Jasdeep Singh
Kylee Pastore
FIQWS 10105 HA5[24881]
18 October 2022
Who Gave You Consent?
“Sleeping Beauty” can be seen as one of the many childhood favorite fairy tales that many can reminisce about. It is a story of multiple versions and correlates to both children and much older audiences. Preferably, many may know Sleeping Beauty from Disney. We are introduced to Princess Aurora and her happily ever after. However, there are also versions of Sleeping Beauty in which they go into detail about different scenarios and subjects. Specifically, the versions by Charles Perrault, “Sleeping Beauty in the Woods” as well as Giambattista Basile, “Sun, Moon , and Talia” can be seen as highlighting that there is no consent being asked, these ideas are seen as not being addressed as they are taking place in the fairy tale.
As per say the other versions of “Sleeping Beauty”, “Sun, Moon, and Talia” and “Sleeping Beauty in the Woods” are seen as having the same concept and plot. Although the plot and climax are similar for all versions, each focuses on a specific idea. In “Sun, Moon, and Talia” Talia is the princess. In her sleep, Talia wakes up to having 2 children. Talia was meant to be killed by the King’s mother, but the King arrives just in time and it’s happily ever after. Whereas, in “Sleeping Beauty in the Woods”, the curse of an evil fairy is reversed by one of the good fairies and Sleeping Beauty is put to sleep along with her family. A prince comes to awaken the princess, he kisses her and the princess awakens. All versions of “Sleeping Beauty” are similar because it revolves around a King and Queen having a daughter, in which she becomes cursed and is put to sleep until a prince arrives to awaken her.
The many versions of “Sleeping Beauty” are seen as being divisive as they question the idea of consent and go into depth about sexual relations. In “Sun, Moon, and Talia” the idea of consent evidently nowhere to be found. “Crying aloud, he beheld her charms and felt his blood course hotly through his veins. He lifted her in his arms, and carried her to a bed, where he gathered the first fruits of love.”(Basile). Sun, Moon and Talia has to be the one version of Sleeping Beauty that screams no consent. When Talia is under the spell of 100 year slumber, a king finds the castle as well as her and, can be seen having sexual desires. This idea of having desires with a sleeping or unconscious person is giving the wrong ideas of consensual relationships. Adding on to this wrong idea of consent, the story prevails by showing Talia as being passive and blatantly not caring that she has just woken up with two kids beside her. Readers are not given the correct understanding of sexual relations. This reading can also be seen as a source to teach young adults of the idea of consensual sexual relationships. In “Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty),” a young woman raped by her father lies “still as a bar of iron . . this trance girl” ”(Gena,126). Another prime example of sexual assualt can be seen in Anne Sextons version of Sleeping Beauty (Briar Rose). It shows how passive “Sleeping Beauty” is. As relating to “Sun,Moon and Talia”, “Briar Rose” is not caring about what is being done to her. She is not asked about consent, rather she is assaulted on a daily basis.
Some people think that “Sleeping Beauty” is seen as promoting the wrong ideas of true love. The versions of “Sleeping Beauty” have caused an uproar, as they should be banned and not be read to kids. “Sarah Hall, a mother from Newcastle, made headlines by asking her six-year-old son’s primary school to remove the story of Sleeping Beauty from the classroom of younger pupils because of its unhelpful message about kissing sleeping girls”(Merritt). As discussed in other articles, the idea of kissing an unconscious girl is not the definition of consent. Brock Turner can be identified as a prime example of living this fantasy, as he was seen assaulting an unconscious woman after a party. If a child is introduced to the idea of kissing a sleeping girl, this idea later on grows into the belief that it is okay to do so. “Sleeping Beauty” should be taught to a much older group of kids. This is because, instead of it being a fairy tale, this can be used to question the idea of consent.
“Sleeping Beauty” is seen as the typical story in the beginning of Charles Perrault’s “Sleeping Beauty in the Wood.” However, as the story progresses, we are introduced to the concept of no consent. This is because “Sleeping Beauty” is cursed by the wicked witch for 100 years of sleep, during which a prince appears after hearing stories about this beautiful princess and simply kisses her in her sleep. This could be viewed as indicating that you can simply kiss someone in their sleep. You cannot just kiss someone like that. “The princess awoke, and bestowed upon him a look more tender than a first glance might seem to warrant. “Is it you, dear prince?” she said. “You have been long in coming!”(Perrault,89). This text quotes shows the distinction between reality and fairy tale. If someone kissed a woman while she was sleeping, she would not only be revolted but also enraged as she had been taken advantage of while she was sleeping. “Sexuality in fairy tales seems to be limited to Jack’s beanstalk, Overt sexual references, if they even find their way into original collections, rarely appear in children’s books.”(46). In the article, “Things Walt Disney Never Told Us”, Kay Stone talks about the reality of many fairy tales and how Disney portrays many fairy tales in a simplistic light. Due to this, many people who read or watch fairy tales associate permission and love inaccurately. The kiss in “Sleeping Beauty” is justified because it was seen as being true love, however this is the opposite in reality. Due to this, many people who read or watch fairy tales associate permission and love inaccurately.
The multiple versions of “Sleeping Beauty” identify and amplify the discussions of consent. “Sleeping Beauty” introduces the ideas of non consensual relations as they are discussed by the modern generation and to have an unrealistic portrayal to children. The consent of both sides are important and should be idolized and “Sleeping Beauty” can be shown as being useful to teach older audiences. Fairy tales may also give the wrong idea and morals.
Works Cited
Basile, Giambattista. The Pentameron of Giambattista Basile, translated by Richard F. Burton (Privately printed, 1893), day 5, tale 5. Translation revised by D. L. Ashliman.
Merritt, Stephanie. “Once upon a Sexual Assault … It’s Not Outrageous for Fairytales to Get a Modern Update.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 27 Nov. 2017, https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/27/sexual-assault-sleeping-beauty-fairytales-ban-gender-rape.
Perrault’s Fairy Tales (New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1969), pp. 3-21. This translation is from Old-Time Stories told by Master Charles Perrault, translated by A. E. Johnson (Dodd Mead and Company, 1921). Translations of the verse morals are from Perrault’s Fairy Tales, translated by S. R. Littlewood (London: Herbert and Daniel, 1912).
Propst. (2008). Bloody Chambers and Labyrinths of Desire: Sexual Violence in Marina Warner’s Fairy Tales and Myths. Marvels & Tales, 22(1), 125–142.
Stone, Kay. Things Walt Disney Never Told Us Source: The Journal of … American Folklore Society, https://www.jstor.org/stable/539184.
