The Fairy Tale Connection

My group did Old Woman Magoun for our short story project, and though we didn't have much time to explain it in class, our spice is worth noting.

While researching the project, we found a very interesting blogpost online, which you can read here: http://culturexchange1.wordpress.com/2013/01/24/freemans-old-woman-magoun/
In summary, this blogger suggested we reread the story donning the lens of a fairy tale perspective, and compare each character to a major archetype in fantasy stories.

The Princess: In this comparison, quite obviously the princess is Lily Barry. She is young, innocent, beautiful, and the men around her want to claim her as her own. She is named for a flower, signifying her innocence, and reminding us of such simple names as Aurora and Snow. She can be compared to Little Red Riding Hood as she goes off on a mission for her grandmother, Snow White when the sour apple is the alleged cause of her death, and even Sleeping Beauty when her father comes and finds her close to death and cold as ice.

The Wolf: All the men in the story are painted in a very negative light, mostly by Magoun herself. In particular, Nelson Barry and Jim Willis are described thusly. As little Red Riding Hood walks, she is stopped by a charming  and cunning man who in the end scares her. This is Jim Willis. Later we find he wants to marry her, to steal her away from her life as much as the wolf who wanted to eat her (though I must say I'd much rather be married than eaten). And even when she arrives at the store, Nelson Barry is antagonized, also conspiring to steal Lily, and overall an unwelcome presence.

The Fairy Godmother/The Witch: Old Woman Magoun plays a very dynamic role in Lily's life, as well as in her death, it seems. Let's start with the good stuff. Magoun has always cared for Lily, and gives her everything she needs. She took her into her home when her mother dies (who's death Magoun may have also caused, but I'll get to that later), and treats her like a little princess. However, perhaps she takes this too far. The witch comes in when we think about just how much Magoun is controlling the princess's life, and arguable forcing Lily to stay innocent by not much exposing her to the world around her, specifically the world of men. Here, she's the evil "mother", and Lily is Rapunzel. She also allegedly poisoned Lily in the end, with an apple, much like how Snow White was killed by her evil step-mother.

The Prince: This one plays a much more minor role in the short story, but it's there none the less. When Willis first approaches Lily on her way to the general store, he's charming, handsome, and Lily trusts him, even falls in love with him right away. This may be the first man she's interacted with without Magoun around, much like how Sleeping Beauty and Snow White found their princes. Quickly he morphs into the Big Bad Wolf, but at first, he really is her Prince Charming.

So why does any of this matter? Sure it's cool, but why should you care? Well I'll tell you. Next time you get the chance to really mull over Old Woman Magoun and her tale, consider how often the Witch shows up, then how often the Fairy Godmother shows up. Then consider how much of the Wolf you see more than the Prince. These are interesting points to connect back to our binary work with Benjamin, the FEMALE/male vs. MALE/female, and to consider which genders are painted most negatively. It's an interesting idea to include when trying to piece together what Mary Wilkins Freeman is really trying to say about gender roles, and how they play out when paired with a princess for them to try and corrupt.