I contend that the modern retelling of this might be framed through the nursing profession...nurses still showing up for work during Covid, hailed as 'heroes' to normalize their sacrifices. No surprise that nursing is a female dominated profession. Here is an interesting evaluation from National Institute of Health (back when that meant something- pre MAHA) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9749900/
I love this. I have a crystal clear memory of watching Cinderella at age five and thinking, during the scene where the stepsister rip her dress apart and the stepmother smirks, that being “kind,” and “good” meant taking the abuse. And my parents had no idea that’s what I internalized.
Enormous thanks to you, for grasping this particular story - a thorn, disguised as a rose, and using a different lens to recount the tale. It's incredibly useful. I recently said that I ended the search for a 'happy ending' - and not with sadness, but with relief and an ever-growing self-permission to enjoy who I am and what I have without self-sacrifice. More, please!
Thank you for writing this! I have been wanting to write feminist fairytales for years now but wasn’t quite sure where to start. This helped provide some inspiration!
I love this so so much! The reclaiming feels more powerful than the original as it makes the implicit in the original explicit and Wowzers!!!! A book of such fairy tales must exist?!?
There are a lot of feminist retellings out there, to be honest. I don’t necessarily like all of them, because often the feminist retelling is just “haha, but what if Cinderella was a bad-ass instead” which kind of misses the point of solid feminist retellings that deal with serious theory. But that doesn’t make them bad.
I remember that in several fairy tales the protagonist's father has died, and it is implied that he would have protected her from the evil and/or lazy women. I'll have to think more on that.
it is what healing justice work has been saying for decades. the symbolic reward in place of the material one. the virtue that substitutes for value. the closeness to something sacred offered instead of actual compensation.
the clink of coins returned like bad currency is going to stay in my body for a long time.
you write the way I hope to write someday. political precision dressed in story so the truth gets past the defenses. Thank you for always being an inspiration.
"Sometimes the most interesting thing you can do with a fairy tale is ask what happens after the princess realizes she deserved better all along", that sounds like envisaging that the story, that "Hero’s Journey" (Campbell) does have the "right" ending(s) - the hero's return (reintegration with society, their being a gift to the world, to their selfs) etc
Awfully good retelling. I was always a handful because the only princess I could relate to was Leia. I also wanted a lightsaber, though.
And Merida.
Yes, Merida too. Definitely. I was so glad when she came along.
I contend that the modern retelling of this might be framed through the nursing profession...nurses still showing up for work during Covid, hailed as 'heroes' to normalize their sacrifices. No surprise that nursing is a female dominated profession. Here is an interesting evaluation from National Institute of Health (back when that meant something- pre MAHA) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9749900/
I love this. I have a crystal clear memory of watching Cinderella at age five and thinking, during the scene where the stepsister rip her dress apart and the stepmother smirks, that being “kind,” and “good” meant taking the abuse. And my parents had no idea that’s what I internalized.
Great retelling of this story. Thank you for sharing this.
I love this so much! So powerful. It allows me to begin to have compassion for my (younger) self. Thank you.
Enormous thanks to you, for grasping this particular story - a thorn, disguised as a rose, and using a different lens to recount the tale. It's incredibly useful. I recently said that I ended the search for a 'happy ending' - and not with sadness, but with relief and an ever-growing self-permission to enjoy who I am and what I have without self-sacrifice. More, please!
Thank you for writing this! I have been wanting to write feminist fairytales for years now but wasn’t quite sure where to start. This helped provide some inspiration!
Loved this. What joy it would be to have a whole book of feminist retold fairytales written by you to read to our young ones.
Oddly enough, I do have a google doc shared with my sister. We are working on something…forthcoming. One day.
There is a book called “politically correct fairy tales” in which all the princesses save themselves.
I love this so so much! The reclaiming feels more powerful than the original as it makes the implicit in the original explicit and Wowzers!!!! A book of such fairy tales must exist?!?
There are a lot of feminist retellings out there, to be honest. I don’t necessarily like all of them, because often the feminist retelling is just “haha, but what if Cinderella was a bad-ass instead” which kind of misses the point of solid feminist retellings that deal with serious theory. But that doesn’t make them bad.
Recommended: The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter
This is wonderful. Plus the commentary. I’m so glad I had the good sense to follow you!
I remember that in several fairy tales the protagonist's father has died, and it is implied that he would have protected her from the evil and/or lazy women. I'll have to think more on that.
Your fairy tale is so beautifully written that it gave me chills !
“we have been paid in stories. we want wages.”
it is what healing justice work has been saying for decades. the symbolic reward in place of the material one. the virtue that substitutes for value. the closeness to something sacred offered instead of actual compensation.
the clink of coins returned like bad currency is going to stay in my body for a long time.
you write the way I hope to write someday. political precision dressed in story so the truth gets past the defenses. Thank you for always being an inspiration.
Wow, your writings are remarkable.
"Sometimes the most interesting thing you can do with a fairy tale is ask what happens after the princess realizes she deserved better all along", that sounds like envisaging that the story, that "Hero’s Journey" (Campbell) does have the "right" ending(s) - the hero's return (reintegration with society, their being a gift to the world, to their selfs) etc
What a lovely retelling, thank you!
Starve the fuckers out.