CHILDREN, GENDER AND FAIRY TALES : A CASE OF CHILDREN’S RESPONSE TO " SNOW WHITE "

Lama  T. BALAA

The research investigates whether seven to nine year old children display differences according to gender in the way they interpret fairy tales of both the classical and feminist type. The aim of this research is to discover the precise nature of these differences in the responses of the boys and girls to the classical and feminist story of "Snow White". Two broad hypotheses were considered: First, that children would respond differently to the classical fairy tale than newer feminist revisions; and second, that there would also be differences in these responses between boys and girls.

These responses were investigated in relation to how the children interpret these stories, using standard techniques such as retellings, questionnaires and interviews. Various groups of boys and girls from three schools in Glasgow were asked to participate in the oral and written tasks. My research suggests that boys and girls relate differently to fairy tales in ways such as the following: how they position themselves to the text, how they describe the various characters' roles and traits and the way they interpret the themes presented. Other findings include the following: first, more girls than boys admit to liking fairy tales. Second, girls and boys differ in the way they position themselves towards the text such as; they identify with different characters. Third, there is a difference between the classical and the feminist tales in relation to the boys' and the girls' responses. Furthermore, the data shows that some of the children understand some the feminist messages but others do not.

In conclusion, it is argued that because boys are brought up differently from girls, they are bound to have different perceptions and conceptualizations, which can be observed in their responses to fairy tales. In short, not only does gender affect reader‑response amongst children with regard to fairy tales, but also these fairy tales play a role in reinforcing stereotypes.