Gender Stereotypes in the Selected Stories of Grimm’s Fairy Tales: An Analysis Dr. S. Barathi Assistant Professor Department of English SRC, SASTRA University Kumbakonam. Pin- 612 001. barathi0723@gmail.com

ABSTRACT Fairy tales are taught to young children during their primary education throughout the world to impart moral values in them. Fairy tales exist in many languages which are more specific to the cultures in which they were written. The culture represented in fairy tales helps to a great extent in the socializing process of children and they are widely influenced by these stories which help them to understand the gender roles. But in most of the fairy tale stories we come across stereo typical characters like the witches, the innocent women dominated by men and most of the male characters are portrayed as noble ones. Despite loosened gender role prescriptions, fairy tales surprisingly still disseminate stereotypical images of men and women. Many of these stories portray their heroes as powerful, tough, and dominant while the heroines are selflessly dedicated and submissive damsels in distress. The present study aims at locating the gender stereotypes with reference to Grimm’s Fairy Tales, as it portrays universal characters from the West.

Male domination is so rooted in our Male domination is so rooted in our collective unconscious that we no longer even see it. It is so in tune with our expectations that it becomes hard to challenge it. – Pierre Bourdieu

Introduction Women are often portrayed as nimble, fragile creatures by various writers. A study of fairy tales will reveal how the characters are portrayed. This article deals with the contribution of fairy tales in the formation of gender identity among young people in a process of socialization into gender roles as they grow up. The research uses qualitative method for analyzing six texts from the Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

Fairy Tales - Origin and Development Fairy tales are short stories that typically feature fantasy characters such as the mermaids elves, fairies, dwarfs, etc. These tales are transmitted from generation to generation through oral tradition similar to that of folk tales.

Writers influenced by Fairy Tales Louisa May Alcott, Hans Christian Andersen, Lewis Caroll, Kenneth Grahame, Brothers Grimm, C. S. Lewis, Richard Scarry, and R. L. Stevenson. (Writers of past) Steven Spielberg, Shirley Temple, Willow (Writers of present) Claude Debussy, Edward Elgar, Leos Janacek, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Richard Wagner (Famous composers)

British and Irish Fairy Tales Alice in Wonderland Beauty and the Beast Hansel and Gretel Little Red Riding Hood The Adventures of Pinocchio Rapunzel Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs The Ugly Duckling

Gender stereo types: Definition The Dictionary of Sociology defines Gender Stereo types as: … one-sided and exaggerated images of men and women which are deployed repeatedly in everyday life. They are found commonly in the mass media because they operate as widely understood shorthand. Sociologists often see stereotyping as part of the process by which children are socialized into sex roles and by which adults and children are denied opportunities for more individually varied development. (“encyclopedia.com”)

Fairy tales and Gender Stereo types Envy of beauty - Jorinda and Jorindel Cruel step mother - Hansel and Gretel, Mother Holle Fairies as jealous Creatures- Rapunzel Women with greed- The Fisherman and his Wife Old woman as a counselor-The Twelve Dancing Princes Male domination- The Robber Bridegroom

Gender Socialization Gender socialization occurs through such diverse means as parental attitudes, schools, how peers interact with each other, and mass media. Sometimes gender roles lead to inequality.

Fairy tales and Theories Social constructionist cognitive development theory Identity theory and identity control theory Gender polarization Androcentrism Biological essentialism.

Impact of Gender bias on Female Characters in Grimm’s Fairy Tales Around the age of nine in the U.S., the impact of the gender-biased socialization contributes to problems related to body image and self-esteem. - Gurian (“education.com”) Girls often perceive themselves in terms of their attractiveness to boys.

Conclusion Fairy tales play a crucial role in reinforcing gender stereotypes. The study of the selected fairy tales from Grimm’s Tales shows that stereotypes pertaining to masculine and feminine roles exist in the use of language, context and illustration in the tales. This article contributes to a better understanding of how gender stereotypes are characterized in fairy tales and this could be extended to contemporary fairy tales and study can be conducted to compare them both.

Scope for Further Studies Effectiveness of Fairy tales to teach ethics to children.  Fairy tales as a resource in ESL and EFL Classrooms

THANK YOU