Rätselprinzessinnen und schlafende Schönheiten

Generations of readers of the Grimms’ fairy tales remember female characters such as Sleeping Beauty or Snow White, whose characteristic passivity has been defined in recent gender studies as the typical result of female socialisation. Taking as its starting-point the development and printing history of the Grimms’ collection of tales, this study offers a new and convincing typology of female fairy-tale characters. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm’s image of women and the contemporary understanding of a woman’s role in society are examined in depth. Drawing on the history of the tales’ illustration, the author also develops a physiognomic typology of female characters. A discussion of the many branches of research is complemented by psychoanalytical and mythological interpretation. The author’s analyses of Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty reveal characteristics of the Grimms’ style and follows the history of the texts down to their contemporary reception, for example by Walt Disney.