Have you ever heard the iconic saying, “It’s a Man’s World, We Just Live in It”? Well, this saying is relatively important to past and modern-day society. Women’s rights are being taken away, for example, overturning Roe v. Wade, and women are constantly being discriminated against. Not only in literature such as fairy tales but also in TV shows, movies, campaigns, politics, etc. Children’s literature supposedly for kids is also discriminating against women and men. Fairy tales, if you do not know, are stories that have evolved and share a blend of cultural beliefs, significant events, and/or past-held values. They were created to entertain and reflect on past periods. Fairy tales can offer an escape to anyone of any age, gender, or race. However, while they can be a magical read, some stories provide a traditional and gender-stereotypical view. They depict women and men as very separate, with men coming out on top and women shown as lesser than for their status. Men are portrayed as brave, heroic, independent, and self-serving, while women are seen as naive, obedient, dainty, and self-sacrificing. These stories are predominantly centered around a patriarchal society normalizing traditional gender roles while also affecting children’s and adults’ perceptions of the opposite gender. 

Fairy tales establish a set of rules for both genders, determining what is and is not appropriate. Places women in an unfavorable position while placing men on an ungodly pedestal. Female characters in multiple different stories and versions are usually shown as dependent and heavily relying on the men in their lives. Whether that be relying on men to rescue women from creatures, their terrible lives, or even their dysfunctional families. Often these characters get married in the end as a “happily ever after,” even if they did not want to be married. They are forced against their own will and placed into an arranged marriage. These tales do not concern themselves with the desires or goals of what a woman wants, and if they do, it is heavily unreliable, as most of the authors are men. In these stories, women are looked down upon as passive, weak, and only viewed on appearances (Ismail 942).

In other versions, including Disney, these tales reinforce the narrative that there is a significant power imbalance between men and women. And continues to establish the inequality already placed on both genders. This is even happening in real places like Rwanda, a country in East Africa, where their fairy tales encourage children to be in specific roles according to their biological sex. For example, teaching boys to either act or be in more dominant, assertive, and high-power roles. While women are encouraged to stick to home-based chores that are considered “womanly,” such as cleaning, cooking, keeping up with appearances, etc. A constant pattern you see is how men are given more of a position of power, unlike women, who are assigned a more passive and docile role (Ruterana 85).

Gender was and still is seen as a status symbol indicating social standing, economic class, wealth, freedom, and power. Being male or female, even today, holds a lot of power, resulting in discrimination against you because of your gender or rights being held back from you because of your gender. For instance, in the Brothers Grimm’s “Rumpelstiltskin,” the miller’s daughter was held against her will in the castle due to her dad lying that she could spin straw into gold. Her only escape was Rumpel making a deal with her that she had to give up her firstborn to spin some gold. She gets married to the king without her consent, and when Rumpel comes to claim his deal, he loses because she knows his name, which is his weakness. Even when she gets some power, the only one punished is Rumpel and not her father or the king. Even though Rumpel does get punished, he has more independence and power than she does, even as the queen. These recurring depictions of men being displayed as superior to women have been deeply ingrained into society through gender stereotypes, personal bias, education, literature, media, etc. And these different forms have both influenced and shaped how they behave, function, and think in terms of the real and fictional world. 

Fairy tales promote harmful stereotypes that can hinder not only men’s and women’s relationships but also culture itself. These stories include upholding strict gender roles and continuing power imbalances and dynamics between genders. Women are seen to have limited roles that mainly emphasize appearances, beauty, helplessness, lack of strength, and inability to function alone. Like in Andersen’s and Disney’s fairy tales, they display women as submissive, caring, and concerned with matters of marriage and falling in love; on the other hand, men are focused on more action-based adventures and are given more active roles (Knyazyan 166). For example, Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Little Mermaid” is obsessed with being on land and fighting for someone, mainly a prince’s love. So, she chooses to find the sea witch to turn her human in exchange for her voice, and if she cannot make the prince fall in love with her, she has to kill him. She does not do that and instead returns to the ocean and fades away. All for some guy she barely knew and hardly talked to. In most of these stories, you see girls or women fan-girling over some average, bare-minimum scum. 

This pattern has extended beyond a fictional world and has entered the physical world, even influencing cultures. These stereotypes do not just shape the fictional world; they also shape real-life perceptions. Just like in Rwanda, fairy tales utilize gender roles in these stories and expect certain genders to focus on a more appropriate task based on their gender (Ruterana 86). Or in Charles Perrault’s “Cinderella,” she is shown as a stepdaughter and a maid for both her stepmother and siblings. Her place was in the kitchen, cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, etc. And her sisters were focused on falling in love and how pretty they came off as. Because appearances were heavily prioritized and expected, these expectations fail young women and place their value not on intelligence but on what they can do for others and how they appear to others, especially men. That’s why you see so many women in abusive relationships so consumed with needing a relationship that they involve their entire livelihood in it. This bias and discrimination limit opportunities and expectations for both genders. Although there are, in some cases, strong female characters, they are still restrained by traditional views. They are defined by their relationships, personal appearances, and outdated standards (Ismail 942). Fairy tales, despite modern culture and equality movements, protests, etc. There is still conflict between genders and still a reinforcement of gender expectations that are still engraved in society. This continuation has negatively impacted everyone, mainly children and women.

Fairy tales affect everyone: children, adults, women, etc. Its effects are incredibly negative to children and people’s perception of women. These tales normalize gender roles and stereotypes and affect children’s development while also shaping adults’ perception of each other. Children’s development is vitally influenced by gender roles depicted in these tales, building understanding of what is acceptable and what is not. Also creates a barrier between genders that can hinder socializing as well as community. The Rwanda case discusses how children are socially conditioned to start doing appropriate tasks according to gender (Ruterana 85-101).

Not only do they shape children, but they also influence adult perceptions of gender. These tales contribute to how women and men behave in relationships and modern-day society. These stories can contribute to gender biases and outdated expectations. Helping adults understand gender, but in a more biased way, with men being viewed as heroic and women being objectified (Ismail 939). Women feel the need to fit into these insanely outdated standards that keep them restricted to traditional and limited roles. Not only that, but these standards hinder mutual growth and respect and stifle relationships. 

Going beyond just biases and harmful perceptions can also lead to discrimination against women. Discrimination towards women is often rooted in biased views on traditional gender roles perpetuated by media, citizens, and stories. Leading to unequal treatment in everyday life. Fairy tales present women as second-class citizens at best, which you can see in the real world. Especially in the workforce, politics, and media. The underrepresentation of women in leadership positions, as well as the major pay gap between men and women. Now, there are more women in powerful positions, but men are still seen as superior. Even with equality in place, there is still scrutiny for women who do not fit the mold (Knyazyan 172). These stereotypes are deeply ingrained in society, and stories contribute to the real-world attack on women. Children’s fairy tales play a pivotal role in shaping societal perceptions and ongoing attacks on the opposite gender. 

Fairy tales, while they can offer an escape into a magical place that is reading, can also offer up subtle misogyny and sexism. The sexism here contributes to children, especially boys, discriminating against or feeling superior to women. Fairy tales are becoming a huge setback to women in general, and if they fixed this inequality issue, fairy tales would become more enjoyable and quite valuable. But until that happens, it still is and might continue to be a man’s world.

Works Cited

• Ismail, Hisham Muhamad. “Objectification: Examples of Female Characters in Selected Traditional Fairy Tales.” Journal of Language Teaching and Research, vol. 14, no. 4, July 2023, pp. 939–43. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1404.11.
• Knyazyan, Anna. “Gender Stereotypes in Children’s Literature (With Special Reference to H.C. Andersen’s and W. Disney’s Fairy Tales).” Armenian Folia Anglistika, vol. 13, no. 1-2 (17), Oct. 2017, pp. 165–74. https://doi.org/10.46991/afa/2017.13.1-2.165.
• Ruterana, Pierre Canisius. “Children’s Reflections on Gender Equality in Fairy Tales: A Rwanda Case Study.” The Journal of Pan-African Studies, vol. 4, no. 9, Jan. 2012, pp. 85–101. liu.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2:531460.