Edited and with annotations and an introductory essay by Marilyn Pemberton
Lambertville, NJ: The True Bill Press. 307p.
ISBN-10: 0-9791116-5-X
ISBN-13: 978-0-9791116-5-5
Published 2010 in hard cover at a price of $45.00
All of the fairy tales in this book were written and read during the nineteenth century--a very few may still have been read in the early twentieth century--but any surviving copies have been abandoned in dark corners of libraries and second-hand bookshops; none has hitherto been considered worthy of republication. This lack may, in some cases, be justifiable, but nevertheless every text has an important place in literary history as a contribution to, and a result of, the time in which it was written. The fairly tales in this collection are presented, therefore, as texts which are indicators, instigators, or inhibitors of social change.
Throughout history it has always been deemed necessary to ensure that the individuals that constitute society behave in a manner appropriate to the dominant ideologies of the period, ideologies which, of course, change over time. This inculcation was no less necessary during the nineteenth century, which was a period of such unprecedented change that by its end the very shape and purpose of society had been altered irrevocably. These changes were similarly reflected in the structure and internal function of the family unit, itself considered to be a microcosm of society. The means of indoctrination have taken many literary forms over the centuries, from conduct books to magazine articles, from religious tracts to novels. The one relevant to this book is that of the literary fairy tale, with the classic tale we all know as "Little Red Riding Hood" given as an example of how one tale has been re-told over the generations, in order to accommodate changing ideals and standards.
The introduction to this anthology first of all attempts to define the fairy tale (not a simple task) and to position the texts in this collections as being written for, and read by, the burgeoning middle classes. There then follows an explanation of how and why the family evolved over the centuries, depending on the dictates and influences of such external elements as the religious, the social, and the political. Although the role of the female continued to be one predominantly of submission, passivity, and nurturance, by the end of the nineteenth century it had to change radically resulting in her having to leave the confines and security of the private sphere, necessitated by the lack of marriage partners and the desire for financial independence. The child was also transformed from one who was considered to be merely an unformed adult and inherently sinful from birth, to one warranting its own time (childhood), its own clothes, and its own literature. The formation of a new family unit starts, of course, with marriage and during the nineteenth century this institution was vehemently debated--the challengers condemning the inherent inequality of the parties with the subjection of the wife and the loss of her rights, while the proponents were willing to sacrifice their independence and freedom for the benefit of emotional and economic security.
The annotated fairy tales in this collection, with publication dates ranging from 1818 to 1899, were read, or intended to be read, by both adults and children. All reflect the prevalent societal values pertaining to "proper" behavior and the gender roles accepted and expected during the period; most supported them but some also challenged them. Those from the first half of the nineteenth century tend to be supportive, focusing very much on the need for a female to be worthy, and "amiable," a much used word in these texts. Many of these earlier fairy tales were published in adult magazines for women and many of them perpetuate the Romantic use of a flower to represent perfection, one which can only remain unsullied in an atmosphere of female virtue and goodness.
From the 1850s onward there is then a definite tendency to focus on domestic ideals, with the fairy tales emphasizing the correct gender roles within the idealized home and family. Domestic prowess is certainly celebrated in "Princess Nobody" (1872) and results in her being chosen to be the bride rather than her more accomplished sisters, because it is she who is the domestic goddess, it is she who is the "Angel in the House," and it is only she, therefore, who is worthy to be the Prince's wife and to become Princess Somebody. It is not only girls who are being targeted: in "The Ivory Harp" (1875) it is the male role that is emphasized, along with the importance of a stable family; the boy does not go out, as in many a classic fairy tales, in order to find his fortune or to find a wife and thereby create a new family unit for himself, but rather his goal is to reunite and reform the original family; a stable family being, or course, the foundation of a stable society.
The fairy tales from the second half of the century tend to be found more in children's magazines and many are less supportive of the accepted social values, with the subversion of the fairy-tale conventions themselves epitomizing a challenge to social ones. There are those that particularly disavow material gain, ironic perhaps in a genre that traditionally celebrates it. Finally, toward the turn of the century, fairy tales such as "The Princess in her Garden" and "The Little Witch of the Plain," both written by Evelyn Sharp in 1897, tell of an independent, brave and active heroine, signaling the changing role of the female in society and the emergence of the "New Woman."
Many of the authors of these fairy tales are unknown today, either because they wished to remain anonymous, or because they have largely been forgotten. But E. Nesbit will be a name still recognized by both present-day children and adults. She wrote "The Rose of Love" (1893), which could have been written seventy years earlier, as it tells of a fairy looking for a perfect, loving couple on whom she can bestow the Rose of Immortal Love, thereby continuing the utilization of the rose as a symbol of perfection. This goes to show that not all the fairy tales evolved at the same rate, or addressed exactly the same themes at the same time.
All the stories are annotated to document people, places, and contemporary references. The work has a full index.
Marilyn Pemberton gained her PhD in English Literature from the University of Warwick as a part-time, mature student. She works as a project manager in an international IT company but is continuing her research as an independent scholar.
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