Rumpelstiltskin tells a feminist tale with lessons for men and women, about what women said to each other when they thought their private conversation and complaints passed unnoticed.

What is the feminist theory of Rumpelstiltskin?

Rumpelstiltskin embodies a woman's fear of being unable to retain her rightfully-owned possessions. He does this by striking up deals in exchange for the miller's daughter's jewelry and even her baby. The daughter must comply because her life is under threat by another man, the king.

What is the meaning behind the Rumpelstiltskin story?

The commonly agreed-upon "Rumpelstiltskin"'s moral is that one should not let oneself be consumed by greed, lying, or boasting, as these are all vices. The initial problem in the story occurs when the miller lies to impress the king, boasting that his daughter can spin gold out of straw.

What is the moral of the story of Rumpelstiltskin?

The moral of the story is, “Always tell the truth, and take responsibility of your actions”. If the miller's daughter had been truthful to the King, she would have never found herself in this situation. However, once she was trapped under the burden of her promise, she had to find her way out of it and honour the deal.

What is the patriarchy in Rumpelstiltskin?

Patriarchy is present throughout the story of Rumpelstiltskin. When the poor miller boasts to the King about his beautiful daughter to look like a person of importance, the daughter couldn't object. The miller is willing to give away his daughter, as though she is an object, to a greedy king.

Rumpelstiltskin Full Story | Fairy Tales

What is the main problem in Rumpelstiltskin?

Lesson Summary

In this lesson, we reviewed the characters from Rumpelstiltskin. The miller is the character that created the problem by lying to the king and saying his daughter could spin straw into gold. He risks his daughter's life to seem important and never takes responsibility for it.

Why was Rumpelstiltskin bad?

Rumpelstiltskin is a morally complicated character. He seems good at first because he offers to spin the straw into gold for the girl, but things quickly escalate when he asks for her firstborn in return. In the end, Rumpelstiltskin is evil.

Why was Rumpelstiltskin obsessed with babies?

It is likely that his desire for a human child is meant to demonstrate the significant increase of his greed in the tale. Some theories are founded in the belief that Rumpelstiltskin is a demonic creature, making pacts with mortals to obtain living creatures, but the Grimm's version gives no mention of that.

What does gold symbolize in Rumpelstiltskin?

(definition of Symbolism)

Turning Straw to Gold: The miller is poor, so his claim that his daughter can spin straw into gold represents his desire to get-rich-quick without earning his money. It also foreshadows the overnight transformation of the girl from the poor miller's daughter to the queen.

Why is Rumpelstiltskin obsessed with children?

What is the reason why Rumpelstiltskin want babies? Since the story is told from the woman's point of view, we don't know what Rumplestiltskin wants with the baby—he may be a pervert, or he may want to control the princess in some way. He may be lonely, wanting a child to raise, or he may want to sell it.

Is Rumpelstiltskin a trickster?

Rumplestiltskin - A character from the Mother Goose Grimm fairy tales, in which he fits many of the attributes of the trickster and often tricks other characters for his own nefarious purposes.

What does spin gold out of straw mean?

When we look at events with a higher awareness, we can perceive the links between them and weave them into an ongoing story, coming to an understanding of their true essence. The spinning of straw into gold can be transformed from a mechanical search for material gain into a quest for meaning and knowledge.

Is Rapunzel and Rumpelstiltskin the same story?

Rumpelstiltskin is a Brothers Grimm story about a girl locked up in a castle who spins straw into gold. Rapunzel is also a Brothers Grimm story about a girl with long hair who uses it to give the prince access to the castle in which she was being held prisoner. Both stories originated in Germany.

What type of story is Rumpelstiltskin?

"Rumpelstiltskin" (/ˌrʌmpəlˈstɪltskɪn/ RUMP-əl-STILT-skin; German: Rumpelstilzchen) is a German fairy tale. It was collected by the Brothers Grimm in the 1812 edition of Children's and Household Tales.

What is the feminist gender conflict theory?

Feminist theory uses the conflict approach to examine the reinforcement of gender roles and inequalities. Conflict theory posits that stratification is dysfunctional and harmful in society, with inequality perpetuated because it benefits the rich and powerful at the expense of the poor.

Who wrote the feminist fairy tale?

Walker. Prominent feminist author Barbara Walker has revamped, retold, and infused with life some of your favorite classic fairy tales. No longer are women submissive, helpless creatures in need of redemption through the princely male!

What is the personality of Rumpelstiltskin?

The Rumpelstiltskin from The Grimm Brothers's Fairytale was described as an imp-like creature, with a cunning personality and much of a trickster. He would offer himself to do any job (weaving gold) while asking for a payment. To add to his traits, he is also greedy. If you're good of something, never do it for free.

What does spinning straw mean?

In the fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin, a young girl must spin straw into gold. Because of this story, the phrase “spinning straw” means to make something out of nothing.

Why did Rumpelstiltskin rips himself in half?

Rumpelstiltskin displays greed in his need for a reward, demanding the queen's child as his final reward. Yet, when the time comes for him to collect and he loses the game, he becomes so angered he rips himself in half.

Is Rumpelstiltskin a girl?

The title character is a mysterious gnomelike man who spins straw into gold for the benefit of a beautiful miller's daughter, in exchange for her future firstborn child. The little man reappears to demand his payment when the young woman, now the queen, bears her first child.

Why is Rumpelstiltskin green?

As the Dark One, Rumplestiltskin preserves the appearance that he had as an adult human being, but as a result of the power he acquired his skin takes on a golden reflection that according to the brightness may appear as green or gray, his eyes dilate and become amber, his teeth rotten appearing yellow, his hair take ...

Is Rumpelstiltskin a good guy or a bad guy?

Rumplestiltskin's relationship to good and evil isn't black and white, complicating his status as an outright villain. Though Rumplestiltskin can be conniving and selfish, he also exhibits some underlying benevolence. As such, Rumplestiltskin proves that everyone in Storybrooke has the capacity for good and evil.

Is Rumpelstiltskin a villain or a hero?

Type of Villain

Rumpelstiltskin is the titular main antagonist of the Brothers Grimm fairytale of the same name. He is a magical dwarf (or goblin, or imp)-like creature who aided a girl in weaving thread into gold but demanded the heavy price of her firstborn child in payment.

Who is the antagonist of Rumpelstiltskin?

Rumpelstiltskin is the titular main antagonist of the fairy tale of the same name. He has appeared in multiple fictional works as a villain: Rumpelstiltskin (folklore) Rumplestiltskin (Once Upon a Time)

Who is the hero in Rumpelstiltskin?

At last, Rumpelstiltskin gets to be the hero! Based on the original Grimm fairy tale, this traditionally misunderstood character earns a well-deserved happy ending, winning the hand of Freya, the beautiful miller's daughter.