Gendered Messages in Fairy Tales
Fairytales contribute to the perpetuation of gender inequity. These stories educate youngsters to perceive the world through a distorted lens by promoting hazardous preconceptions. Have you ever noticed how many fairytales sound the same? Mistreatment, helplessness, or abandonment of a young, beautiful, naive girl. She is confronted with numerous obstacles that she cannot overcome on her own. She desires freedom, so she waits for a prince to come to her rescue. Her patience is rewarded when, after a lengthy wait, a young, attractive, accomplished, and determined man appears and saves the day. Following that, he marries her. Many people have spoken with believing these stories are harmless since they finish nicely, but they aren't. They reinforce conventional female (and male) characteristics and provide subliminal messages that can influence children's perceptions of life, love, and marriage from an early age. It's impossible to change a child's mentality once they hav