Diversity in Fairy Tale Retellings
It's no secret that one of the big movements in YA literature recently has been a push for more diversity. #ownvoices isn't just a hashtag; it's a goal that many publishers and authors are busily working toward. It's valuable for children and teenagers to see themselves reflected in the literature that they read. Dorothy L. Hurley argues that it's actually necessary for children to find people like them in books. She says,
Or are they?
Hurley does a fascinating analysis of six original fairytales in her article "Seeing White: Children of Color and the Disney Fairy Tale Princess." She's looking for instances in these fairytales where the language of whiteness and paleness is associated with good, and the language of blackness and darkness is associated with evil. Although she does find a few references to whiteness, she concludes that:
The original stories might not use this symbolism. In the Disney films based on these stories, however, Hurley finds rampant use of this color-coded binary system. Now, her findings are for Disney. Disney makes films for children, and these princess movies aren't aimed at teenagers. Nevertheless, Hurley's findings are relevant to YA fairytale retellings because most of the people who are writing these retellings grew up on Disney's versions. Disney casts a shadow that's difficult to escape, even when we recognize that the content might be less than healthy.
If the original texts are (mostly) free from these racially charged wordings, then we should see fairytale retellings that feature people of color and queer people freely. Much of YA realistic fiction is including these voices. Even the fantasy section of YA has begun to get with the program. We should have fairytales that look like the Ariel on the left in addition to the Ariel on the right.
Unfortunately, I've found that YA fairytale retellings lag behind in this area. I'll talk more next week about some reasons why that might be the case, and some books that break the trend, but it's difficult to find retellings that represent diversity well that are written specifically for teenagers.
Depressing as that truth may be, there is a way forward. Hurley offers two practical solutions to this dilemma as part of her closing statement.
"It is clear that children, if they are to develop a positive self-image, need to 'see' themselves or their images in texts" (Hurley 221).With this necessity in mind, we should expect to find protagonists with a variety of backgrounds and identities featured on the shelves of retold fairytales. Certainly there are many YA fantasy novels that are inspired by other cultures. The days when white knights on white horses defeated dark and evil dragons are long gone.
Or are they?
Hurley does a fascinating analysis of six original fairytales in her article "Seeing White: Children of Color and the Disney Fairy Tale Princess." She's looking for instances in these fairytales where the language of whiteness and paleness is associated with good, and the language of blackness and darkness is associated with evil. Although she does find a few references to whiteness, she concludes that:
"There is little evidence in the written source texts, with some exceptions, such as Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and The Little Mermaid, of White privileging and/or of a binary color symbolism that associates white with goodness and black with evil." (223).She also mentions that these instances that do exist can easily be noted as translational bias (223).
The original stories might not use this symbolism. In the Disney films based on these stories, however, Hurley finds rampant use of this color-coded binary system. Now, her findings are for Disney. Disney makes films for children, and these princess movies aren't aimed at teenagers. Nevertheless, Hurley's findings are relevant to YA fairytale retellings because most of the people who are writing these retellings grew up on Disney's versions. Disney casts a shadow that's difficult to escape, even when we recognize that the content might be less than healthy.
If the original texts are (mostly) free from these racially charged wordings, then we should see fairytale retellings that feature people of color and queer people freely. Much of YA realistic fiction is including these voices. Even the fantasy section of YA has begun to get with the program. We should have fairytales that look like the Ariel on the left in addition to the Ariel on the right.
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Unfortunately, I've found that YA fairytale retellings lag behind in this area. I'll talk more next week about some reasons why that might be the case, and some books that break the trend, but it's difficult to find retellings that represent diversity well that are written specifically for teenagers.
Depressing as that truth may be, there is a way forward. Hurley offers two practical solutions to this dilemma as part of her closing statement.
- Her first solution is simple: read the classic tales. If children are only ever exposed to the Disney versions, they won't know anything else. Hurley also recommends that we pay attention to alternative versions, such as picture books that illustrate the princess as a person of color (229).
- Her second solution is to include folk tales along with fairytales. Folk tales are already diverse, and telling these stories respectfully right alongside more familiar fairytales can bring attention to voices from other cultures (230).
Although we still have work to do, these solutions are easy enough to implement in retellings as well as in classrooms. Hurley's points about discovering a new pattern of symbolic language, one that doesn't associate white with good and black with evil, is also a necessary change. This binary isn't just insensitive. It's also cliché. As thoughtful storytellers, it's necessary to move beyond this symbolism and and find new ways to give old fairytales to all people.
Work Cited
Hurley, Dorothy L. "Seeing White: Children of Color and the Disney Fairy Tale Princess." The Journal of Negro Education, vol. 74, no. 3, 2005, pp. 221-32. JSTOR.
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