Abstract

Education constantly promotes equality and diversity, however, if the literature we read our students is not doing so, is education doing its job? This question extends as far as females versus males and in fact, this thesis further pursued this issue by taking a look into common fairy tales that have been popularized in modern society that contain stereotypical gender roles and qualities of females that we try to steer away from yet have not.

After doing research into fairy tales and then analyzing Little Snow White, Little Briar Rose, and Cinderella by The Brothers Grimm, I was able to find common stereotypes and compare them to modern fairy tale characterizations of females and thus plead the case for stronger females in the fairy tale genre of texts.

My research revealed that fairy tales were an influence in the lives of children and that females were regarded as only needing to be beautiful, naive, and lack assertiveness. This showed that females felt the need to be this way in order to find the happily ever after and in society both men and women have been impacted through this literature.

The thesis provides a re-envisioned fairy tale of my own showing the combined research in a short story of how females can be strong and be feminine as well. A lesson plan has also been constructed to help point out characteristics in the story, “The Paper Bag Princess” which is one of the modern tales analyzed as well in this thesis.

So, I leave you with the notion that it is most definitely not just a man’s world. This world is shared with the opposite gender and its time in education that we do as we preach by providing those experiences to children through literature.

Thesis Completion

2017

Semester

Fall

Thesis Chair/Advisor

Buchoff, Rita

Degree

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

College

College of Education and Human Performance

Department

Teaching, Learning, and Leadership

Degree Program

Elementary Education

Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Release Date

12-1-2017

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