Perrault’s version of the same fairy tale, ‘Cinderella; or The Glass Slipper’, provides an interesting contrast to Basile’s version. There is also a shift in conceptions of the child and childlike. Whereas for Basile, children and adults were not seen as different, for Perrault, this was beginning to change during the latter half of the seventeenth century. Children came to be seen as pure, innocent and in need of guidance whilst the fairy tale came to be seen as ‘childlike’ and unsophisticated (Capena, ‘Literary’, 39). Perrault was interested in the educational power of the fairy tale and was the first to start aiming a book at children (Aries, 19. Zipes, 16.). However is Perrault’s fairy tales more innocent? Perrault’s version of the
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Perhaps in this sense, Perrault’s rendition of Cinderella is far more childlike in comparison to ‘Cat Cinderella’. Perrault’s Cinderella does not contain the violence, manipulation or savagery as discussed previously in Basile’s ‘Cat Cinderella’, and thus much more innocent. However, the fairy tale is still dangerous to children. The tale depicts dangerous and disturbing attitudes toward and stereotypes of women (Robbins, 106). Cinderella is submissive, she is acted upon as though she is an object (Parsons, 144), yet her ability to withstand the abuse which she suffers and with the help of her godmother to hide any signs of class, highlighting her physical beauty, means she is rewarded in the end by entering into a higher class (Parsons, 144. Robbins, 106 – …show more content…
To begin with, Basile’s ‘Cat Cinderella’ highlighted a different side of the ‘childlike’, the violet, greedy nature which Tatar had commented on. Zozella’s manipulation and cunning go unpunished in the end, she is never punished for the murder of her stepmother in the beginning. Perrault’s tales, on the surface, appear innocent. Yet they are harmful in their conception of attitudes toward women, especially when considering the function of fairy tale as a tool for socialization. Finally, a shift in conceptions of the childlike were highlighted in the latter half of the twentieth century. Carter reflected this change. Her fairy tales dealt with adult themes of sex and sexuality without covering them out or punishing in expressing any
Perhaps in this sense, Perrault’s rendition of Cinderella is far more childlike in comparison to ‘Cat Cinderella’. Perrault’s Cinderella does not contain the violence, manipulation or savagery as discussed previously in Basile’s ‘Cat Cinderella’, and thus much more innocent. However, the fairy tale is still dangerous to children. The tale depicts dangerous and disturbing attitudes toward and stereotypes of women (Robbins, 106). Cinderella is submissive, she is acted upon as though she is an object (Parsons, 144), yet her ability to withstand the abuse which she suffers and with the help of her godmother to hide any signs of class, highlighting her physical beauty, means she is rewarded in the end by entering into a higher class (Parsons, 144. Robbins, 106 – …show more content…
To begin with, Basile’s ‘Cat Cinderella’ highlighted a different side of the ‘childlike’, the violet, greedy nature which Tatar had commented on. Zozella’s manipulation and cunning go unpunished in the end, she is never punished for the murder of her stepmother in the beginning. Perrault’s tales, on the surface, appear innocent. Yet they are harmful in their conception of attitudes toward women, especially when considering the function of fairy tale as a tool for socialization. Finally, a shift in conceptions of the childlike were highlighted in the latter half of the twentieth century. Carter reflected this change. Her fairy tales dealt with adult themes of sex and sexuality without covering them out or punishing in expressing any