especially in the parts related to the presence of magic objects – in the brothers Grimm´ version there are doves and other birds who help Cinderella fulfil assigned tasks and the little tree on her mother´s grave,

~ 26 ~ whereas in Jacobs´ version from 1916 it is the hazel tree and little bird. Cinderella´s helpers in Disney´s version are embodied not only by animals, such as mice or birds, but also by her Fairy Godmother. In Dahl´s version from the eighties, on the contrary, there occurs the Magic Fairy who helps Cinderella´s dreams come true. On the other hand, regarding A Cinderella Story, a film adaptation, there is not any occurrence of any magic objects, there are the main character´s friends who help her instead.

Concerning the analysis itself, there can be stated the main themes that all the five versions have in common and that are partially grounded in Aarne-Thompson´s structure which Anderson refers to (24-5); namely, the portrayal of Cinderella herself, then the depiction of Cinderella´s stepmother and stepsisters, the presence of the main protagonist´s mother and father as well as the magic objects. Next, there is a certain association with the prince and his affection by Cinderella with the emphasis on her appearance. Lastly, what is really interesting and cannot be omitted is dealing with the wedding and marriage in the versions by the different authors.

4.1.1. Portrayal of Cinderella

The main female character is depicted very similarly in all versions except Dahl´s one. Cinderella is represented as a poor, defenceless girl who "[is] abused, humiliated, and finally forced to become a servant in her own house" (Disney, Cinderella). She must obey her stepmother´s and stepsisters´ commands and take care of the household, she is in charge of cleaning and keeping the household, she is "set to do all the drudgery of the house, to attend the kitchen fire, and [has] naught to sleep on but the heap of cinder raked our in the scullery . . . [a]nd no one [takes] pity on her..." (Jacobs 3). In a short, she is literally a maid and is exploited by her stepfamily without any signs of Cinderella´s resistance to them, which is a typical feature of submissiveness connected to the main female protagonists in fairy tales. On the other hand, in Dahl´s version there is not any mention about her duties in taking care of the household but she still is "locked up in a slimy cellar" (5).

It seems that a girl cannot merit a happy life or a happy ending without being a servant, captured or working very hard, she has to deserve it. In general, based on the

~ 27 ~ facts stated above, you have to experience something very bad to be rewarded, as in Cinderella´s case, you have to suffer and be treated as a slave. Furthermore, you have to be inactive, avoid talking back if you do not agree and, at the same time, you simply have to wait passively for your rescuer who will certainly come and you will live happily ever after as almost every fairy tale guarantees.

At the same time, Cinderella is characterised as an "ever gentle and kind" (Disney, Cinderella) young lady, which is also another typical example of the stereotypes connected to the female heroines. Not only is she submissive and obedient, she is also very good and although her life is very difficult, she does not seem to complain and she helps the animals, or other people, instead and flees from the reality into her dreams about a happy life, usually with a prince, which can mean that the only possibility of being rescued from an inequitable life full of sadness and hopelessness is the prince.

Regarding Cinderella´s positive traits, it cannot be doubted that these good characteristics were chosen intentionally. Such typical portrayal of the main female protagonists in fairy tales can be also connected with the reader himself as we usually tend to grow fond of the characters, in terms of gender, women, who are depicted with good qualities and behaviour and help others. Readers also have an inclination to empathize with poor girls who are treated unfairly or who are abused, such as the main character of this fairy tale. Concerning children and their possible interpretation of these facts, it suggests that a girl does not have to fight for the justice and she can let others hurt her feelings and treat her in a bad and inferior role. Everything a girl has to be is good and kind in any case.

On the contrary, Dahl´s Cindy, as he refers to her, is not portrayed in the same way as in the other versions of the tale. She seems to be obstinate and she cannot use any kind word or be grateful for the help of the Magic Fairy who serves here to help Cinderella´s dreams and wishes come true, as it is obvious from the following lines:

‘I feel as rotten as can be!’ She beat her fist against the wall,

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And shouted, ‘Get me to the Ball! ‘There is a Disco at the Palace! ‘The rest have gone and I am jalous! ‘I want a dress! I want a coach! ‘And earrings and a diamond brooch! ‘And silver slippers, two of those! ‘And lovely nylon panty-hose! ‘Done up like that I’ll guarantee ‘The handsome Prince will fall for me!’ (Dahl 6)

Cinderella is not depicted as weak and defenceless as in the other variations of the tale; moreover, at the end of the story, Cindy decides that she does not want to marry the prince because of his sadist interest in killing people, especially women, she wants to meet a nice man instead. She realizes that the social status and money is not the most important thing in the world and she changes her attitude towards men and "happiness". Similarly, Samantha in A Cinderella Story finally is not afraid to express herself as well, she confronts her lover Austin about his behaving so cowardly and unfairly towards her, she is not afraid to express her feelings and opinions. Undoubtedly, this sudden change in Cinderella´s behaviour is closely connected with the age the stories were released and, simultaneously, it is associated with the impact of the development of the feminist movement and gender equality throughout the last century.

What is an interesting point is that in Grimms´, Jacobs´ and Disney´s there is not any emphasis on Cinderella´s intelligence whereas the main character in A Cinderella Story is portrayed as a very smart girl who studies a lot and finally is admitted to a prestigious university, which is the only version that emphasizes her intellect. As it was suggested above, the focus on Cinderella´s intellect is influenced by the 21st century as it is not any exception that women study at universities, prejudices concerning women´s staying at home and keeping the household are not as strong as they used to be in the past.

~ 29 ~

Although Cinderella is depicted as a very hardworking girl, she does not seem to be able to finish the work or tasks without help of either animals, such as in Grimms´ version, or people, namely Samantha´s friends in A Cinderella Story. She would not even be able to attend a ball without some supernatural power, animals or other people. As in the brothers Grimm´ interpretation, she relies on the pigeons for the rest of the story. Furthermore, she does not even try to do a task on her own, she calls doves and birds instead:

O gentle doves, O turtle-doves, And all the birds that be, The lentils that in ashes lie Come and pick up for me! The good must be put in the dish, The bad you may eat if you wish. (Grimm)

She is dependent on the supernatural things that will make her happier, which is also connected to her characteristics, she seems to be feckless as she is not able to handle with the problems herself, she always needs some assistance or advice. This also reinforces the image of women as helpless and even unwilling to face the problems. On the other hand, Disney´s Cinderella fulfils tasks without the help of the animals, she cleans on her own and she is very hardworking and she does not have any problems finishing it. However, it does not matter whether Cinderella finishes the tasks with or without any help of animals as it does not assist her with attending the ball, the eventual reason why she cannot participate in this event is the fact that she does not have any beautiful dress to wear.

As for the physical appearance of Cinderella, she is always described as a very beautiful and charming girl, especially in connection with a gorgeous dress she wears at the ball. It is interesting that there is no emphasis on her intelligence, except A Cinderella Story, which can be understood that "[a]ttractiveness is the most important attribute that a woman can possess, and is often an indicator of chances of future

~ 30 ~ happiness" (Keikirk 38). The same author refers in her essay to the research of the development of almost two hundred tales, the findings of which claim that there is "a strong correlation between the number of times a book was reproduced and the number of times the appearance (i.e. beauty) of the female lead was stated"19 (38). This gives the impression that everything a young lady needs to be finally rescued and live a happy life with her prince is her beauty and especially her appearance, it is not important to be clever as a prince does not care about her intelligence at all.

On the other hand, although there is seldom a mention about her natural beauty, Cinderella always becomes a beautiful princess after dressing herself into a gorgeous dress with slippers. This fact gives the impression that no one concerns whether a girl herself is pretty, she needs to wear a gorgeous dress, slippers and coiffure her hair to be beautiful and, in terms of this fairy tale, to attract a prince, who would not pay attention to her if she attended the ball in her common dirty clothes. It is possible that the prince would not even recognize his future wife without the lost slipper that all women living in a kingdom were supposed to put on. Although it can seem trivial, this is a very influential point since children, and especially girls, are guided to be beautiful otherwise they will never be able to find their heroes who would provide them with happiness. As they ground their primary ideas of the reality predominantly on fairy tales, their first knowledge concerning differences between the two genders are very limited and especially stereotyped.

4.1.2. Portrayal of Cinderella´s stepmother and stepsisters

Regarding the other main female characters´ qualities and behaviour, it is identical in all five versions that were chosen for this analysis. As it was already suggested, Cinderella is portrayed as a good person and, therefore, there must be the opposite of her humane and innocent characteristics, which represents her stepmother and two stepsisters.

19 Baker-Sperry, Lori and Liz Grauerholz. "The Pervasiveness and Persistence of the Feminine Beauty Ideal in Children´s Fairy Tales." Gender and Society 17.5 (2003): 711-726. Print.

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Although Cinderella´s portrayal differs to some degree in the versions chosen for this analysis, the stepmother and stepsisters´ depiction is more or less the same, except the mention of the their physical appearance. The brothers Grimm´s variation is the only one where the focus on their attractiveness is stated; these characters are "beautiful and fair in appearance, but at heart they [are] black and ugly" (Grimm). The other versions either do not concern their appearance at all or they are noticeably more unattractive in comparison with the main character; for instance, Dahl calls the stepsisters literally the Ugly Sisters.

The appearance is not the only contrast to Cinderella, there is a striking difference evident in the stepmother and stepsisters´ characteristics and demeanour as well. While Cinderella represents the good in general, her stepfamily embodies the evil. Cinderella´s stepmother is described as a wicked and mean person who is not concerned with anyone else but herself and her two daughters, she is not interested in others´ feelings, "she would give [her daughters] beautiful dresses but none to her stepdaughter" (Jacobs 3). Similarly, Disney´s Lady Tremaine is "very cold, cruel, and bitterly jealous of Cinderella's charm and beauty, she [is] grimly determined to forward the interests of her own two awkward daughters" (Disney, Cinderella). This corresponds with Moore´s findings of his study that the characteristics attributed to stepmothers are negative at all times (qtd. in Zipes, "Don´t Bet on the Prince" 6).

The stepmother in Disney´s Cinderella is not as naive as she is depicted in the other versions, which is obvious from the scene where the prince is dancing with the unknown beauty, who seems very familiar to her and finally the stepmother finds out that the beauty is Cinderella herself and as a result she locks her in the attic so that she cannot try the slipper out. Even Fiona, the stepmother in A Cinderella Story, seems to be more clever and malicious as she hides the will where Samantha´s father bequeathed everything to her instead of Fiona and she falsified the result from the university (A Cinderella Story).

It seems that with the course of time as well as film versions the stepmother´s cruelty and insidiousness grows, which can also deepen children´s negative image of women in general and especially stepmothers. It is a known fact that when children´s parents get divorced, a child usually finds it very difficult to build a relationship with

~ 32 ~ a new mother and if children learn about their biased negative and evil qualities in fairy tales, it can even lead to even to the rejection of their potential stepfamily.

As it was mentioned earlier, in all versions, except for brothers Grimm´s one, there is the focus on the stepsisters´ unattractiveness; moreover, the versions also stresses their unintelligence since they are described as childish and simple girls who experience a number of embarrassing situations, especially those in A Cinderella Story. Not only are the stepsisters depicted as unintelligent, they are also portrayed as insidious and mean girls who have fondness especially in ridicule, mockery and bringing disgrace on Cinderella. Furthermore, Drizella and Anastasia in Disney´s Cinderella seem to be unusually brutal as they tear Cinderella´s dress so that she could not attend the ball and they enjoy it.

The stepsisters are also very jealous of Cinderella as they want to marry the prince; however, although there is no cogent reason explained why they long for that so much, this can be interpreted that women are interested in money and wealth, thanks to which they can be considered "gold-diggers" who are able to do anything to reach money in order to be provided for. In this case, the stepsisters are willing even to cut their toes and parts of feet. Simultaneously, such intentional self-inflicted injuries can indicate the fact that females are mean and they always compete with each other in order to win, there is nothing that could stop them, not even the family relationships. As Neikirk explains in her essay, the "mutilation of the stepsister´s feet . . . also presents the notion that women will go to great lengths in order to undermine each other. This common theme sends a message to girls that they cannot trust one another, a message in approximately 17 % of the tales"20 (39).

It is obvious that these female characters serve as the foil of Cinderella and therefore they are portrayed in a completely reverse way than the main character herself. There is a noticeable connection between the beauty and positive traits and between the unattractiveness and negative characteristics, which can be understood that "ugly women are source of suspicion" (Neikirk 38). If a woman is not attractive, she is automatically considered evil or, at least, peculiar and she must be jealous of more

20 Baker-Sperry, Lori and Liz Grauerholz (2003). The Pervasiveness and Persistence of the Feminine Beauty Ideal in Children´s Fairy Tales. Gender and Society, pp. 711-726

~ 33 ~ attractive women. Therefore, if a young girl wants to be perceived as good, she has to be beautiful at first. Unfortunately, this wrong attitude is still widespread among not only children, but also teenagers; there is a number of beauty contests worldwide where the attractiveness is greatly emphasized. When we see a pretty girl, we automatically tend to connect her appearance with positive qualities as people, and especially young girls, according to Lieberman, incline to "believe in a correlation between a loveable face and a loveable character" (qtd. in Neikirk 39).

What really is worth noticing is dealing with the stepmother and stepsisters´ punishment at the end of the tale. While in Jacobs´ and Disney´s versions there is no more detailed explanation of what happens to Cinderella´s stepfamily next, the stepsisters in brothers Grimm´s "Aschenputtel" are attacked by birds which peck out their eyes so that they are "condemned to go blind for the rest of their days because of their wickedness and falsehood" (Grimm). In Dahl´s version, the punishment is represented by the stepsisters´ execution by the prince himself. Similarly, A Cinderella Story provides another description of the punishment - Samantha´s stepmother and stepsisters´ bad deeds are revealed and they have to expiate everything abominable they have done to the main character. The brothers Grimm´s fairy tales are known for their brutality present in the stories; however, as there is no reference to the punishment in the two remaining versions, it can be concluded that the authors did not want to include any kind of brutality in their stories.

The reason may be connected with the fact that the stories were primarily intended for children and they would not liked it. However, it seems that with the course of time it was necessary to focus on the moral and punishment itself. In the older versions it was enough when the main protagonist was rescued by the prince whereas in the two latest variations the punishment itself was stressed. In a word, even little children should be aware of the consequences of their actions, if you behave good, you will be rewarded but if you behave badly, you will be punished instead. Regarding gender stereotypes, this implies that a girl who is not obedient and who does not wait passively cannot expect a happy life but a punishment instead.

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4.1.3. Presence of Cinderella´s mother and father

Concerning the presence of Cinderella´s closest relatives, it is typical for the fairy tale that there is either no mention of her mother and father, as in Dahl´s version, or there is only a brief reference to them throughout the story or only at the beginning.

While in Grimms´ "Aschenputtel" the father is mentioned very sporadically throughout the story, in Jacobs´ version he plays more significant part. Firstly, he is described as a weak man who is not respected and anything he says in defence of his daughter is considered nonsense, for example, when he tries to persuade his wife that his daughter should also attend the ball, he is mocked by her and her two daughters: "What, Cinder Maid going to the king´s ball? Why, look at her, she would only disgrace us all." And so her father [holds] his peace." (3) Furthermore, he does not even struggle for improving his wife´s relationship and attitude towards Cinderella as he himself accompanies her to the ball. In this case he seems to be as weak and defenceless as well as Cinder Maid and it is obvious that Cinderella´s stepmother is the only one who is head of the family. Similar to the portrayal of the father in Jacobs´ "The Cinder Maid", this character in the brothers Grimm´ version stays aloof; in addition, when the prince asks him whether he has another daughter who could try to put on the slipper, he firstly denies her.

On the other hand, Disney´s Cinderella´s father, "a kind and devoted father . . . [who gives] his beloved child every luxury and comfort" (Disney, Cinderella), is mentioned only at the very beginning of the film because he dies shortly after his marriage with Lady Tremaine. It can be interpreted that Cinderella´s stepmother is the reason why the father dies at the beginning of the story. Although Samantha´s father in A Cinderella Story also dies at the very beginning, the reason of his death is explained, which is the earthquake.

According to these facts it implies that older men are not suitable for the fairy tales because their presence is very limited or they are not portrayed as the strong ones who help others to fulfil their dreams or survive difficulties connected to the main character´s life, which seems to be left to the prince. This suggests that a girl cannot rely on her father during harsh times but on the prince who will come and rescue her.

~ 35 ~

Although this is not connected with gender stereotypes, it still can be considered another kind of stereotypes, that is to say ageism, which can be described as "prejudice and discrimination against older people based on the belief that aging makes people less attractive, intelligent, sexual, and productive" (Chen 51). On the other hand, it can evoke in children that all old women are evil and the only men who they can rely on is a young and strong prince.

As for Cinderella´s biological mother, the authors are not concerned with her presence in the story as either her death is mentioned already at the very beginning of the story or there is no mention of her, as in Dahl´s version. Similarly to the analysis of Cinderella´s father, it seems that it is not appropriate to mention another female character with good qualities apart from Cinderella herself as the reader would not have to be attracted by the main protagonist. However, although the mother herself is not present in the story, there are some references to her through the presence of magic objects, such as her grave, and help to Cinderella.

In terms of relations, one significant fact cannot be omitted and it is the importance of the family. It is interesting that there is not any focus on the family cohesion or support of Cinderella during her harsh times. She has to handle the problems with the help of either the animals or supernatural power and her rescuer, not her father or mother. Furthermore, due to the absence of Cinderella´s mother and father, the portrayals of the main protagonists present in the fairy tale are very limited and one-sided since there are several dominant evil characters, such as the stepmother and stepsisters, and only one female character with positive traits, Cinderella herself, and one good male character, the prince whereas the rest of the people either plays a neutral part in this tale or they are not present in the story. Therefore, as it has been already suggested, little children acquire very limited interpretation of the reality, it leads to the idea that all older or unattractive women are evil and the only person the children can trust and who can provide them with happiness and satisfaction is "the prince".

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4.1.4. Presence of magic objects

As it was already briefly mentioned in the chapter concerning Cinderella herself, the presence of magic objects throughout the story is very specific for this fairy tale. In each version that were analysed for this work there are different types of magic objects that assist Cinderella either with assigned tasks or they help her dreams come true; the only exception is A Cinderella Story, there is not any occurrence of the supernatural power, yet still there are Samantha´s friends who serve as her help and support.

It is obvious that without the supernatural power Cinderella would not be able to attend the ball, meet the prince and finally become his wife and live happily ever after, which gives the impression of Cinderella´s incapacity to handle the problems herself. As in Grimms´ version, she depends on the magic pigeons throughout the whole story and with the help of the little tree on her mother´s grave she manages to attend the ball. Similarly, as in "Aschenputtel", there is a little bird and hazel tree to help the main female character in Jacobs´ "The Cinder Maid".

Animals play a significant part also in Disney´s variation of the story as they help Cinderella from the very beginning until the very end of the story. In addition, there is also Cinderella´s Fairy Godmother who creates necessary dress and accessories by magic so that Cinderella can attend the ball, the Magic Fairy occurs also in Dahl´s variation. It seems that, in terms of gender stereotypes, the only good female characters among Cinderella that can occur in fairy tales are "the relatively asexual fairies" (Keikirk 39) who are not present throughout the whole story and whose occurrence is not stressed enough. As it has been already suggested in the analysis above, it seems that there can be only one good as well as beautiful female character in the story otherwise readers would not have to sympathize with her.

Undoubtedly, this is not a proper conception of the reality the children should adopt by means of fairy tales. Not only does not it correspond with the truth, but, as it was already stated, the absence of other leading characters in the fairy tale also results in the children´s inadequate and stereotyped interpretation of the division of individuals, and especially women, in the real life.

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4.1.5. Portrayal of the prince

It seems that the only lead male character present in this fairy tale who is, at the same time, depicted as an idol and rescuer, can be the prince himself. Although he really is the one who saves Cinderella and helps her escape from her unsatisfied life at the end, he does not play a significant part throughout the whole story until the very end of the fairy tale. As for the rescue of the main character, it is obvious from the tale that the only possible salvation of Cinderella is the prince himself, the only hero who can provide her with happiness and welfare. What is interesting in connection with gender stereotypes and the influence on the children is the emphasis on the hero´s financial provision as even little girls are already guided to find a rich husband who will render them the necessary comfort that will secure their contentment.

Nevertheless, the prince is not portrayed only as a personage, he is also depicted as a very naive and unintelligent man who needs the help of others, namely the pigeons or little bird, otherwise he would not be able to recognize his upcoming wife whose the slipper belongs to although it is visible that the stepsisters cut their feet according to bloody slipper, as in Grimms´ and Jacobs´ versions.

In comparison with the two oldest versions, the other three differ to some degree in terms of the portrayal of the prince. For instance, the character in Disney´s Cinderella is not as present as in the other variations of the story, there is not many scenes with him in the film; moreover, he does not have any interest in getting married, he does not even search for his future bride with a lost slipper but the Grand Duke is in charge of it instead. Nevertheless, it is obvious that there is the King and the Grand Duke who seem to take actions and make decisions in the prince´s stead, they are involved in holding the ball so that he can get married and engender some grandchildren to the King who longs for them and forces the Prince to find "a suitable mother" (Disney, Cinderella). The prince´s main role in this variation is to get married.

On the other hand, the main male character in A Cinderella Story Austin, who embodies the prince, is one of many main characters present in the story who plays the significant part and who is crucial for unfolding the story. Although Austin is not a prince as such, he is considered to be the most handsome boy at school, he is a football

~ 38 ~ captain and is regarded by everyone. On the other hand, he is afraid to oppose his father and his intentions with him and can be even considered a coward as he does not defend Samantha when she needs it. Nevertheless, at the end of the story, but thanks to Samantha´s actions, he changes and decides to face the situation and problems. This sudden change in the prince´s behaviour and his portrayal as a coward can be connected to the development of the feminist movement as well, as Samantha is portrayed as the stronger one who is not afraid to express herself since women are considered to be equal to men and perhaps there is the emphasis put on this fact.

As it is typical for Dahl´s version of the story, the Prince, who is the only male character, is depicted in a completely different way than in the rest of the variations. He is portrayed as a sadist who has an avocation in violence, he himself chops the Ugly Sisters´ heads off as they try to deceive him by lies. Moreover, he uses vulgar and abusive words and he even calls Cindy a "dirty slut" (Dahl 12).

4.1.6. Prince´s affections towards Cinderella

Undoubtedly, an inseparable part of the analysis that cannot be omitted is connected to the prince´s attraction to the main female character. It is very interesting that in all versions there is an obvious correlation between the prince´s affection and Cinderella´s attractiveness, or rather her physical appearance.

In Grimms´ version, he falls in love with her immediately when he sees her at the ball as she looks "so beautiful in her golden dress" (Grimm). Similarly, in Jacobs´ "The Cinder Maid", the conditions of the prince´s feelings towards her are the same as in Grimms´ version. When he sees her for the first time, he is not fascinated by anything but her appearance as she wears the most beautiful dress on the ball. Therefore it is obvious that he falls in love with Cinderella only due to her external beauty, not internal one. Even the narrator mentions nothing but her look in the relation to the prince, there is not any passage that would describe a lovely or meaningful discussion between the prince and Cinderella. Correspondingly, Disney´s prince falls in love with Cinderella at the first sight, he is in love only with her appearance, they do not talk to each other except for their dancing or singing love songs, he does not even know her name.

~ 39 ~

However, as it is said in the film itself, "he loves her . . . [and he is] determined to marry her" (Disney, Cinderella).

Regarding Dahl´s version, which can be definitely considered controversial, it is not written in the text that he would be impressed directly by her appearance but the way Cinderella dances with him, she is very close to him and it is obvious from the text that he feels some sexual tension towards the main character, "the Prince himself [is] turned to pulp, [a]ll he [can] do [is] gasp and gulp" (6). At this time, it is not only woman´s beauty that attracts the men´s attention, it seems as it is not enough to be beautiful but a girl has to impress a man by touching him and by some closer contact. Moreover, when Cinderella wants to leave the ball, the prince does not want her to do so and he tears her dress by mistake. If we go into details, it is possible that he also likes her body.

On the contrary, it is obvious that the latest version of the story chosen for this thesis, A Cinderella Story, is completely different in relation to the main male character´s feelings towards the main female protagonist. They two fall in love with each other due to their personalities and mutual understanding rather than just due to the appearance; however, the latter finally intensifies their feelings. This difference can be connected with the 21st century as there is an appeal to children and teenagers that although they fancy each other, it is not the most essential item that should be decisive in the relationship. Furthermore, this appeal can be connected to the equality between men and women as the women are not only the sexual objects but they are equivalent to men.

As for the summary of this point related to the prince´s affections towards Cinderella, this representation of the emphasis on the eternal beauty can mean that it does not matter how clever you are, it is not necessary to reveal your real personality; on the contrary, everything a girl needs is to be beautiful to attract men´s attention and wait for her prince who will choose her to marry her and rescue.

Thanks to the emphasis of the beauty it is possible that not only small girls, but also small boys start consider beauty as an important attribute a girl should have. Already at elementary schools boys evaluate girls´ appearance and if there is a girl who

~ 40 ~ is deviating, she is considered ugly or uninteresting. Furthermore, it evokes in boys that they have to choose their future brides according to the appearance as it seems as if it could guarantee a happy life. This is also frequently connected with the fact that these beautiful girls will not talk back and they will keep the household and raise children, which stresses women´s subordination and biased role in society.

4.1.7. Wedding and marriage

Dealing with the wedding and marriage itself is also very interesting and cannot be ignored in this work. It is obvious that all versions, except for A Cinderella Story, result in the wedding although there is hardly a comment about the progress of the event or the progress of the life after the marriage. In Jacobs´ variation, there is only one sentence at the very end referring to the ending of the story, which is: "And so they were married and lived happy ever afterwards." ("The Cinder Maid" 12) Brothers Grimm´s variation, the progress of this occasion is described very briefly primarily in connection with the stepsisters´ punishment. On the contrary, Disney´s version is the only one that depicts the part of the wedding; however, it is only a brief selection of the occasion. The lack of the details concerning the wedding can imply the fact that even though the marriage with the rich and brave "prince" seems to be the main goal in a girl´s life, it is not necessary to be perturbed about the married life since the fairy tales indicates that, on the basis of the appearance and typical characteristics possessed by a man and woman, the spouses will live happily until the end of their lives.

As it is typical for Dahl and his variation of the tale, the ending and dealing with the wedding differs as well. Not only is it the only version that, although briefly, mentions the marriage and the characters´ satisfaction and happiness after the wedding, but Cinderella does not even marry the prince, she marries another man who she is happy with instead. Similarly, A Cinderella Story does not provide the audience with the wedding at all. This fact is certainly influenced by the modern age and the fact that there is an increasing number of young people who do not believe in the marriage as well as the later average when people enter into marriage.

~ 41 ~

Nevertheless, it is obvious that the fairy tale puts an emphasis on the importance of the wedding and marriage itself. Due to the lack of particulars concerning the marital life it seems that the best reward for a poor girl that has been suffering for a long time is the marriage with the prince. The typical phrase with which the fairy tales conclude is apposite and there is no need to focus on anything detailed, it is obvious that if you get married you will "live happily ever after" without any problems as the satisfaction and consequence of your previous negative experience. At the same time, as Neikirk suggests, there is also a close connection between the main female character´s attractiveness and the marriage as "the prince and the heroine have never spoken but [her] beauty is enough to ensure that their marriage will be [satisfactory]. The message this sends to girls is that the cultural expectation that they settle down and marry is of utmost importance" (39). This can evoke in children that they do not have to focus on the personality of your partners as if a girl is beautiful and a boy comes from a rich family, and they are beautiful enough, you will live happily and you will not experience any problems during your marriage.

4.2. Snow White

Although this fairy tale is not as celebrated as "Cinderella", it still can be considered an extremely famous story that is very favourite among not only children, but also adults. There are also a great number of variations of the tale although "there are markedly fewer modern texts, and there has been little study, of tales which overlap with the Snow White tale itself" (Anderson 43). As for the age of the story, similar to "Cinderella", its history is also rather old. As Anderson claims in his book, there "are a number of mythical or semi-mythical [stories of a girl called] Chione [that could be translated as] "Snowgirl" or "Snowey" (46), whose narrative is very similar to that of Snow White as we know today. Similar to "Cinderella", there were five different variations of this story chosen for the analysis. The first one is by the brothers Grimm called "Snow-white" that was originally published in the same book as the previous tale, i.e. Kinder- und Hausmärchen from 1812. "Snowwhite", which is the name of the second version, was

~ 42 ~ retold by Joseph Jacobs and this story, as well as "Cinderella", was published in the author´s collection of fairy tales called Europa´s Fairy Book in 1916. Disney´s film adaptation called Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which was based on the brothers Grimm´s version of the story, was his first animated film and it was released in 1937, 13 years before Cinderella, by Walt Disney Productions. This variation was directed by William Cottrell, David Hand, Wilfred Jackson, Larry Morey, Perce Pearce and Ben Sharpsteen. In 1939, Disney also received the Honorary Award for this 83 minutes long animated film ("Awards"). Roald Dahl is the next author whose variation was used for the analysis. "Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs", as well as "Cinderella", is the part of his book called Revolting Rhymes consisting of rhymed fairy tales that can be considered rather parodical and the main difference can be seen in the portrayal of the main female character as it is examined in the analysis below. Furthermore, there are some features of a modern age as the Seven Dwarfs are not miners as in the other versions but they are gamblers who lost all their money. Similar to the author´s "Cinderella", the end is also different from the other variations since Snow-White does not get married at all as the prince is not present in the story, she decides to be satisfied with money instead. The last version that was chosen is called Mirror Mirror, which is a film adaptation from 2012 with stars such as Julia Roberts and Lily Collins. The film was directed by Tarsem Singh and was released by Relativity Media. What has to be mentioned at the very beginning is the fact that this version is the only one that differs in the portrayal of the main characters. It is obvious that this variation was influenced by the 21st century and the feminist movement as it will be visible in the analysis concerning Snow White herself. Contrary to A Cinderella Story, the settings of the fairy tale is kept. As for the plot of the story, it always starts with the introduction concerning the little girl that was called Snow White due to her appearance. Since the king, Snow White´s father, marries another woman who became Snow White´s stepmother, there start harsh times for the little girl. Her stepmother is very jealous of her because of her beauty and she wants to divest of her regardless of the cost. Therefore she decides to hire a huntsman to kill the princess; however, he is not able to do that and he lets her go. Snow White then stays with the dwarfs who she lives with, she cleans their house,

~ 43 ~ cooks food etc. Nevertheless, the Queen finds out that Snow White is alive and she finds her in order to kill her on her own. When Snow White is dead, or sleeping, the dwarfs put her into a glass coffin so that everybody can see her beauty. One day, the prince encounters it and he falls in love with the princess. Then, either by the movement with the coffin or the kiss, Snow White is brought back to life and they get married. Regarding the plot, in contradistinction to "Cinderella", there are a great deal of differences in the variations of the story. The variances concern even the number of the dwarfs; while in the versions by the brothers Grimm, Disney´s and the two film adaptations there are seven dwarfs, in Jacobs´ there are only three. Another distinction is connected with the portrayal of the main female character, as it is further analysed below. As it was already mentioned, the biggest difference can be seen in Dahl´s version from the eighties. Since this is rather a parody, the dwarfs´ occupation is not miners but they are portrayed as former jockeys who lost their money "[a]t the race- track backing horses" (Dahl 26). The main themes, in which the author of the thesis was interested, are similar to those in the study of "Cinderella", namely the portrayal of the main female character, Snow White, and the portrayal of her stepmother. The analysis also concerns the presence of Snow White´s father and mother in the story. As there are not any magic objects that would help Snow White fulfil her dreams, apart from the mirror which brings her and the dwarfs wealth, the role of the dwarfs is analysed instead since they could be considered as a means of her help to survive during her harsh times. The next topic in the analysis is concerned with the prince himself and his affections towards the main female character

4.2.1. Portrayal of Snow White What is identical for all the versions is the fact that Snow White is a very attractive young girl; moreover, she is the most beautiful woman in the world. It is obvious that her beauty is emphasized throughout the whole story and it seems that without being beautiful, Snow White would not be alive. When the huntsman is supposed to kill her, he cannot do that because of her beauty, which is stressed in each variation of the tale. In Grimms´ version, Snow-white is "so lovely the huntsman [has] pity on her" ("Snow-white"), in Jacobs´, "she [is] so beautiful that his heart [fails] him,

~ 44 ~ and let her go" ("Snowwhite" 203). It seems that the only version where Snow White is not rescued thanks to her appearance is Dahl´s one; he decides not to execute her because of the fact that she is innocent and she did not do anything that she should be killed for, there is no mention of his mercy on her due to her beauty. In terms of children and their understanding of the world, it implies that, as in Cinderella´s case, if you are a beautiful young lady you do not have to worry about your life as your beauty will always save you.

At the same time, as the appearance is stressed very frequently, it is also gives the impression that it does not matter whether you are clever or good, in terms of justice, it seems that the fairness is judged only on the basis of beauty and nothing else matters. Children can interpret this that, for instance, their main goal in the life is to be beautiful as it is the only thing that is relevant. Furthermore, in terms of the main character´s beauty, she is so beautiful that the dwarfs do not even mind that she entered their house without their knowing it. It implies that if a girl is beautiful, she can do whatever she wants and even though she contravenes the norms of the society, she will not be punished.

Regarding other Snow White´s attributes apart from her beauty, she seems to be very naive as well as unintelligent. When the Queen comes to her to kill her, she does not bear in mind the dwarfs´ warnings not to talk to anybody and despite of that she accepts her poisoned gifts that serve to hurt her. In the brothers Grimm´s and Jacobs´ version, her unintelligence and inability to learn from her own mistakes is stressed to a greater extent as she accepts the objects three times although she almost died during the usage of the first two presents. Furthermore, Jacobs´ Snowwhite longs for the comb offered by the Queen so much that she decides to give her the golden ring "that her father [gave] to her" ("Snowwhite" 205).

On the other hand, it seems that in Disney´s adaptation she is not as naive as in the previous versions from 1812 and 1916 since there is only one gift that Snow White accepts, the poisoned apple. As for the two latest versions, Dahl´s and Mirror Mirror, there is not mentioned any object in the story connected with her naivety. On the contrary, in Dahl´s variation, Snow-White seems to be very clever as she steals the magic mirror without being caught and thanks to this she helps the dwarfs solve their

~ 45 ~ problems with money and Snow White herself becomes "a millionaire" ("Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" 28). As for the last version and the portrayal of Snow White´s prudence, at the very end, when the Queen wants to deceive her with the poisoned apple to kill her, she is very careful and she offers a piece of the apple to her to eat it first: "Age before beauty. It´s important to know when you´ve been beaten" (Mirror Mirror).

Undoubtedly, Snow White´s characteristic as being unintelligent gives the impression that the beauty, again, is the most important and valuable attribute a girl can have. It does not matter, you do not have to be prudent or careful as even though you experience something bad, you will be rescued by someone else, in this case the prince, immediately afterwards. However, if you really want to be rescued, you need to be beautiful otherwise, as it is suggested in the fairy tale, you cannot survive and be rescued. At the same time it can evoke in children the feeling that every pretty girl is unintelligent. It is a known fact that beautiful people, especially women, are connected with the lack of intellect, which is a widespread prejudice against models.

Snow White is also portrayed as a maiden; she can stay in the dwarfs´ house under the condition that she will "keep house for them" (Jacobs, "Snowwhite" 204), and she will "cook, and wash, and make the beds, and sew and knit, and keep everything tidy and clean" (Grimm, "Snow-white"). This can be connected not only with the maiden´s, but also mother´s role. This indicates that women´s primary role in their lives is to be mothers, stay at home and keep the household in order to satisfy men´s needs, which is one of the most widespread prejudice against women. It suggests that the only goal a girl should be interested in is to be the right mother, preferably attractive, and stay at home. On the contrary, Snow White in Disney´s version cleans the house without being asked to; however, the dwarfs still consider it an advantage. It is interesting that in Dahl´s version and Mirror Mirror the Snow White´s role as a maiden or cleaning lady is not stressed. This change can be connected with the fact that expectations from women are not strictly limited to their staying at home.

What cannot be omitted is the fact that Snow White is portrayed as a very courageous girl in the two latest variations; in Dahl´s one, Snow-White seems to be very brave as she steals the magic mirror and uses it to help the dwarfs solve their financial problems. Similarly, the main female character in Mirror Mirror is heroic as she is not

~ 46 ~ afraid to face the problem situations as well as the Queen herself. Moreover, Snow White can be considered to be equal to the dwarfs as she learns to fight like a man. In addition, this character is the one who rescues the prince several times throughout the story. It seems that Snow White adopts the role of the active protagonist as well as hero in this adaptation. Based on these facts, it is evident that the portrayal of the character changed because of the influence of the feminist movement and the focus on the equality between men and women, which is still, unfortunately, rather rare. However, thanks to such portrayals children can understand that even women are able to be helpful and they do not have to just wait passively for their prince.

4.2.2. Portrayal of the stepmother Similar to Cinderella´s case, even Snow White´s stepmother serves as the foil of the main female character in this story. As it is usual for the portrayals of stepmothers in fairy tales, the Queen is depicted as a very cruel and evil woman. In addition, she is also very jealous of Snow White because of her attractiveness and the stepmother´s jealousy and hate grows when she finds out that Snow White is even more beautiful than the stepmother, "and she [becomes] yellow and green with envy, and from that hour her heart [turns] against Snow-white, and she [hates] her" (Grimm, "Snow-white"). The Queen seems to be even more cruel in this tale as she hires the huntsman to kill Snow White in the woods and she demands her heart as the evidence of her death. The stepmother´s cruelty also grows throughout the story itself as she decides to kill Snow White on her own.

It is interesting that in case of the brothers Grimm´s and Dahl´s versions stepmother eats the heart whereas in the remaining versions it is not mentioned what she does with the heart, as in Jacobs´ version, or she is disgusted with Snow White´s viscera. Undoubtedly, the fact of eating the heart can raise children´s dismay of stepmothers in general and it implies that all older women who are beautiful are very malicious and they will do whatever they want to divest of their rivals in beauty.

As for the other characteristics, it is interesting that, in comparison to "Cinderella", the stepmother is portrayed as a very beautiful woman. As it has been

~ 47 ~ said, the stepmother is evil and she serves as the foil of Snow White which gives the impression that, again, the only good and positive main female character, who is beautiful at the same time, that can play the important role in the fairy tale is a poor young woman, or a girl, that suffers a lot. As it has been suggested in the analysis of Cinderella´s story, it is possible that this is related to the reader´s impression and sympathizing with the main character, in this case Snow White. It is obvious that this is also connected with the difference between the good and evil and the moral that the good always beats the evil. On the other hand, such stereotyped portrayals are very biased and one-sided as children can interpret this that women, especially the older ones, are always jealous of their beautiful rivals and they want to kill them.

As for the reason why the stepmother wants to kill Cinderella, in all versions it is because of her beauty except for Mirror Mirror. Although the stepmother is very jealous of Snow White because of her appearance, the reason why she wants to kill her is that Snow White is not afraid of talking back and she is able to say what she thinks, Snow White poses a threat to the Queen as she is "the rightful leader of [the] kingdom" (Mirror Mirror). This indicates that a girl cannot express herself since she can be punished for their opinion and therefore being passive seems to be most suitable.

It is necessary to mention dealing with the Queen´s punishment at the end of the story since each version stresses that the stepmother has to pay for her demeanour by her death. In terms of the moral lesson, it implies that the good always beats the evil; however, regarding gender stereotypes, this indicates that beauty and good attributes always defeat, which again stresses the importance of a girl´s appearance and her passive and submissive role in the society. Furthermore, this can suggest that attractive women who are not submissive and passive in the society are always connected with negative attributes and are the source of the evil.

4.2.3. Presence of Snow White´s father and mother Similar to Cinderella´s case, the role of Snow White´s father and mother is not usually present in the story. In all versions it is explained that her mother dies in child birth and since the father is not able to raise Snow White on his own, he decides to marry another woman. It is interesting that in comparison with "Cinderella", the main

~ 48 ~ female character´s mother does not provide her with any help or supervision by means of magic objects. As it has been suggested, it implies that there can be only one good female character present in the story which again gives the impression that only a young beautiful girl is good and the rest of women is either neutral or evil. The only exception is Mirror Mirror as there is Margaret who is on Snow White´s side and she seems to be her support during harsh times although her presence is not as important in the story.

As for Snow White´s father, he is introduced only at the beginning of the versions and then there is no other mention about him. He does not serve as Snow White´s support which also gives the impression, similar to "Cinderella", that the only male character that can save the princess in the prince himself, a young brave man whose love can solve all the problems.

The only exception is Mirror Mirror where the King appears at the end of the story. It is interesting that Snow White is the one who saves him as she manages to break the spell. At this point it is necessary to add that in terms of the portrayal of men, in this case the King, he seems to be weak as he is not able to recognize that the Queen only wants to trick him in order to achieve the wealth and his money. This also give the impression that beautiful women who are not submissive are always very mean and they long only for money.

At the same time it implies that men´s thinking is very shallow since they are interested only in the beauty of a potential wife and they are not aware of other attributes that could be important. This can be in relation to the fact that is stressed in the fairy tales very often, which again corresponds with the fact that the only thing that matters in terms of relationships and marriage is the appearance of the potential wife, if she is beautiful it is enough for the partners to be happy after the wedding (Neikirk 39).

4.2.4. Role of the dwarfs As it has been already mentioned, there is no presence of magic objects in this fairy tale that would serve as the help or support for the main character. Nevertheless, there are the seven dwarfs, three in Jacobs´ version, who provide Snow White with support and help her during her harsh times and they protect her from the evil Queen.

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Moreover, they save Snow White´s life when the stepmother tries to kill her. It must be pointed out that in this fairy tale there is not any other positive female character present in this story, which can evoke in children the image that women always embody the evil not only in fairy tales, but also in real lives. The only person a girl can trust is a male.

As for their characterizations, as it has been stated in the analysis concerning Snow White herself, the dwarfs are depicted as untidy men who are not able to maintain a household without female´s help. Similar to Snow White´s case and her portrayal as a mother, the dwarfs seem to play the role of the main character´s sons who has to provide them with the basic things that usually a mother does. This indicates that men cannot live without women´s help concerning the routines in the household as they are portrayed as untidy people who seem to be incapable of taking care about themselves. In addition, this also supports the correlation between the stereotype that women´s primary role in the society is to be mothers and housewives and that men are the only gender that should go to work and sustain the rest of the family.

As it was already stated, the dwarfs in Dahl´s version are depicted as gamblers who are not able to save the money and they need the help of Snow White. It is interesting that, together with Mirror Mirror, the main female character is portrayed as equal to the dwarfs or even more clever and intelligent who finally becomes their leader. This change is undoubtedly connected with the development and influence by the feminist movement and the emphasis on the fact that men and women are equal and there should not be any differences between these two genders.

4.2.5. Portrayal of the prince The depiction of the prince differs in the versions to some extent. While in Grimms´ and Jacobs´ version the prince is mentioned only at the end of the story in connection with the Snow White´s rescue, in Dahl´s version the prince is not mentioned at all. This can be interpreted that women do not need a man to be rescued, they are not dependent on males since they are capable enough to handle the problems themselves.

As for the two first versions of the story, Grimms´ and Jacobs´, the prince is portrayed as the rescuer and hero and if he would not be present, Snow White would not

~ 50 ~ be able to come back to life. He is the one who saves the princess and, as it is usual, he gets the princess as a reward. He seems to be the one who can decide about the life of Snow White, he takes for granted her going with him. It implies, again, that a girl´s only destiny is to wait passively for her rescuer as Snow White does not even consider his offer as she knows that there is nothing better than be with the prince who will, for sure, provide her with all the happiness as well as money and that women do not have the right to choose.

It is very interesting that there is no mention about the prince´s characteristics except for being attracted by Snow White and that he is portrayed as a very handsome young man as in Disney´s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The only variation which concerns with his attributes is Mirror Mirror. The prince is depicted as a very brave man who is not afraid of anything to protect not only himself, but also Snow White. On the other hand, this version is the only one where he is portrayed as equal to Snow White, or even weaker than the main female protagonist herself. When they first met, Snow White is the one who saves him in the woods and, at this time, he also has to request her. It is evident that this adaptation of the story is influenced by the 21st century and the equality between men and women is highly emphasized.

4.2.6. Prince´s affection towards Snow White Similar to "Cinderella", prince´s primary attraction to Snow White is based on her appearance. Although there are some differences in each version, it is obvious that the first impression was related to the main female character´s beauty. In Snow-white´s case in Grimms´ variation, the prince decides to stay with Snow White based only on one situation when he sees her in the coffin on the hill and he is so determined to obtain it that he is able to offer everything for that as he "cannot live without looking upon Snow-white" (Grimm, "Snow-white"). The similar case can be applied to the Jacobs´ version since he falls in love with Snow White at the first sight and he is determined to carry her home as well. This implies that women are good only to be looked at and again it emphasizes the importance of the appearance of a girl, which children can interpret this that a girl has to be beautiful enough to attract a man´s attention so that he

~ 51 ~ can be interested in her and decide to marry her. In addition, it indicates that only men are in the advantage of being the one who can "choose" their partners, not women.

Regarding the two other versions, Dahl´s one does not mention the prince at all, it is different from the variations analysed above. On the contrary, the prince and Snow White in Disney´s film know each other from the beginning of the story and it is obvious that they fall in love with each other immediately. In terms of children´s perception of the reality, this is undoubtedly a very good attitude as it does not emphasize only the importance of the beauty of a girl but also the mutual attraction. Nevertheless, the beauty is stressed throughout the story several times which also implies that the only thing that is essential is the appearance not only of a girl, but also a boy and it is not important to understand each other, but the relationship and consequent marriage is based only on the beauty of the two people.

Regarding Mirror Mirror, the main two characters also fall in love with each other primarily due to their appearance; however, there is the emphasis on the progress of their relationship throughout the story. This reversal is certainly connected with the stress on the fact that not only the appearance, but also the mutual understanding and other attributes are significant for a satisfying relationship in the 21st century.

4.2.7. Wedding and marriage While in the Grimms´, Jacobs´ version and Mirror Mirror the story concludes with the wedding, the remaining variations do not mention the wedding at all; however, it is obvious that even Disney´s story the wedding is expected. What is interesting is the fact that Dahl´s Snow White does not get married at all as she never meets with the Prince; as it was already mentioned, he is not present in the story at all. It is interesting that this is the only version that does not end with the wedding.

Similar to Cinderella´s case, it can evoke in children that the only goal in their life is the wedding. However, since no version concerns with the progress of the marriage except for the phrase "and they lived happily ever after", it can be deduced that the wedding always means the end of the story and there is nothing bad you can handle. The marriage is with no problems and it means that if you suffer during your single life,

~ 52 ~ you will be rescued by the prince, no one else. Moreover it gives the impression that you cannot live a happy life without a wedding with a prince as it is suggested in the versions of this story. The only exception, as it has been mentioned during the analysis, is Dahl´s version where Snow White does not get married at all and it seems that she can be happy without a man. On the other hand, neither this version is suitable for children as it can be interpreted that you cannot be happy without money.

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5. Conclusion

This diploma thesis dealt with the analysis of gender stereotypes in fairy tales, that is to say the characteristic portrayals of males and females in fairy stories, namely the five different versions of the most well-known stories of "Cinderella" and "Snow White" from the beginning of the 19th century to the present day. The main aim of this thesis was to focus on typical stereotyped and biased portrayals and their negative influence on children and their understanding of the reality. The analysis concentrated also on the alterations connected with the portrayal of the main female and male characters.

The research was based on the analysis of each interpretation of the tale, focusing on the main themes that were relevant for each tale, i.e. the portrayals of the main female character and other main female protagonists, which are Cinderella´s stepmother and stepsisters and Snow White´s stepmother, the presence of the main characters´ parents, the role of magic objects in "Cinderella" and the dwarfs in "Snow White". The next theme concerned the portrayal of the princes as well as their affections towards the main female protagonists and dealing with the subsequent wedding and marriage.

Regarding the portrayal of the female characters present in the stories, as the findings of the study showed, there are two basic depictions of the women, they are either good or evil. There are several attributes that the main female protagonists, i.e. Cinderella and Snow White have in common. Both characters are portrayed as very beautiful young women who have to endure misery from their stepfamily. They seem to be defenceless and passive throughout the whole story and they are evidently dependent on the help of either other animals or people. Thanks to the constant emphasis on the characters´ beauty, submissive role, kind personalities and the lack of the descriptions concerning their intellect in the versions it is evident that the most important attribute a girl can possess is her appearance, which can save her even from death and which will provide her with a courageous hero, who will make her happy as the satisfaction for passive waiting for the rescuer and harsh times she had to experience.

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At the same time, they are portrayed as servants who have to keep the household and satisfy others´ needs, which supports the prejudiced conception of women being devoted to staying at home and keeping the household, thanks to which children, whose understanding of the reality is very simplified, can perceive this biased notion of females as housewives as the primary goal in women´s lives.

The other type of the women that occurs in the fairy tales is the exact opposite of the main female characters and their portrayal is completely different as well. These characters are embodied by the stepmothers and stepsisters who are portrayed as evil, malicious and cruel women who want to destroy, or even kill, Cinderella and Snow White. Furthermore, in the majority of cases they are portrayed as unattractive females who are envious of the main characters´ beauty, which connects the unattractiveness with the negative traits and children can interpret this that all women who are not beautiful are "source of suspicion" (Neikirk 38) and they are jealous of their competitors in beauty.

Regarding the alterations of the portrayal of women throughout the centuries, there are not many differences in the typical depictions of the female characters. Nevertheless, the main variance can be found it the versions by Dahl and in the film adaptations of the stories, especially Mirror Mirror, where the difference is remarkable as Snow White seems to play the role of the heroine who is independent on other people and even saves the male characters in the story.

As for the typical portrayals of the male protagonists in the fairy tales, it is obvious that they are portrayed as the heroes and rescuers without whose help the princesses could not survive, they seem to be the only satisfaction for a girl for suffering during her harsh times and their meeting ensues in the wedding, which indicates that the only and primary goal in women´s life is the wedding with her rescuer, the prince. On the other hand, men are not present in the fairy tales as frequently as the female characters apart from the prince, which gives the impression that there is only the prince who women can trust and who they have to wait for to be rescued. In the case of "Snow White", men are depicted as unable to live without a woman´s help in the household, which also emphasizes the women´s necessary role as housewives.

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The only alterations concerning the depiction of the males in the fairy tales, as in females´ case, can be found in Dahl´s version and film adaptations of the stories as they are not present at all or they are portrayed weaker and dependant on the main female protagonists, which, undoubtedly, is the result of the impact of the feminist movement and the lifestyle in the 21st century.

As it is evident from the findings of the analysis, women are those who are frequently depicted in an inferior and passive role in the fairy tales which contributes to children´s stereotyped and biased perception of gender roles based on their simplified and superficial understanding of the reality. On the other hand, although men are not depicted as strong and active characters as they used to be, there still is the correlation between males and the positive and active attributes and females and the emphasis of the appearance and submissiveness or negative characteristics, which puts women into the disadvantage of being perceived in a stereotyped and biased way by children. Therefore it is necessary to draw our attention to these gender stereotypes and focus more on the equal portrayals of the two genders in fairy tales.

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Résumé

The aim of the thesis was to examine gender stereotypes in the stories of Cinderella and Snow White and their negative aspects in connection with children´s perception of the reality as well as the focus on the alterations in the chosen variations of the tales.

On the basis of the analysis it is evident that the female characters present in the fairy stories are described either as beautiful, submissive and unintelligent or as unattractive and evil women. In the majority of cases, the male protagonists, especially represented by the princes, are portrayed as heroes and rescuers without whose help the princesses would not be able to extricate themselves from their severe lives. These stereotyped and sexist portrayals are prejudiced in favour of men as they emphasize men´s positive attributes and stress women´s beauty and their inferior role in society.

Regarding the change in the character´s portrayal, it can be stated that the alterations have been made especially in Dahl´s versions and the film adaptations of the tales, which is connected with the feminist movement and the society in the 21st century.

Cílem práce bylo prozkoumat genderové stereotypy v různých verzích Popelky a Sněhurky a jejich negativní aspekty ve spojení s dětským vnímáním světa a zaměřit se na změny ve vybraných verzích těchto pohádek.

Na základě analýzy je zřejmé, že ženské postavy jsou popsány buď jako krásné, submisivní a neinteligentní nebo neatraktivní a zlé ženy. Ve většině případů mužské postavy, reprezentovány především princi, vyobrazeny jako hrdinové a zachránci bez jejichž pomoci by se princezny nebyly schopny vymanit ze svých krutých životů. Tato stereotypní a sexistické vyobrazení upřednostňují muže, jelikož zdůrazňují jejich pozitivní vlastnosti a kladou důraz na krásu žen a jejich podřadnou roli ve společnosti.

Co se týče změn ve vyobrazení postav, největší změny byly zaznamenány ve verzích Roalda Dahla a ve filmových adaptacích příběhů, což je jistě ovlivněno feministickým hnutím a společností ve 21. století.

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