ENG 280P Lecture 11: CH-LIT Notes (Sleeping Beauty+Cinderella)
18 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
1/29/18
“Sleeping Beauty”
Basile
- Rape of Talia justified because she is saved by children vs. Kings wife, who “never
brought anything into the house” (69)
- Problem with NOT having children/being incapable of reproducing
- King leave at critical moment, leaving women to fight it out: Talia treated like
property; “the King has taken possession of her territory whist she was sleeping”
(69)
- Talia forced to undress before enduring the Queen’s punishment; female trajectory
of humiliation before rewarded. Talia twice humiliated; rape and forced to disrobe –
double exposure
Perrault
- Lack of child, liquidation of that lack, problems begin
- King and Queen search for fairies to bless the child THEN go to church: union of
pagan beliefs in fairies and orthodox religious institutions
- Inevitability of finger pricking: parents do wat they can to prevent it/delay it, but
ultimately no use
- Old woman initiated the fall; old man guides young man/Prince to his reward
- Emphasis on suggestive imagery: turrets that poke up prominently like a hedge, briar
that will only allow penetration by the “right” one at the appropriate time. All others
who attempt to get inside perish in the effort
- Jealous/angry wife of Basile tale replaced by jealous/angry mother: mothers
ultimately replaced in their son’s lives by wives. Points to archetypal mother-in-law
problems
- Like previous king, this one too leaves at the critical moment
- Ogress self-eliminates; son/King declared “brave” in the Moral but virtually inactive
in the story
Grimm
- Frog delivers the news of forthcoming pregnancy: symbol of fertility and eventual
radical transformation
- Wise women/ fairies summoned again. This, like Perrault’s version, highlights the
problem with ostracizing someone, the pain of being shut out
- Pagan power of curses
- Spinning wheel, pricked finger, old woman, old man, briar hedge protecting the girl’s
anatomy and period of latency, hundred years pass and time is right. Kiss and timing
release girl from spell
Calvino
- Story mixes “Cinderella” and “sleeping beauty”
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Document Summary
Rape of talia justified because she is saved by children vs. kings wife, who never brought anything into the house (69) Problem with not having children/being incapable of reproducing. King leave at critical moment, leaving women to fight it out: talia treated like property; the king has taken possession of her territory whist she was sleeping (69) Talia forced to undress before enduring the queen"s punishment; female trajectory of humiliation before rewarded. Talia twice humiliated; rape and forced to disrobe double exposure. Lack of child, liquidation of that lack, problems begin. King and queen search for fairies to bless the child then go to church: union of pagan beliefs in fairies and orthodox religious institutions. Inevitability of finger pricking: parents do wat they can to prevent it/delay it, but ultimately no use. Old woman initiated the fall; old man guides young man/prince to his reward.
