The Liberation of Fairy-Tale Heroines in James Finn Garner’s Politically Correct Bedtime Stories

Biljana Vlašković Ilić

doi:10.1515/fabula-2022-0009

Article

The Liberation of Fairy-Tale Heroines in James Finn Garner’s Politically Correct Bedtime Stories

Biljana Vlašković Ilić

Published/Copyright: July 12, 2022

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From the journal Fabula Volume 63 Issue 1-2

Abstract

This paper reexamines the way in which traditional fairy tales depict famous heroines (Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Snow White) by comparing them to their “liberated” versions from James Finn Garner’s Politically Correct Bedtime Stories. We argue that the greatest value of the modern adaptations of classic fairy tales lies in their enabling us to see the world as a child might, introducing at the same time the grown-up theme of the liberation of women and breaking the pattern of portraying easily led, ineffectual, and vulnerable female characters in children’s literature.

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Published Online: 2022-07-12

Published in Print: 2022-07-06

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https://doi.org/10.1515/fabula-2022-0009