Abstract
The role of women in folktale and fairytale has a pioneering consideration. It presents their effective voices and presence through being queen, princess, maid, stepmother, and witches. Topics like evil and good are discussed prolifically through different female images to legitimize the representation and value of women in many cultures. Scholars point out that the representation of women in folktale and fairytale has been based on certain basic images of passivity, beauty, wickedness, goodness, strength, and power. Heroines of such tales are popularized by their powerful figures as being cruel stepmothers or wise witches. These stereotypical female characters appear so effective in rescuing or changing destiny of other young women. To feminism, these tales refer explicitly to the important images of woman that seems to stress the significant role of her in societies. Moreover, feminist movement tackles the transformation of the female voice of these tales from marginalization to centralization. In one hand, feminist scholars rejected the indifference of societies when women are placed in subvaluable position, and on the other hand, they challenged the patriarchal authority to reevaluate the role of woman. Hence, the figure of queen, princess, maid, witch, stepmother, or godmother are representatives of women-centered tales that modify their minority and being object to majority and the subject of the action. This elite concept is focused by the researcher through taking into consideration the examples of wicked stepmother, godmother, innocent princess, and clever maid in some tales such as Cinderella, the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Seven Swans, Beauty and the Beast, and Alice in Wonderland. Keywords: Folktale, Fairytale, Dream Stories
Highlights
The fairy and folk tales are associated with women as they are tales of old mothers and grandmothers
Strong feminine characters could be found in real and imaginative tales in that both images reflect the influential voices of women
In 1970s, Alison Lurie asserts in her article Fairy Tale Liberation that “folktales and fairy tales can advance the cause of women’s liberation, because they depict strong females” (1)
Summary
The fairy and folk tales are associated with women as they are tales of old mothers and grandmothers. Fairy and folk tales can be devoted to enhance the concept of women’s self-expression because the protagonists of these tales depict powerful female’s personality. In 1970s, Alison Lurie asserts in her article Fairy Tale Liberation that “folktales and fairy tales can advance the cause of women’s liberation, because they depict strong females” (1). Women’s liberation within fairy and folk tales records female’s popularization as powerful and influential subjects that have ability to change the life line of other characters. They appear to grip the events of the stories and to control the tale’s text with their good or evil spell
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