WEEKLY STEREOTYPE 001: Women are naïve

Category: Classical Fairytale Literature

Here comes the well-known theme of good versus evil. The central female character – the female protagonist - in classical fairytale literature is typically a representative of good and, apparently, that means she also has to be naïve.

So what does it mean to be naïve? In fairytale literature, an individual identified as naïve would be lacking in worldly wisdom and have had little or no exposure to the reality of the greater world. In today’s terms, this stereotype translates to: women lack common sense and have no knowledge about what is going on in the world – they're a little short on street smarts.

In most classically-told fairytales, the female protagonist is either kept from entering the world beyond her doorstep or falls for the trap that is so very clear to the reader and characters in the tale’s plot. Thus, the idea of naivety in women is supported and spread.

A few examples:

1) Rapunzel (Grimm Brothers) is locked in a tower - of course she’s not going to know what’s going on in the world.

2) Snow White (Grimm Brothers) decides to trust a stranger while she is on the run and pays with her consciousness

3) Little Red Riding Hood (Charles Perrault) is approached by, not only a stranger, but a stranger in the form of a talking wolf and decides it would be good idea to tell him where she is going. She gets eaten. 

Okay, so fairytales might blow it a little out of proportion when it comes to expressing this stereotype. But you get the idea.