A detailed essay which looks closely at the gender issues in the classic Grimms' tales, from Cinderella and Rapunzel to the more obscure Frau Holle(to name just a few).
The essay explores how the tales were edited by the Grimms to cater for the gender roles established by the up and coming bourgeois in Germany.
Table of Contents
1. Sexual Repression and Prudery.
2. Christian Values.
3. Passivity.
4. Domestication.
5. Motherhood.
6. Conclusion.
Objectives and Research Focus
This essay explores the extent to which the Brothers Grimm aligned their fairy tales with nineteenth-century bourgeois notions of gender, specifically focusing on how they reworked original folk narratives to acculturate women to social roles such as modesty, domesticity, and passivity.
- Analysis of gender-specific social roles in the nineteenth century.
- Comparative study of original vernacular versions versus the 1812 and 1857 editions.
- Investigation of sexual repression and the construction of female virtue.
- Examination of the dichotomy between silence and passivity versus curiosity.
- The role of the mother and stepmother in reinforcing family ideology.
Excerpt from the Book
Sexual Repression and Prudery.
According to Sarah Slavin, during the 19th century there was an attempt to recast women as lesser sexual creatures than men, and enforce a sexual prudery upon them. This was particularly the case for the bourgeoisie, who, in an attempt to draw the sexes further apart, epitomised purity and modesty as ideal characteristics for the genteel woman. To what extent, then, did the Grimms consciously cultivate fairy tales as a means to regulate female sexuality? In some cases, such as Rapunzel, this process appears particularly clear. In the original 1812 version, Rapunzel complains about her clothes tightening following her daily romps in the tower with the prince. The text thus, unexpectedly to those of us used to the modern, sanitized versions, refers explicitly to sex before marriage.
In the 1857 version however, Rapunzel’s lewd is substituted with a sentence accidentally disclosing the prince’s visits to Frau Gothel, the witch keeping her locked in the tower: “sag Sie mir doch, Frau Gothel, wie kommt es nur, Sie wird mir viel schwerer heraufzuziehen als der junge Kӧnigssohn?”. Rapunzel’s pregnancy is thereby deleted and replaced with an innocent statement revealing nothing more than the prince’s visits, thus removing all sexual overtones from the story. Her oblivious betrayal is also very in keeping with the image of the innocent, naive bourgeois girl. Furthermore, the prince first asks “ob sie ihn zum Manne nehmen wollte” (89) thereby legitimising any amorous activity with the promise of matrimony.
Summary of Chapters
Sexual Repression and Prudery: This chapter analyzes how the Grimms modified stories like Rapunzel and Der Froschkönig to remove explicit references to premarital sexual activity, replacing them with narratives that emphasize bourgeois modesty.
Christian Values: This chapter explores how Christian dogma, particularly the association of femininity with Eve’s sin, led the Grimms to characterize female curiosity as a vice while treating male curiosity as a form of noble determination.
Passivity: This chapter discusses how the Grimms promoted female passivity by rewarding heroines who remain inert and dependent, while contrasting this with the active roles typically assigned to male heroes.
Domestication: This chapter examines the Grimms' emphasis on the domestic sphere, analyzing how tales like Schneewittchen and Frau Holle were used to reinforce the ideal of the industrious, obedient, and domestic woman.
Motherhood: This chapter investigates the stark contrast between the virtuous natural mother and the evil stepmother, arguing that the Grimms used this binary to uphold the sanctity of motherhood within the bourgeois family structure.
Conclusion: This final section synthesizes the findings, confirming that the Grimms intentionally reworked their tales to serve as a guide for bourgeois femininity and gender-based social norms.
Keywords
Brothers Grimm, 19th Century, Bourgeoisie, Gender Roles, Femininity, Sexual Repression, Domesticity, Passivity, Christian Values, Motherhood, Stepmother, Fairy Tales, Socialization, Virtue, Patriarchy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper examines how the Brothers Grimm adjusted their fairy tales across various editions to reflect and enforce the gender ideologies of the nineteenth-century bourgeoisie.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The central themes include the regulation of female sexuality, the reinforcement of female silence and passivity, the promotion of domesticity as a virtue, and the ideological construction of motherhood.
What is the primary research question?
The research seeks to determine the extent to which the Brothers Grimm consciously tailored their tales to serve as narrative models for the social and behavioral expectations of the nineteenth-century middle class.
Which methodology is employed in this study?
The author employs a comparative textual analysis, contrasting the original folk-tale versions with the 1812 and 1857 editions, while integrating historical and psychoanalytical perspectives.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body systematically covers the specific gender-based mechanisms of social control, including sexual repression, the Christian roots of female subordination, the promotion of passivity, domestic expectations, and the mother-figure dichotomy.
How would one characterize the key terms of this study?
The key terms center on the intersection of folklore and social history, specifically regarding the "bourgeoisification" of literature to instill values of chastity, industry, and submissiveness in young women.
How do the Grimms handle the portrayal of the "witch" character?
The author argues that the witch is used as an antithesis to the "good mother" and serves as a negative example of a woman who operates outside of social and familial norms, thereby reinforcing patriarchal values.
In what way does the essay interpret the "happy ending" in the tales?
The author interprets these endings not merely as plot resolutions, but as rewards for the heroine's adherence to bourgeois virtues, such as modesty, obedience, and passive waiting for a suitor.
- Quote paper
- Leanne Harper (Author), 2011, To what extent do the Brothers Grimm conform to contemporary eighteenth century notions of gender in their tales?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/200826
