Abstract
Although many fairy tales feature small characters or things, Marie-Catherine d’Aulnoy’s evocation of the small is not just a consequence of her tales’ small scale but rather a self- conscious decision to examine and exploit the limits of the genre. Although d’Aulnoy sometimes associates the small with deformity or inferiority, most often she evokes small things to admire their delicate beauty. I argue that in her descriptions of small objects, especially toys and jewels, d’Aulnoy celebrates the skill with which they have been made in a self-reflexive move that ascribes new value to her artfully crafted tales.
Recommended Citation
Bloom, Rori. "Miniature Marvelous: The Petit as Personal Aesthetic in the Fairy Tales of Marie-Catherine d’Aulnoy." Marvels & Tales 29.2 (2015). Web. <https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/marvels/vol29/iss2/3>.
