Journal articles on the topic 'Rapunzel (Tale)'

Fairy tales have always been captivating for young readers. Since most of the fairy tales have their source in oral folktales, they highlight traditional gender roles and create stereotypes. As Maria Nikolajeva (2003) states, fairy tales reflect its own time and society. Evolution in readership has led to a change in these reflections. “Rapunzel” is one of the most iconic fairy tale characters and she is known for her long golden hair. Hair carries symbolic implications and is often associated with femininity, and exhibits how societal control influences how she/he wears their hair. By the transformation of her hair in the adaptations, the authors depict a change in the traditional gender roles. Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale will be read as a counter-narrative to Grimm‟s “Rapunzel” to investigate the changes in the fairy tale genre and enable a reading of the changing hair symbolism in order to understand the change in gender roles and identity.

The study has discussed the key ideas of Freud’s theory of dream work and psychoanalysis on the fairy tale Rapunzel written by Grimm brothers. The character of husband, wife and witch shows the Freud’s theory of id, ego and super-ego. Rapunzel reflects the psychosexual development theory of Freud, as Rapunzel is a girl who spend her life in a tower, which has no door, and windows in it. She does not touch ground or green grass in her lifetime. She lacks relationships all her life. When she met a prince, she was terrified at first because she never met any human in her life except her mother, but she drawn towards him because of her basic needs. The careful examination of the linguistic and visual text of the data indicates that Rapunzel is perfect example of the Freud’s psychosexual development in all his theoretical concepts. The investigative framework adopted for this study was case based exploratory research in which data was collected analysed and interpreted qualitatively. The sampling strategy drawn for this study was typical and critical case sampling technique.

Disneys classic animated film Tangled is based on an American fairy tale, telling the story of Rapunzel, a fragile girl imprisoned by a witch, who transforms into a brave new-era woman pursuing her own happiness. The protagonist, Rapunzel, relies on her own effort and wisdom, daring to break with conventions and free herself from bondage. The witch, Mother Gothel, is the villainous character in the film, who imprisons Rapunzel in a tower and exploits her magical powers for her own benefit. From the perspective of feminism, this thesis makes a detailed analysis of the female images in Tangled, interprets feminism while analyzing the images, and explores the significance of Disney Princess animated films in spreading feminism. Tangled reflects the oppression of women and the awakening of womens self-consciousness. Analyzing film and television works in the new era with the help of feminist theories can also help us further analyze womens thoughts in the new era through the shaping of female roles.

The present study focuses on one of the contemporary American fairy tale movies to analyze the postmodernist aspects present in these movies. The researcher has selected the movie Tangled released in 2010 for this purpose, it is a remake of the famous fairy tale Rapunzel recorded by famous fairy tale writers, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. One of the most prominent patterns of analyzing the movies through the lens of postmodernism is the framework by Kevin Paul Smith, in his book The Postmodern Fairytale, Folkloric Intertexts in Contemporary Fiction. He has presented eight elements of intertextuality to examine the intertextual elements of the older fairy tales present in contemporary literature (2007). Analysis reveals these eight elements in Tangled (2010) that are evident in traces of postmodernity in the movie.

Introduction: Trichobezoar is a rare clinical entity in which a ball of hair accumulates within the alimentary tract. It can be found as an isolated mass in the stomach or may extend into the duodenum and jejunum, which is labeled as Rapunzel syndrome. In this article, we report a rare case of Rapunzel syndrome with a long tail that presented with non-specific features. Case Presentation: An 8-year-old female patient was referred to our clinic due to palpable abdominal mass. Physical examination revealed non-tender, well-defined abdominal mass and signs of anemia. Imaging showed a giant bezoar filling the stomach, duodenum, and part of jejunum without features of mechanical obstruction. Laparotomy revealed large trichobezoar with long tail. Retrospective evaluation showed significant hair loss and frequent habit of trichotillomania and trichophagia. Conclusion: Rapunzel Syndrome is not a fairy tale. It may present with vague non-obstructing features. Significant hair loss and underlying psychiatric disorders should raise suspicion to do further investigations. Long-term follow-up and psychiatric management are recommended to prevent recurrence.

“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair, so that I may climb the golden stair.BROTHERS GRIMM FAIRY TALEAs an avowedly secular anthropologist who studies Islamic cultures, what better way to orient myself than a fairy tale of the Brothers Grimm. As the story of Rapunzel is spun, a young maiden is trapped in a tower by a wicked witch and forced to let down her golden hair for the old dame to climb. One day along comes a prince, who with the best of intentions tries to free the girl but is pushed out of the tower by the witch and blinded by thorns. In the children’s version the couple is eventually reunited and lives happily ever after. In the real world ever before us there are seldom such happy endings. As scholars of Islam, institutionally holed up in the Ivory Tower of Academic Isolation, there are not many opportunities to let down our doctored hair and allow our golden voices to escape the classroom. One such opportunity, seemingly out of a fantasy world not even imagined by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm, is opened up by the Internet.

The ways Gothic fairy tales and fairy-tale feminism interact are not always clear. An undercurrent of feminist studies of fairy tales is fueled by the 1970s Lurie-Lieberman debate, which focused on the question of whether fairy tales liberate or repress women. Meanwhile, critics such as Lorna Piatti-Farnell and Lucie Armitt have offered studies of the interplay between Gothic horror and fairy tales. However, these studies have limits, often emphasizing the violence, self-mutilation, and cannibalism of women, like those in Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm’s versions of “Cinderella” and “Snow White”. This paper argues that “Rapunzel” (1812) is key for understanding the Gothic and feminist discourses of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre (1847). Firstly, this paper argues that a self-reflexive and self-productive relationship between subjectivity and desire shapes and disrupts the Gothic, fairy-tale, and feminist discourses of Jane Eyre, resulting in a specular feminine-I that has inspired pluralistic readings of the text. Secondly, an analysis of the Rapunzelian metaphors of ‘wicked’ hunger and ideological towers unmasks the double consciousness that not only fetters feminine subjectivity but delimits the domestic structures of marriage and home. Multiplying the ways nineteenth-century Gothicism, fairy tales, and feminism may interact, Brontë’s specular study of feminine desire makes way for a productive and agential feminine speaking-I.

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.

This article has been retracted due to double publication found at https://journal.unnes.ac.id/nju/index.php/LC/article/view/14943 Apologies are offered to readers of the journal that this was not detected during the submission process.

Entre contos e recontos, inscrito em muitos dos livros e no próprio imaginário infantil, Rapunzel é um dos clássicos da literatura grimmiana. Porém, fruto da tradição oral, em sua gênese, a narrativa voltava-se ao público adulto, só posteriormente vindo a ser adaptada pelos próprios irmãos filólogos ao público infantil. Em vista disso, este estudo objetiva construir uma análise entre a versão do conto Rapunzel apresentada pelos irmãos Grimm ainda na primeira publicação de Kinder-und Hausmärchen (Contos Maravilhosos, Infantis e Domésticos) em 1812 e aquela que, posteriormente adequada por eles mesmos, sobreviera na sétima edição da obra, em 1857. Para tanto, identificamos as proximidades e dessemelhanças a partir da comparação entre os elementos da narrativa, os enredos e suas singularidades, recorrendo ainda ao método estrutural de análise morfológica concebido por Propp (2006) e às categorias de valores tradicionais românticos do século XIX listadas por Coelho (2000). Como resultado, observamos que as duas versões do conto guardam identidade no que diz respeito aos elementos da narrativa e à estruturação morfológica, já que as funções das personagens são mantidas. A análise permitiu, outrossim, inferir que a adaptação das versões se deu, sobretudo, com vistas a adequar o enredo e poupar o público infantil de qualquer conotação sexual.

Trichobezoar is a rare clinical entity in which a ball of hair accumulates within the alimentary tract. When the tail of the trichobezoar extends into the small intestine, this condition is called Rapunzel syndrome (RS). A 14-year-old female presented with pain abdomen and vomiting for 2 weeks, and a history of trichotillomania and trichophagia, and an epigastric lump. A contrast enhanced computerized tomography (CECT) of the abdomen showed a grossly distended stomach with a heterogeneous mass containing trapped air with underlying normal mucosa suggestive of trichobezoar, with its tail extending into the proximal jejunum suggestive of RS. During laparotomy, a giant trichobezoar was seen in the stomach with its tail extending beyond the duodenum into the proximal jejunum. The entire specimen was delivered out intact. On follow up, she has no surgical complications, and was on behaviour therapy. Trichobezoars form when ingested hair strands become retained in the folds of the gastric mucosa and becomes entangled, forming a ball too large to exit the stomach. Trichotillomania and trichophagia are seen in many of these patients. Patients present with abdominal pain, vomiting, gastric outlet obstruction, and an epigastric mass. In the case of RS, complete removal without breakage and distal migration is important. RS should be considered as a differential diagnosis in a young girl with abdominal pain, vomiting, anaemia and upper abdominal lump. Early diagnosis prevents complications. Surgical removal is treatment of choice. Trichobezoar often coexists with psychiatric illness. Psychiatric evaluation, counselling and treatment are helpful in preventing recurrence.

Bezoars are indigestible foreign material in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). A phytobezoar is a mass of plant material, while a trichobezoar consists of matted hair. This is found most commonly in the stomach in children who chew their long hair. When a gastric trichobezoar extends to the duodenum or jejunum, this is known as Rapunzel syndrome (RS), after a famous Brothers’ Grimm fairy tale. Our patient presented with haematemesis, localised peritonitis, a palpable epigastric mass, coagulopathy, severe anaemia and deranged liver function tests. An abdominal computed tomography scan was suggestive of a bezoar; gastroduodenoscopy confirmed the diagnosis. Treatment of trichobezoars normally involve endoscopic removal or gastrotomy and psychiatric intervention. They may also cause haematemesis, gastric outlet obstruction, gastric ulceration and perforation, multiple jejuno-jejunal intussusception, acute pancreatitis and cholestatic jaundice. Trichobezoar was first reported in the 18th century by Baudamant in a 16-year-old boy. RS was first described in 1968.

This study aims to find out female stereotypes depicted in the reconstructed stories of Cinderella in the children's storybook entitled Ketika Rapunzel Menjadi Rapinem (KRMP). These stories are mainly inspired by the classic fairy tale of Cinderella, which is then reconstructed through the archetype process. It is essential to study the stories due to the prevalent issue of female stereotypes. Women’s conditions in such reconstructed works certainly bring a perspective, especially the depiction of women, as existing social reflections. The study uses a qualitative descriptive method to support the goal. The data collection uses a purposive sampling technique by conducting in-depth readings on the reconstruction of Cinderella stories, representing women's stereotypes. The data is analysed using the feminism theory. As a result, the stories clearly and consistently define the stereotypes of women from their physical appearances, personality traits, domestic roles, and occupations. In this case, women's portrayal in the reconstructed versions openly continues to glorify physical beauty as a standard for women's appearance; on the other hand, they should also maintain femininity and do domestic works as housewives or caregivers.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the use of figurative language in English children's fairy tales by Brothers Grimm with titled Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, and Snowdrop. This study specifically addresses the style of figurative language contained in English children's fairy tales. Style of figurative language are examined in this study includes metaphor, personification, simile, and hyperbole, in terms of form, meaning, function, and particularities in English children's fairy tales. Advanced Research is a qualitative research produces descriptive data in the form of the written word. This study did not use statistical data in the form of numbers, but rather to describe the form, meaning, types, functions, and uniqueness of figurative language in English children's fairy tales. The results showed that in the style of figurative language metaphor based on Haley’s hierarchy in nine metaphors, the metaphors in the three fairy tales are being, cosmos, energy, terrestrial, object, animate, and human. Personification in this research are inanimate personification and non-human personification. Simile in this research includes abstract (being), objects, cosmos, terrestrial, plants, and animals. Hyperbole in this research is hyperbole that state a thing and hyperbole that state a situation. Function of figurative language in the fourth type of style are; reveal the beauty in the style of figurative language, declare an abstract in a concrete way to give a clear image, stating things that are not captured by human senses, and cause freshness or emphasis the words, to give emphasis to a statement or situation, to intensify and enhance the impression and impact of the intent to deliberately overstate the thing and circumstances. Uniqueness found in the using of vehicle from the figurative language in the form of terrestrial, cosmos, and animal. Through this study it can be concluded that children in Europe, the reader or the audience of this tale, is expected to know the figurative language style.

Both social studies and preschool programs mention freedom as a value. However, in typical social studies curricula, the philosophical perspective is not included and no discussion takes place. In the preschool curriculum, freedom is an abstract concept, and the belief that children cannot understand abstract concepts prevails, while value studies are still limited to determining the frequency of values rather than interrogating them. As such, this study aims to explore young children's views on the concept of freedom, how these views changed after their participation in a philosophically oriented activity, and how, consequently, the concept of freedom might be addressed in social studies on a philosophical level. The researchers used an applied qualitative study design, in which 19 children (14 boys, 5 girls) aged 5-6 years were interviewed before and after the presentation of the well-known folk tale “Rapunzel,” along with the question, “… am I free?” An exercise taken from the Philosophy for Children curriculum, "Freedom is similar to…, because…” was used in both pre and post interviews. The study used semi-structured interviews and document analysis as data collection instruments. The data obtained were subjected to descriptive and content analysis. As a result of the study, it was found that before the activity, children tended to discuss the meaning of freedom in the context of its limits (e.g. permission, prohibition, rules), and, following the activity, in the context of positive freedoms (e.g. growth, being independent).

Abstract In this article, Laura Halperin reads Chicana writer Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street as a disidentificatory, revisionist, and intersectional collection of fairy tales. Halperin builds on critical scholarship about The House on Mango Street and fairy tales and inflects a U.S. Third World feminist analysis by examining how the narrative draws attention to the ways gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and class are entwined. Rather than view the text as an outright rejection of the dubious premises and promises provided by fairy tales—individualist, (hetero)sexist, classist, and racist ones—she argues that the book references such tales at length to highlight their widespread power while also challenging their problematic ideologies. The simultaneous engagement with and contestation of these stories are what makes Cisneros’s text revisionist and disidentificatory, and Cisneros’s attention to the particular concerns faced by impoverished females of color makes the text intersectional. The two tales with which Cisneros most explicitly engages are “Cinderella” and “Rapunzel,” and the two central images in her collection are shoes and windows. The House on Mango Street also references other stories and rhymes, including “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Peter Pan,” “The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe,” Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass, and The Little House, just as it invokes Mexican (American) folklore and Greek and Roman mythology. Cisneros’s mimetic repetition of these narratives underscores their pervasiveness and allure while critiquing the myths they advance.

This study compares the girl power characteristics such as bravery, independence, and intelligence in identifying Rapunzel as the earlier princess character and Moana as the recent princess character of the third generation of Disney Princesses in the two Disney Princess Animated Films titled Tangled and Moana. As a result of this study, I found that in terms of bravery, Moana as the recent princess, is more daring to make decisions and take risks when compared to Rapunzel as the earlier princess of the third generation. In terms of independence, it can also be seen that Rapunzel still seems to rely more on other people to help her find a way and protect herself, in contrast to Moana, who can find the destination by herself and work together with other people and make them become her partners. In terms of intelligence, both Rapunzel and Moana are good at managing their daily activities, but in terms of solving problems, Rapunzel still uses the power of magical stuff, unlike Moana, who uses all her mind and strength to solve the problems she faces.Keywords: girl power, bravery, independence, intelligence, characteristics

In Brothers’ Grimm’s fairy tales, the motif of blindness occurs quite frequently, each time with a different symbolic meaning. In “Hansel and Gretel”, blindness is represented as a body deformity, an abject feature of the red-eyed, half-blind cannibalistic witch who lives in the candy house in the middle of the forest, while in “Cinderella”, blindness becomes more: a brutal punishment for wrongdoings, such as when: the wickedly unkind stepsisters’ eyes are pecked out by pigeons as they are on the way to the wedding of the Cinderella and her handsome prince. Yet, in “Rapunzel”, blindness is not meant to be an abject feature nor a direct punishment. Rather, it opens the door to the Romantic vision and spirit. Through studying the earlier versions of the Rapunzel story and the Grimm’s later version, this paper explores how blindness represents the limitations of logic and reason and, through embracing the beautiful power of the female sensibility, welcomes the rebirth of insight, faith and Romantic sentiments.

Pregnant Rapunzel Emergency is part of a series of online free games aimed at young girls ( forhergames.com or babygirlgames.com ), where dozens of characters from fairy tales, children’s toys and media feature in recovery settings, such as ‘Barbie flu’. The range of games available to choose from includes not only dressing, varnishing nails or tidying messy rooms, but also rather more troubling options such as extreme makeovers, losing weight, or a plethora of baby showers, cravings, hospital pregnancy checks, births (including caesarean), postnatal ironing, washing and baby care. Taking the online game Pregnant Rapunzel Emergency as an exemplar of a current digital trend, the authors explore the workings of ‘dark digital play’ from a number of perspectives – one by each named author. The game selected has (what may appear to adults) several disturbing features in that the player is invited to treat wounds of the kind of harm that might usually be associated with domestic violence towards women.

Abstract The poetry book Transformations by Anne Sexton consists of seventeen poems based on the versions of fairytales by the Brothers Grimm. Told by Sexton, the tales become sharp comments on American culture, changing characters and action to focus on gender, power systems and medical histories. Analyzing the poems “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, “Rapunzel”, and “Rumpelstiltskin”, this article focusses on Sexton’s revelation of the aging and ageism inherent in both the fairytales and contemporary American culture. I am interested in a reading of the poems beyond the confessional approach so common in analyses of Sexton’s poetry, focusing instead on how the characters struggle with beauty expectations, age and gender roles as well as loneliness. Therefore, I have discussed the chosen poems with different communities beyond the academic context with an interest in other approaches and experiences applied in the readings. The voices are woven into the article, adding to the analysis and offering a comment on contemporary reading practices.

Teachers are required to have good reading material with various questions exercises to meet students’ interest to improve their reading ability. This developmental research was undertaken to develop a model of instructional material of HOTS questions for narrative reading texts for IX grade students of SMPN 2 Jorong. The development of the model in R & D research involved the following framework: needs assessment, reference study, material development, expert validation, tryout, revision, and final product. The subject of the research was the students of grade IX of SMPN 2 Jorong. The instruments used were observation sheet, questionnaire sheet, students’ test result, and validity and advisability test sheet to take the data. The final product was a Model of HOTS Questions For Narrative Reading Text in the form of instructional material consisting of Cover; Introduction, and Content. The content of the product consisted of 2 Units that contain narrative reading texts with the titles Hansel and Grethel, Malin Kundang, and Rapunzel. Each story was inserted with HOTS questions to ask the students to generalise, to analyse, to compare, to distinguish, and to correlate. Based on the result, the model of HOTS questions was efficient and advisable to be implemented.

In Christopher Healy’s (2012) children’s book, The hero’s guide to saving your kingdom, the idea of hegemonic masculinity is subverted in various ways. In this reinvention of four fairy tales – ‘Cinderella’, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, ‘Snow White’ and ‘Rapunzel’ – the author seems consciously to subvert the prevalent stereotypes surrounding traditional representations of the idealised, yet largely uninterrogated image of ‘Prince Charming’. All four of the princes who feature as protagonists in the book express their dissatisfaction at the prescriptive expectations that govern every aspect of their lived realities. Healy explores alternative ways of representing this type of character to modern child readers, in many cases testing the boundaries that dictate which physical characteristics and behavioural patterns are allowable in such characters. This article explores Healy’s negotiation of masculinity in the context of its intended 21st century child audience

Introducción: El bezoar es una concreción de materiales o cuerpos extraños que se forma en la luz del tracto gastrointestinal, generalmente por la acumulación de cuerpos extraños no digeribles. Usualmente se forma en el estómago, puede pasar al intestino delgado (síndrome de Rapunzel) y ser una causa poco frecuente de obstrucción intestinal. El bezoar es secundario a diversas causas, tales como: alteraciones del vaciamiento gástrico, cirugías gástricas previas, exceso de alimentos ricos en fibra, mala masticación, ingestión de materiales sólidos difíciles de digerir, alteraciones en la motilidad intestinal, entre otros. La mayoría de los pacientes en presentar esta alteración, son asintomáticos; sin embargo, pueden existir complicaciones, relacionadas con acumulación en el tiempo de los cuerpos extraños, produciendo síntomas asociados a la obstrucción del tracto digestivo que va desde la oclusión parcial a la oclusión total. No existe un tratamiento específico para los bezoares; pues inicialmente, se intentará la extracción endoscópica, siempre y cuando sea factible, junto con otras opciones clínicas, pero también el abordaje quirúrgico se convierte en una opción, cuando los anteriores métodos terapéuticos fracasen.Objetivo: Realizar una revisión bibliográfica exhaustiva, acerca de los bezoares gastrointestinales, en base a la evidencia científica actual. Metodología: Se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica en las bases de datos electrónicas: Redalyc, Scielo, Scopus, PubMed, Biblioteca Cochrane, Google Scholar, entre otras y que fueron valoradas en base a la factibilidad, calidad, claridad, pertinencia y veracidad de la información inherente al tema; como también de la actualidad del contenido científico del mismo. Se seleccionaron artículos indexados publicados en los últimos 12 años, en idioma inglés, español y portugués. Resultados: Se extrajeron y seleccionaron 45 artículos (100%) de revistas indexadas. Se incluyeron artículos de revisión, revisión bibliográfica sistemática y reportes de casos clínicos. Conclusiones: Los bezoares gastrointestinales son acumulaciones de material no digerible en el tracto gastrointestinal, que conforman una masa sólida que impide el paso del bolo alimentario, ingeridos de forma intencional o de manera accidental. El diagnóstico precoz, el manejo adecuado y oportuno,son indispensables para una mejor supervivencia y pronóstico en los pacientes

Abstract Background Trichobezoars are a rare medical condition, often requiring a surgical approach and commonly associated with an underlying psychiatric disorder. The Rapunzel syndrome is a rare variant of trichobezoar in the stomach extending from the stomach into the small intestine causing a bowel obstruction. Case presentation In this case report, the clinical presentation, diagnostic approach, and surgical removal of a large-size bezoar (Rapunzel syndrome) in a young and otherwise healthy female is described. Different surgical strategies are discussed. Psychiatric exploration gives an insight on development of trichophagia ultimately leading to the forming of the trichobezoar. Conclusions This brief report sheds light on the importance of the collective mind of a multidisciplinary team preventing a potentially fatal outcome.

AbstractTrichotillomania is a psychiatric disorder characterized by recurring urges to pulling out hairs, eyelashes, or down in other parts of the body. Trichophagia, which is the urge to ingesting the pulled-out hairs, can cause Rapunzel syndrome, an unusual disorder where gastric trichobezoars can be found in the small intestine. Trichobezoars, amorphous masses composed of undigested food formed by hairs, can obstruct the gastrointestinal tract up to simulating symptoms typical of bowel obstruction. Rapunzel syndrome, named after Grimm’s tale, may cause death, especially in the pediatric population, being it seldom over the age of 6; moreover, developing countries and environmental and familiar issues are listed as uncertain risk factors. The present case report deals with the death of a 4-year-old female occurred after lunch and following a series of vomit events; while no traumatic or pathological findings were revealed at the external examination, the autopsy revealed three large trichobezoars localized in the stomach and the small intestine. Despite death was due to gastrointestinal obstruction for multiple trichobezoars and collateral bronchoaspiration of dietary material, histological findings were totally non-specific, meaning that it is sometimes difficult to conclude that death is related to the primary pathological condition.

The Walt Disney Company has been creating magical fairy tales since the early 1900s and is a trusted brand synonymous with wholesome, family entertainment (Wasko). Over time, this reputation has resulted in the Disney brand’s huge financial growth and influence on audiences worldwide. (Wohlwend). As the largest global media powerhouse in the Western world (Beattie), Disney uses its power and influence to shape the perceptions and ideologies of its audience. In the twenty-first century there has been a proliferation of retellings of Disney fairy tales, and Kilmer suggests that although the mainstream perception is that these new iterations promote gender equity, new cultural awareness around gender stereotypes, and cultural insensitivity, this is illusory. Tangled, for example, was a popular film selling over 10 million DVD copies and positioned as a bold new female fairy tale character; however, academics took issue with this position, writing articles entitled “Race, Gender and the Politics of Hair: Disney’s Tangled Feminist Messages”, “Tangled: A Celebration of White Femininity”, and “Disney’s Tangled: Fun, But Not Feminist”, berating the film for its lack of any true feminist examples or progressiveness (Kilmer). One way to assess the impact of Disney is to look at the use of shape shifting and transformation in the narratives – particularly those that include women and young girls. Research shows that girls and women are often stereotyped and sexualised in the mass media (Smith et al.; Collins), and Disney regularly utilises body modification and metamorphosis within its narratives to emphasise what good and evil ‘look’ like. These magical transformations evoke what Marina Warner refers to as part of the necessary surprise element of the fairy tale, while creating suspense and identity with storylines and characters. In early Disney films such as the 1937 version of Snow White, the queen becomes the witch who brings a poison apple to the princess; and in the 1959 film Sleeping Beauty the ‘bad’ fairy Maleficent shapeshifts into a malevolent dragon. Whilst these ‘good to evil’ (and vice versa) tropes are easily recognised, there are additional transformations that are arguably more problematic than those of the increasingly terrifying monsters or villains. Disney has created what we have coined the ‘princess bubble’, where the physique and behaviour of the leading women in the tales has become a predictor of success and good fortune, and the impression is created of a link between their possession of beauty and the ‘happily-ever-after’ outcome received by the female character. The value, or worth, of a princess is shown within these stories to often increase according to her ability to attract men. For example, in Brave, Queen Elinor showcases the extreme measures taken to ‘present’ her daughter Merida to male suitors. Merida is preened, dressed, and shown how to behave to increase her value to her family, and whilst she manages to persuade them to set aside their patriarchal ideologies in the end, it is clear what is expected from Merida in order to gain male attention. Similarly, Cinderella, Aurora, and Snow White are found to be of high ‘worth’ by the princes on account of their beauty and form. We contend, therefore, that the impression often cast on audiences by Disney princesses emphasises that beauty = worth, no matter how transgressive Disney appears to be on the surface. These princesses are flawlessly beautiful, capable of winning the heart of the prince by triumphing over their less attractive rivals – who are often sisters or other family members. This creates the illusion among young audiences that physical attractiveness is enough to achieve success, and emphasises beauty as the priority above all else. Therefore, the Disney ‘princess bubble’ is highly problematic. It presents a narrow range of acceptability for female characters, offers a distorted view of gender, and serves to further engrain into popular culture a flawed stereotype on how to look and behave that negates a fuller representation of female characters. In addition, Armando Maggi argues that since fairy tales have been passed down through generations, they have become an intrinsic part of many people’s upbringing and are part of a kind of universal imaginary and repository of cultural values. This means that these iconic cultural stories are “unlikely to ever be discarded because they possess both a sentimental value and a moral ‘soundness’” (Rutherford 33), albeit that the lessons to be learnt are at times antiquated and exclusionary in contemporary society. The marketing and promotion of the Disney princess line has resulted in these characters becoming an extremely popular form of media and merchandise for young girls (Coyne et al. 2), and Disney has received great financial benefit from the success of its long history of popular films and merchandise. As a global corporation with influence across multiple entertainment platforms, from its streaming channel to merchandise and theme parks, the gender portrayals therefore impact on culture and, in particular, on how young audiences view gender representation. Therefore, it could be argued that Disney has a social responsibility to ensure that its messages and characters do not skew or become damaging to the psyche of its young audiences who are highly impressionable. When the representation of gender is examined, however, Disney tends to create highly gendered performances in both the early and modern iterations of fairy tales, and the princess characters remain within a narrow range of physical portrayals and agency. The Princess Bubble Although there are twelve official characters within the Disney princess umbrella, plus Elsa and Anna from the Disney Frozen franchise, this article examines the eleven characters who are either born or become royalty through marriage, and exhibit characteristics that could be argued to be the epitome of feminine representation in fairy tales. The characters within this ‘princess bubble’ are Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Elsa, and Anna. The physical appearance of those in the princess bubble also connects to displays around the physical aspects of ethnicity. Nine out of eleven are white skinned, with Jasmine having lightened in skin tone over time, and Tiana now having a tanned look rather than the original dark African American complexion seen in 2009 (Brucculieri). This reinforces an ideology that being white is superior. Every princess in our sample has thick and healthy long hair, the predominant colour being blonde. Their eyes are mostly blue, with only three possessing a dark colour, a factor which reinforces the characteristics and representation of white ethnic groups. Their eyes are also big and bulbous in shape, with large irises and pupils, and extraordinarily long eyelashes that create an almost child-like look of innocence that matches their young age. These princesses have an average age of sixteen years and are always naïve, most without formal education or worldly experience, and they have additional distinctive traits which include poise, elegance and other desired feminine characteristics – like kindness and purity. Ehrenreich and Orenstein note that the physical attributes of the Disney princesses are so evident that the creators have drawn criticism for over-glamorising them, and for their general passiveness and reliance on men for their happiness. Essentially, these women are created in the image of the ultimate male fantasy, where an increased value is placed on the virginal look, followed by a perfect tiny body and an ability to follow basic instructions. The slim bodies of these princesses are disproportionate, and include long necks, demure shoulders, medium- to large-sized perky breasts, with tiny waists, wrists, ankles and feet. Thus, it can be argued that the main theme for those within the princess bubble is their physical body and beauty, and the importance of being attractive to achieve success. The importance of the physical form is so valued that the first blessing given by the fairies to Aurora from Sleeping Beauty is the gift of physical beauty (Rutherford). Furthermore, Tanner et al. argue that the "images of love at first sight in the films encourage the belief that physical appearance is the most important thing", and these fairy tales often reflect a pattern that the prince cannot help but to instantly fall in love with these women because they are so striking. In some instances, like the stories of Cinderella and Snow White, these princesses have not uttered a single word to their prince before these men fall unconditionally and hopelessly in love. Cinderella need only to turn up at the ball as the best dressed (Parks), while Snow White must merely “wait prettily, because someday her prince will come" (Inge) to reestablish her as royalty. Disney emphasises that these princesses win their man solely on the basis that they are the most beautiful girls in the land. In Sleeping Beauty, the prince overhears Aurora’s singing and that sets his heart aflame to the point of refusing to wed the woman chosen for him at birth by the king. Fortunately, she is one and the same person, so the patriarchy survives, but this idea of beauty, and of 'love at first sight', continues to be a central part of Disney movies today, and shows that “Disney Films are vehicles of powerful gender ideologies” (Hairianto). These princesses within the bubble of perfection have priority placed on their physical and sexual beauty (Dietz), formulating a kind of ‘beauty contest motif’. Examples include Gaston, who does not love Belle in Beauty and the Beast, but simply wants her as his trophy wife because he deems her to be the most beautiful girl in the town. Ariel, from The Little Mermaid, looks as if she "was modeled after a slightly anorexic Barbie doll with thin waist and prominent bust. This representation portrays a dangerous model for young women" (Zarranz). The sexualisation of the characters continues as Jasmine has “a delicate nose and small mouth" (Lacroix), with a dress that can be considered as highly sexualised and unsuitable for a girl of sixteen (Lacroix). In Tangled, Rapunzel is held hostage in the tower by Mother Gothel because she is ‘as fragile as a flower’ and needs to be ‘kept safe’ from the harms in the world. But it is her beauty that scares the witch the most, because losing Rapunzel would leave the old woman without her magical anti-aging hair. She uses scare tactics to ensure that Rapunzel remains unseen to the world. These examples are all variations of the beauty theme, as the princesses all fall within narrow and predictable tropes of love at first sight where the woman is rescued and initiated into womanhood by being chosen by a man. Disney’s Progressive Representation? At times Disney’s portrayal of princesses appears illusively progressive, by introducing new and different variations of princesses into the fold – such as Merida in the 2012 film Brave. Unfortunately, this is merely an illusion as the ‘body-perfect’ image remains an all-important ideal to snare a prince. Merida, the young and spirited teenage princess, begins her tale determined not to conform to the desired standards set for a woman of her standing; however, when the time comes for her to be married, there is no negotiating with her mother, the queen, on dress compliance. Merida is clothed against her will to re-identify her in the manner which her parents deem appropriate. Her ability to express her identity and individuality removed, now replaced by a masked version, and thus with the true Merida lost in this transformation, her parents consider Merida to be of renewed merit and benefit to the family. This shows that Disney remains unchanged in its depiction of who may ‘fit’ within the princess bubble, because the rubric is unchanged on how to win the heart of the man. In fact, this film is possibly more troublesome than the rest because it clearly depicts her parents to deem her to be of more value only after her mother has altered her physical appearance. It is only after the total collapse of the royal family that King Fergus has a change of patriarchal heart, and in fact Disney does not portray this rumpled, ripped-sleeved version of the princess in its merchandising campaign. While the fantasy of fairy tales provides enthralling adventures that always end in happiness for the pretty princesses that encounter them, consideration must be given to all those women who have not met the standard and are left in their wake. If women do not conform to the standards of representation, they are presented as outcasts, and happiness eludes them. Cinderella, for example, has two ugly stepsisters, who, no matter how hard they might try, are unable to match her in attractiveness, kindness, or grace. Disney has embraced and not shunned Perrault’s original retelling of the tale, by ensuring that these stepsisters are ugly. They have not been blessed with any attributes whatsoever, and cannot sing, dance, or play music; nor can they sew, cook, clean, or behave respectably. These girls will never find a suitor, let alone a prince, no matter how eager they are to do so. On the physical comparison, Anastasia and Drizella have bodies that are far more rounded and voluptuous, with feet, for example, that are more than double the size of Cinderella’s magical slipper. These women clearly miss the parameters of our princess bubble, emphasising that Disney is continuing to promote dangerous narratives that could potentially harm young audience conceptions of femininity at an important period in their development. Therefore, despite the ‘progressive’ strides made by Disney in response to the vast criticism of their earlier films, the agency afforded to their new generation of princesses does not alter the fact that success comes to those who are beautiful. These beautiful people continue to win every time. Furthermore, Hairianto has found that it is not uncommon for the media to directly or indirectly promote “mental models of how a woman should look, speak and interact with others”, and that Disney uses its pervasive princess influence “to shape perceptions of female identity and desirability. Females are made to measure themselves against the set of values that are meted out by the films” (Hairianto). In the 2017 film Beauty and the Beast, those outside of the princess bubble are seen in the characters of the three maidens from the village who are always trying to look their very best in the hope of attracting Gaston (Rutherford). Gaston is not only disinterested but shows borderline contempt at their glances by permitting his horse to spray mud and dirt all over their fine clothing. They do not meet the beauty standard set, and instead of questioning his cruelty, the audience is left laughing at the horse’s antics. Interestingly, the earlier version of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast portrays these maidens as blonde, slim, and sexy, closely fitting the model of beauty displayed in our princess bubble; however, none match the beauty of Belle, and are therefore deemed inferior. In this manner, Disney is being irresponsible, placing little interest in the psychological ‘safety’ or affect the messages have upon young girls who will never meet these expectations (Ehrenreich; Best and Lowney; Orenstein). Furthermore, bodies are shaped and created by culture. They are central to self-identity, becoming a projection of how we see ourselves. Grosz (xii) argues that our notions of our bodies begin in physicality but are forever shaped by our interactions with social realities and cultural norms. The media are constantly filled with images that “glorify and highlight some kinds of bodies (for example, the young, able-bodied and beautiful) while ignoring or condemning others” (Jones 193), and these influences on gender, ethnicity, sexuality, race, and religion within popular culture therefore play a huge part in identity creation. In Disney films, the princess bubble constantly sings the same song, and “children view these stereotypical roles as the right and only way to behave” (Ewert). In The Princess and the Frog, Tiana’s friend Charlotte is so desperate to ‘catch’ a prince that "she humorously over-applies her makeup and adjusts her ball gown to emphasize her cleavage" (Breaux), but the point is not lost. Additionally, “making sure that girls become worthy of love seems central to Disney’s fairy tale films” (Rutherford 76), and because their fairy tales are so pervasive and popular, young viewers receive a consistent message that being beautiful and having a tiny doll-like body type is paramount. “This can be destructive for developing girls’ views and images of their own bodies, which are not proportioned the way that they see on screen” (Cordwell 21). “The strongly gendered messages present in the resolutions of the movies help to reinforce the desirability of traditional gender conformity” (England et al. 565). Conclusion The princess bubble is a phenomenon that has been seen in Disney’s representation of female characters for decades. Within this bubble there is a narrow range of representation permitted, and attempts to make the characters more progressive have instead resulted in narrow and restrictive constraints, reinforcing dangerous female stereotypes. Kilmer suggests that ultimately these representations fail to break away from “hegemonic assumptions about gender norms, class boundaries, and Caucasian privileging”. Ultimately this presents audiences with strong and persuasive messages about gender performance. Audiences conform their bodies to societal ‘rules’: “as to how we ‘wear’ and ‘use’ our bodies” (Richardson and Locks x), including for example how we should dress, what we should weigh, and how to become popular. In our global hypermediated society, viewers are constantly exposed to princesses and other appropriate bodies. These become internalised ideals and aid in positive and negative thoughts and self-identity, which in turn creates additional pressure on the female body in particular. The seemingly innocent stories with happy outcomes are therefore unrealistic and ultimately excluding of those who cannot or will not ‘fit into the princess bubble’. The princess bubble, we argue, is therefore predictable and restrictive, promoting female passiveness and a reliance of physical traits over intelligence. The dominance of beauty over all else remains the road to female success in the Disney fairy tale film. References Beauty and the Beast. Dirs. Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise. Walt Disney Productions, 1991. Film. Beauty and the Beast. Dir. Bill Condon. Walt Disney Pictures, 2017. Film. Best, Joel, and Kathleen S. Lowney. “The Disadvantage of a Good Reputation: Disney as a Target for Social Problems Claims.” The Sociological Quarterly 50 (2009): 431–449. doi:10.1111/j.1533-8525.2009.01147.x. Brave. Dirs. Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman. Walt Disney Pictures, 2012. Film. Breaux, Richard, M. “After 75 Years of Magic: Disney Answers Its Critics, Rewrites African American History, and Cashes in on Its Racist Past.” Journal of African American Studies 14 (2010): 398-416. Cinderella. Dirs. Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske. 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Animated fantasy films, also called fairy tales have ruled the hearts of children from the very beginning. Be it Cinderella, Snow White, Belle or Rapunzel every little girl, irrespective of her country of origin is familiar with all these characters among many more. When we talk about these characters or stories the first name to appear in our minds is Walt Disney. Walt Disney has from its inception presented children, especially girls with fairy tales attached with many dreams and aspiration. This research paper was an attempt at looking into the meanings that can be derived from the content of Walt Disney movies, with the analysis of one Disney Princess story, Beauty and the Beast.

Postmodernism is an intellectual movement that characterizes by scepticism and fragmentation. Postmodernist writers return to traditional fairytales to question and challenge their norms and meanings. Shrek the Musical is a play based on classic fairytales of Rapunzel and Beauty and the Beast. Shrek the Musical will be studied according to postmodern techniques and strategies. They are many such as deconstruction and intertextuality. This play will be analyzed according to Kevin Paul Smith's method of intertextuality. This method traces the elements of fairytales in postmodernist literature and their unique alterations by using deconstruction theory that shows the false hierarchies and the false values upon which these classic tales are built.

In the movies, many characters heal very quickly after getting hurt. Some, like Wolverine or Rapunzel, even have special healing powers. However, when a person gets hurt in real life, it may take a lot of patience and hard work to get better. People who are recovering from an injury may also need support from the community and care from healthcare and educational professionals. In particular, it takes time and hard work to recover after a traumatic brain injury (TBI). People with TBI work with a special group of professionals, called a rehabilitation team, to get better. In this article, we will learn about a boy named Dante, who had a TBI after falling off his bicycle. We will learn what happened in Dante’s brain after he got hurt and how his rehabilitation team helped him after his TBI. We will finish up by talking about how you can help people with TBI in your community.

The values of good and evil in the tales recounted by the Brothers Grimm are so universal that they have become an integral part of world literature. The research data for this paper was compiled from three tales, Aschenputtel (Cinderella), Rapunzel, and Schneewittchen (Snow White). This research project analyzed the language used in the stories to assess the values of virtue and evil that prevailed in reality in German society at the time the stories were compiled, and that are still valid today. This paper intends to describe the 19th century German concepts of good and bad, the pan-German values embedded in the folktales, and their universal moral appeal to diverse cultures of global human civilization. Qualitative literature study and descriptive data analysis are the methods employed in this investigation. The results indicate that the concept of virtue refers to beauty and generosity, but being good causes the protagonists to suffer. On the other hand, the concept of evil, as described in the three Grimm brothers stories that have been analyzed, refers to heartlessness and wickedness. The antagonists keep endangering the protagonists but eventually, the good characters live happily ever after. The conflict between good and evil is presented through the daily activities of human life that apply to people of varied cultural backgrounds.

Stein, David E. Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise. Candlewick Press in Association with Penguin Random House Canada, 2018. In this, his second picture book starring Interrupting Chicken, Stein begins with a delightful pun: Chicken declares that every good story has “an elephant of surprise.” Papa tries to convince her that she has misheard her teacher, that every good story has “…an element of surprise.” To demonstrate, he attempts to read aloud classic folk and fairy tales: The Ugly Duckling; Little Mermaid; Rapunzel. Chicken, of course, interrupts. The Ugly Duckling gazes at his reflection and sees “…an Elephant.” The prince ascends the tower on a rope of hair to discover that his love is “…an ELEPHANT!”. Papa is dogged; he keeps trying. Chicken is relentless; she keeps interrupting. The story hour goes on with appealing silliness until Papa graciously allows it to end, not surprisingly, with elephants. A former Caldecott Honor winner, Stein creates not only this amusing storyline, but its illustration as well. He employs a variety of artistic techniques to great effect. The basic narrative, (including Chicken’s interruptions of Papa’s readings) is presented in cartoon style and bold crayon; the classic readings are highlighted with line drawings and water colour. Thus the theme of “interruption” is both conveyed and sustained by the art work. There are a few provisos about sharing this book with primary school children: a child will more fully enjoy the inappropriateness—and silliness—of Chicken’s outbursts if he or she is familiar with the plotlines of the classic tales that Papa attempts to read. The wise parent, or teacher, or librarian will ensure this familiarity in the most obvious and enjoyable way: sharing the stories. There is a further consideration: the hilarity of Chicken’s behaviour arises because she either cannot, or will not, acknowledge the literary concept of a “surprise element.” Children who, themselves, can grasp that concept will laugh harder than children who cannot. Depending on the age and maturity of the child listener, a little didacticism on the part of the adult reader may be appropriate. With these requirements satisfied, this book is a winner. Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Leslie Aitken Leslie Aitken’s long career in librarianship included selection of children’s literature for school, public, special, and academic libraries. She is a former Curriculum Librarian of the University of Alberta.