Abstract
Fairy tales are often violent. But one kind of fairy-tale violence has been overlooked: the sacrificial violence that sometimes precedes a restoration to human form. In tales like the Grimms’ “Frog Prince” and d’Aulnoy’s “White Cat,” previously mild and gentle characters must commit a violent act—often decapitation—in order to help a beloved animal regain its human shape. These symbolic transformations may provide a clue to the representation of self, particularly the autonomous female self, in d’Aulnoy’s tales. The omission of such violence in many recent versions of the tales suggests our resistance to the possibility of true transformation and its costs.
Recommended Citation
Wanning Harries, Elizabeth. "The Violence of the Lambs." Marvels & Tales 19.1 (2005). Web. <https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/marvels/vol19/iss1/5>.
