Monday, April 2, Period Two

Students, upon entering the classroom, discover that it is decorated in a strange mixture of very "boyish" sports themes and very "girlish" flowers and kittens. Aziraphale looks a little apologetic, as he stands to begin the lecture.

"As you may be able to tell from the unusual decorations, today we'll be discussing Gender Roles in fairy tales. There are, of course, exceptions to every rule, so please keep in mind that not every tale will fit the models we discuss today."

LECTURE: "Most fairy tales separate the genders into very traditional roles, according to whether they fulfill the purpose of hero or villain. Male heroic figures are generally either princes or poor but clever youths. They are adventurous, brave, and demonstrate an ability to overcome obstacles through the use of cleverness and often deceit. They fight, solve problems, find treasure, rescue princesses, and outwit monsters and witches. Male villains are very often monstrous -- giants, ogres, dragons, trolls -- and are gluttonous, lustful and wrathful. Both the heros and the villians share very stereotypical 'male' traits as well: skills in weaponry, outdoorsmanship, and the handling of animals; an interest in treasure or leadership; positions of social power. Even the poor 'Jack' figures are often the male representative in the household.

"Female heroic figures usually rely on their wits and their womanly skills. They use their ability to sew, cook and tend children in order to reach their goals. They generally do not use conventional weapons or go out into the world on adventures, and they are often put into the position of being the 'prize' or 'reward' in a story. Their lives are controlled by a male figure -- father, brother, husband, etc. Female villains are nearly always either evil sorceresses or hags, who cast curses and spells. They are motivated by jealousy, vanity, and greed."

CLASS DISCUSSION: "Using the three tales assigned for today's reading: "Rushencoatie", "Johnny Gloke", and "Baba Yaga"", choose a male character and a female character and discuss how they are portrayed in the stories. How do they represent the traditional stereotypes of men and women as they appear in fairy tales?

"To start you off, I'll give two examples, from earlier reading assignments. In "Little Snow White", the evil queen is an excellent example of the stereotypical Female Villain. She practices witchcraft, an art associated with women much more strongly than with men. She is motivated by her personal vanity, believing herself to be the most beautiful woman in the land until Snow White comes of age. To rid herself of her rival, she does not attempt to kill the girl with her own hands, but rather first sends a loyal male figure to do it for her, and then later uses a potion -- related to the art of cooking -- to create a poison apple. Instead of fighting, she employs disguise and subterfuge as her weapons.

In "Jack and the Beanstalk", the Male Hero is the only male in his household, therefore holding the traditional position of power in what would be his most immediate world. He exhibits bravery in setting off alone to climb the beanstalk, and although he doesn't fight with the giant directly, he does make use of an axe to bring down the beanstalk and kill his enemy."

READING ASSIGNMENT: "Read "The Fairy Serpent". We will meet next week in the Danger Shop for another Immersion Study.

ABSENCE LIST:
Matilda Wormwood (five absences) excused
Jude Lizowski (one absence)

[ooc: Please wait for OCD is up and class is now in session.]



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