I found part of an interesting book about using literature with young adult woman. One of the chapters was about strong female characters in fantasy. One fairy tale discussed was Daughter of the Forest. Another fairy tale from that chapter was The Little Mermaid because the subsection was about silent female roles. Here are some questions to think about:
In what ways are the girls' characters cast in passive roles instead of active ones? Why and how do they take charge of their own lives? What do they gain when they do? What are the consequences of not doing so?
What sacrifices do girls make for others happiness? How much do girls have a duty to make others happy versus how much they have a duty to make themselves happy? Would you make the sacrifices the girls do in these tales? Why or why not?
In all these stories the girls end up with a man, sometimes a princes, sometimes not. What makes these men the right ones for the girls to choose? Could not choosing also be a happy ending?
Last column
13 years ago
2 comments:
How interesting that I did not see Sorcha as sacrificing for her brothers to make them happy. I was just glad that for once the fairy tale had a woman cast as a strong heroine who DOES the rescuing rather than the damsel in distress who needs rescuing!
What thoughtful questions! I may need to read and share the book you link to with my daughters.
Post a Comment