The parents in the Beauty & The Beast tales play pretty significant roles. I found it very interesting that the parents in the stories play such big roles and are often the influencing factor in the decisions their children make. Grimm's Beauty stays with the beast in order to save her father, the King forces his daughter to keep the frog in The Frog King, and the Queen finds her son numerous wives in The Pig King. Parents in these tales are similar to real life parents in that they are actively involved in their children's lives and occasionally meddle. Without the meddling parents, however, we really wouldn't have much of a story. The Pig King wouldn't take the initiative to go and find a bride on his own so he complains to his mother until she finally goes in search of a woman who will willingly marry a pig. She coddles her son and doesn't push him to grow up, which stunts the Pig King's emotional growth. Just as the Pig King's mother coddles her son, the King in the Frog King pushes his daughter to do things which she doesn't want to do but are good for her. She makes a promise and attempts to go back on it, but her father refuses to allow her to go back on her word. Had her father not forced her to take in the frog, then the story would have ended with the little frog left on the door step.
I like that parents are so prevalent and are often positive figures in these tales because in many of the more recent versions of fairy tales that we see, the parents are either non-existent or evil in some way. It's refreshing to have parents that legitimately care for their children for a change.
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That's an interesting thought, Pharra! What if there weren't any parents in these stories? Or what if we re-wrote them all now without parents in them? What other character could we possibly use as catalysts for the protagonists to take action in the stories?
ReplyDeleteTake Beauty and the Beast, for example. We all know that Beauty stays with the beast so that she can save her father, but is there another type of character she could have to save? Another family member, maybe? A friend? I say maybe on the family member, but it's doubtful that any other bond than that of parent-child would result in such devotion as Beauty has to her father.
The same goes for The Frog King; who would the princess have obeyed to keep the frog, other than a parent? A nanny? Some sort of authoritative magical being, or a deity? Maybe, but none of these are as readily available as the parent.
However, The Pig King is a little different for me. In this instance, the parent does not catalyze the action, but the pig's mother actually takes the action! That is a significant difference, and it gives the parent a much more prevalent role in the story. Then again, is this position replaceable? Who else would the pig have complained to? A friend? Confidant? A sibling? Perhaps. But would most feasibly take action to find a wife for the pig? Again, the parent is the easiest answer.
i agree with the point about if there were not parents that meddle, there might not be much of a story. This is very true among the stories that we read. I think that the meddling parents add complexity and a relational aspect to the tales.
ReplyDeleteI also found her father to be a surprisingly positive figure. He clearly contrasts the evil stepmother that fairy tales spend so much time vilifying. Beauty, especially in the Disney movie, is actually a well-adjusted, normal person with a caring parent: a refreshing change.
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