LE3 .A278 2010

2010

Wyile, Andrea Schwenke

Acadia University

Bachelor of Arts

Honours

English

English & Theatre Studies

This thesis examines the villains and heroes in classic tales from both Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm, and questions the continued popularity of their tales with modern audiences. The first chapter examines female villains as “ anti- women” in Perrault’s and the Grimms’ versions of “ Cinderella” and “ Sleeping Beauty.” The second chapter studies the relationship between the female hero and the male villain in the tales “ Little Red Riding Hood,” and “ Bluebeard.” Finally, the third chapter explores the tales from a modern context through Anne Sexton’s Transformations, and Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber, focusing on how these female writers subvert the patriarchal concepts found in continually popular versions of tales told by Perrault and the Brothers Grimm. Ultimately, this discussion of fairy tales will establish the historical context of the classic fairy tale while exploring the limitations of the classic tale’s didactic message by comparing them to contemporary authors who have subverted the lesson- learned tales, and challenged the patriarchal concepts in which these lessons are ingrained.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:698