Essay from the year 2013 in the subject Literature - Comparative Literature, Boston University, course: Fairy Tales and Literature, language: English, abstract: In classic fairy tales, the main character is, more often than not, a female figure. She is usually innocent, sweet, and beautiful, and the tale revolves around her. Beneath this surface, however, one can see many different depictions of female figures in fairy tales. Fairy tales evolve over time through different versions told by different authors, and "Rapunzel" is no exception. One of the very first renditions of the tale appeared as a short story by the Italian writer Giambattista Basile, published in 1637. However, the story did not gain popularity until after 1857, the year it was published by The Brothers Grimm. This later version differed from its predecessor because of its depiction of females as weak and helpless, reflecting society's concrete view of gender roles at the time in which it written. The story essentially evolved from Basile's neutral standpoint to a misogynistic tale that is the most common version of "Rapunzel" today. The Grimms' version of "Rapunzel" was also the first to be targeted to children. Therefore, their rendition continued to gain popularity as it was passed from one generation's children to the next, which contributed to how it became the most well-known version of the story. Attempts at eliminating the gender bias present in the Grimms' version and restoring the original tale through modern retellings of the story have been made, and one of these attempts is the Disney film Tangled. However, these efforts ultimately fail since society is most comfortable with the version they know so well, which includes the use of heroic male characters and weak females. In the version of "Rapunzel" by The Brothers Grimm, the reader is ultimately taught that women are nothing without men. This is not an accurate or appropriate representation of females, but this version's success suggests that it is a concept that society continues to support today.

Discover a collection of fairy tales unlike the ones you've read before . . . Once upon a time, in the middle of winter, a King sat at a window and sewed. As he sewed and gazed out onto the landscape, he pricked his finger with the needle, and three drops of blood fell onto the snow outside. People have been telling fairy tales to their children for hundreds of years. And for almost as long, people have been rewriting those fairy tales - to help their children imagine a world where they are the heroes. Karrie and Jon were reading their child these stories when they hit upon a dilemma, something previous versions of these stories were missing, and so they decided to make one vital change.. They haven't rewritten the stories in this book. They haven't reimagined endings, or reinvented characters. What they have done is switch all the genders. It might not sound like that much of a change, but you'll be dazzled by the world this swap creates - and amazed by the new characters you're about to discover.

A prince tries to get Rapunzel to throw down her hair so he can rescue her, but she mishears him and throws down random objects from her room instead. This retelling of the classic fairy tale demonstrates how misunderstandings can lead to things working out 'happily ever after'.

Seminar paper from the year 2017 in the subject Communications - Movies and Television, grade: 1,3, University of Duisburg-Essen (Department of Anglophone Studies), course: Applied Linguistics, language: English, abstract: Media is a big part of people’s everyday lives. It influences both how we see ourselves and how the world sees us. Media can be divided in many different types, for example: television, shows, movies, the radio, newspapers, advertisements and the internet. One of the most famous producers of children’s media is the Walt Disney Company. Since 1937 many movies, shows and other products were designed and published in order to entertain children. Thus, results a huge influence on children’s perception of the world and how they see themselves in the world. In all of them are images of women and men, which are represented in different ways and with different traits. One popular production of Disney is the Disney princess line which was created 2001 and includes more than 25,000 different products. Currently, the line includes ten movies; four of them will be analysed in this term paper: "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937), "Pocahontas" (1995), "Tangled" (2010) and "Frozen" (2013). These movies have an influence on children and their images of gender roles. But, how are gender roles represented in these movies and is there a remarkable change over time? This term paper will give an overview about the most influential movies of the Disney Princess line and how the image of female characters is presented. It is difficult to analyse all aspects of gender roles but the most obvious ones are regarded and how many differences exist in these four movies.

How to Raise Empowered Girls in a Princess World! It's no secret that little girls love princesses, but behind the twirly dresses and glittery crowns sits a powerful marketing machine, delivering negative stereotypes about gender, race, and beauty to young girls. So how can you protect your daughter, fight back, and offer new, less harmful options for their princess obsession? The Princess Problem features real advice and stories from parents, educators, psychologists, children's industry insiders that will help equip our daughters to navigate the princess-saturated media landscape. With excellent research and tips to guide parents through honest conversations with their kids, The Princess Problem is the parenting resource to raising thoughful, open-minded children. "a very insightful look at our princess culture...Parents—this is a must read!" — Brenda Chapman, Writer/Director, Disney/Pixar's BRAVE

In this version of Rapunzel, the heroine breaks the enchantment put on her by the ogress who keeps her prisoner with the aid of three acorns.