Why do princesses have to get rescued from princes who are chivalrous, brave, and handsome? As we read the traditional fairy tales, we can see that Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White have same traits in common. They are completely dependent, helpless, and unrealistic. Denise Duhamel did a great job critiquing these traits of women with her poem, “Song for All Would-Have-Been Princesses.” The characteristics that are shown in fairy tale corrupt our society by making young girls self-conscious to their looks, and making them feel helpless.
In the very last part of the poem “Song for All Would-Have-Been Princesses,” Duhamel depicts the She-frog praying for her ugliness as following:
…“Please God,
make me ugly, so I will no longer tempt men.
So I will no longer be tempted."
As though for a cowfrog, a would-be princess,
desire itself is shameful (Duhamel).
make me ugly, so I will no longer tempt men.
So I will no longer be tempted."
As though for a cowfrog, a would-be princess,
desire itself is shameful (Duhamel).
She-frog has been kicked out of the court trying to flirt with the prince, and now she prays to God to make her ugly. And the poem criticizes the She-frog’s dependence on her look. The fairy tale makes young girls think about being pretty and cute, because it pictures the image of pretty and cute girls ending up with handsome and brave princes. People should be able to look at what’s inside of one’s heart, not what’s outside. This is not emphasized enough on television either. Teenagers nowadays are more exposed to skinny models and pretty girls on television. It is appalling that the media and society perpetrate superficial beauty and persuade young girls to think it is okay to get self-conscious of their looks.
Secondly, Denise Duhamel uses the fairy tale in “Song for All Would-Have-Been Princesses” to twist girls’ perceptions. Even with switched position from the original story, the She-frog still tries to flirt with the Prince, thinking she can be the next princess. But the reality is that the Prince kicks her out of the court because the ugly She-frog is a commoner who will cost his crown to throne. The poem mocks young girls’ views towards themselves. The fairy tales illustrate helpless princesses, who do not appreciate themselves for who they are. They only wait for their handsome princes to come, which is the “happy ending” for them. This trait in fairy tale causes young girls to be weak and dependent. Girls should be able to value themselves and try to make themselves worth for what they achieve. They should know how to appreciate themselves and how to be self-sufficient rather than to wait for their princes.
The fairy tale portrays that women are weaker than men and that only pretty girls get to marry the prince. It does not teach the right gender role to little girls, and it also leads them to think that it is okay to only care about their superficial beauty. The fairy tale and the media have to stop implanting these terrible characteristics to young girls, by emphasizing what is more important.
