Homework: Due Tuesday, May 15th
The Role of Gender in Fairy Tales
Dear Parents,
The
class has spent the past week or so studying fairy tales to see what, if any,
messages they send about being a girl versus being a boy. We read Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty to see how female lead characters are portrayed.
Next, we read Puss in Boots and Jack and the Beanstalk to see how male
lead characters are portrayed.
What
did we find?
·
The most
important characteristic of the female lead characters is their beauty.
·
Females
consistently find themselves in danger but are rescued by a male (often a
prince) and subsequently marry into wealth for a “happily ever after” ending.
·
Female skills
(even if they are a princess) are cleaning and cooking
·
Male lead
characters are described as clever and brave.
·
Male lead
characters devise a plan to save themselves from danger or some other
predicament.
·
Male skills are
providing and protecting
We are now in search of fairy tales (or similar type
tales) that break this mold. The kids have each been matched with a story. They
had time at school to read through it and to analyze its content using the
following questions as a frame:
·
What are the main
characters strongest attributes (abilities, strengths)?
·
What powers does
the main character have to make decisions for themself or for others?
·
What does the main character dream of
doing/becoming/being?
·
How is the
problem solved for the main character?
I’ve
now asked the kids to bring their book home and read it to you. As the two of
you read
it together be on the lookout for messages, both positive and negative,
relating to gender. When you finish your reading engage in a written conversation
about what each of you noticed. My hope is to have the kids come back
in next Tuesday ready to share some good stories as well as to teach us
about what messages these books are sending.
As I listen to the kids present their books next week
I’ll be interested to see if there are fairy tales where the female lead
character saves herself (or even a male)? I’ll also be curious to know if more
recent stories are more likely to have strong female characters than the
traditional ones? We’ll see.
I will share the results of this study in a future
newsletter on the class blog. I’ll also offer more insight into both the
academic and social goals of such a critique.
Thanks for your support in making this study a success.
Chris
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