Abstract
Popular public events like the Miss America Pageant, which place women’s value at their purpose, are important bellwethers for how American society evaluates femininity, race, and class. The pageant, a colossal yearly media event, is conditioned by antiquated ideals as a consequence of its alignment with fairy tale mythologies. Children’s fables like “Cinderella,” “Rapunzel,” and “Snow-White” published and popularized since the nineteenth century, continue to exert influence over women’s identity. The thematic structures in this body of literature, where the heroine is described as a princess, draw conclusions among femininity, beauty, race, and success, creating a perceptible formula—the measure of ideal womanhood. In a corresponding manner, the pageant places similar limits on possible outcomes for women. Those who vie for the title of Miss America follow a list of criteria—the rules that determine which among them will reign for the year. Princess literature supplies cues and examples for women to follow, without entertaining the idea that diverse strategies and women of unique backgrounds have a multitude of routes to choose from in order to reach their goals.
Published Version
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