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 Just as I suspected, the class changed my view on fairy tales – but it's a more mature understanding of what's behind these stories. The stories – whether it's "Little Red Riding Hood," "Sleeping Beauty" or "Beauty and the Beast" – often discuss the tough topics young adults face when they move from child to adult. With this new knowledge, I decided to write my term paper on young-adult literature and fairy tales. My essay centered on the change "Sleeping Beauty" had to undergo in order to make it fit a young-adult audience. (That's just a portion of it, but I don't want to rewrite my whole thesis again here.) After weeks of stressing, pulling out my hair, even shedding tears over this overwhelmingly difficult paper, I turned it in – and got an A. Whew! I might have a brain in here somewhere. So, I wanted to share it with you, because I'm fascinated by young-adult lit (I love children's books too, don't get me wrong). So, read on if you're interested; if you're not, I understand. It's 20 pages! Note: Some of the formatting may have changed for the essay. A Study of the "Sleeping Beauty" Protagonist in Two Adolescent Novels The “Sleeping Beauty” tale most readers are familiar with follows a young princess who is cursed to sleep for one-hundred years and wake only from the kiss of a gallant, charming prince, who leads her into the land of happily ever after. But, who is she? Who is the teenage girl behind the myth? What does she want? What are her goals, her aspirations, and her desires? One might assume she hopes to wake up one day, or never fall asleep in the first place. Perhaps she might like to get married and build her adult life. Maybe, she does not want to marry the prince after all. The older versions of the tale, specifically those penned by Charles Perrault and the Grimm Brothers, leave the woman behind the tale out of the story. The reader is presented with a fairy tale that revolves around a passive, nearly perfect princess. She is a catalyst, but she is not a part of her own story, which makes her inaccessible to modern teenage readers of the tale. Cameron Dokey’s contemporary young-adult novel, Beauty Sleep, and Robin McKinley's Spindle's End, on the other hand, write Beauty into the story by expanding on her character and making her a participant within her own life and the lives of others. They give her thoughts, feelings, and desires that translate to an audience of adolescent readers who above all else need an opportunity to find themselves in the protagonist. The authors can execute this so well because of the universality of the tale—and on a larger scale the entire genre—which allows the stories to be easily adapted to fit a specific age range or culture. With a more active, human heroine, “Sleeping Beauty” transcends the boundaries of culture and joins the booming realm of young-adult fiction. This analysis will look at five of the motifs that directly relate to the heroine: the curse, self-discovery, the spindle prick, the epic sleep, and the waking act, which are most apparent in Perrault's and the Grimms' versions. This will demonstrate how the heroine and the motifs are reinterpreted by Dokey and McKinley to fit a modern teenage reader’s needs in a protagonist. Concurrently, by studying the use of morality, plot, theme, and sexuality in young-adult literature and the new interpretations, this examination will show how the story is rewritten and why it works so well for the intended audience. “Sleeping Beauty” first began to take form as early as the eleventh century in the Saga of the Volsungs’ “The Story of Sigurd and Brynhild.” Giambattista Basile later penned “Sun, Moon, and Talia” in 1634, providing a base for Charles Perrault’s 1697 retelling, “The Beauty Sleeping in the Wood.” His story demonstrates the tale’s adaptability for specific audiences or cultures, though it is similar to Basile’s story due to parallels such as the fate of the princess, the birth of two children, and an ogress relative (Travers 52). Perrault's version incorporates the one-hundred-year curse, a spindle prick at puberty, and the waking act, which ultimately leads to Beauty’s self-discovery in the role of a wife. Perrault wrote during the time of French socialization, when there was a large change in the standards of the period. Children began to be accepted as having an "immortal soul," according to Philippe Ariés (qtd. in Zipes, Subversion 13). Perrault's tales were written mainly to civilize young ones and to influence their behavior, but he also geared them toward an adult audience. His "Sleeping Beauty" piece is among those he catered for girls to demonstrate the need for patience and passivity in females (Zipes, Subversion 23). The tale is the first to use "Sleeping Beauty" in the name, and it is one of the last to wake the princess without a kiss, according to Heidi Heiner's "The History of Sleeping Beauty." It is interesting to note that the princess has no other name besides THE "Sleeping Beauty." The writer and the characters within the piece objectify her; she is a beautiful princess to conquer or destroy. Ultimately, the princess falls to the background, leaving the story more focused on the actions of others. The most well-known version of the tale takes form in the Grimms' 1812 version, dubbed “Briar-Rose.” The authors wrote in Germany during a time when the book was emerging as something to be read to and by children in middle-class families, and their stories are much more geared toward imparting the duties of a bourgeois girl on the reader, and emphasizing domestic roles and moral implications (Zipes, Subversion 47). “Briar-Rose” is cleaned up for younger readers, leaving out much of the earlier cannibalism, rape, and adultery the reader sees in Perrault’s and Basile’s tales. But, the established motifs are utilized in the Grimms’ work, with a beautiful princess cursed to sleep for one-hundred years after a spindle prick at puberty. She wakes only after a prince comes to her rescue and kisses her awake, leading her off to her destiny, marriage. Yet, the sleeping heroine is still a passive object; in fact, much like in Perrault, her name is trivial: THE “Briar-Rose.” Though the story revolves around her, it is not her story. The reader maintains a general overview of the young woman’s surface features and characteristics, but he or she knows nothing about her inner self. Despite differences, "Sleeping Beauty" is essentially a story about a young woman's self-discovery. But, as showcased above, the female beauty does not have much of a character, while other secondary characters such as the prince, Perrault’s ogre-mother, and the parents are much more the active players in the story. Calling the princess a heroine is essentially untrue in these versions; she does nothing to garner the name. She is ultimately inactive, passive, and immovable, except through a male’s touch. She is, according to Andrea Dworkin, an “innocent, victimized Sleeping Beauty, beauteous lump of ultimate, sleeping good” (qtd. in Tatar xiii). It cannot be denied: a large portion of the "Sleeping Beauty" tale occurs while Beauty is sleeping, and once she wakes, the story rarely centers on her actions, though she is the reason for much of the behavior of the characters. But this is where Dokey and McKinley come into play, through their work to raise the character into a heroine and a human. Dokey’s and McKinley’s works both fall into the young-adult category, which currently extends from the age of ten to twenty-five, according to Michael Cart's "The Value of Young Adult Literature." The novels can also be lumped into a larger mythic fiction genre, because of their use of those established motifs to retell the stories for an intended audience. In her article, “Mythic Fiction for Young Adults,” Julie Bartel writes, "Drawing upon material that has inspired for thousands of years gives writers a voice in the continuing conversation which tries to make sense of the human experience. . . .” Or, in Dokey and McKinley, the authors give a voice to the heroine to demonstrate the young-adult experience. Dokey’s Beauty Sleep runs nearly two-hundred pages, which is a typical length in teen literature, and it appears to be geared toward the younger range of the spectrum, mainly due to the occasional use of contemporary adolescent language. The story follows Princess Aurore, who is cursed to prick her finger on a spindle by her mother’s cousin Jane when she is not invited to the protagonist's christening. Instead of immediate death, Aurore is fated to a one-hundred-year sleep by her godmother, Chantal. The first half of the book focuses on the years leading up to Aurore’s troubled sixteenth year, and the second half focuses on her journey to find her destiny and face the curse. The novel is infused with magic, particularly as it relates to Aurore's travels into la Forêt to face her curse, as well as when she marries her cousin Oswald, who coincidentally turns out to be Prince Charming. After her liminal journey to find herself, Aurore assumes the role of heir to the throne, closely following the line her parents set out for her. McKinley’s Spindle’s End gives a completely different spin to the story. The novel runs more than three-hundred-and-fifty pages and boasts a more mature feel, due to the use of universal language and the author’s representation of the material. This particular version follows Rosie, the princess who is cursed during her christening by the evil fairy Pernicia. At the age of twenty-one, Rosie is fated to prick her finger on a spindle, which will poison her into a sleep she will be unable to wake from. Yet, Rosie does have a fairy rescuer in Katriona, who whisks her off to the enchanted land of Foggy Bottom to live with her and Aunt. Rosie grows up among her fairy family and neighbors, but she is unconscious of her real identity. The story twists and turns, adding in characters such as Peony, who serves as Rosie's double when her sleeping fate is finally reckoned, as well as Narl, who Rosie ends up falling in love with. This work is infused with magic, as well; Rosie has an uncanny ability to speak to animals, among other fantasy elements. The novel begins with a focus on Rosie through the eyes of Katriona, though midway through, the viewpoint shifts more closely toward Rosie. After a magical battle against Pernicia, Rosie renounces her royalty, choosing instead to live her own life, not the one picked out for her. Clearly, both authors make vast changes to the story to boost the heroines as bona-fide characters, using only the base that Perrault and the Grimms provide. Before discussing the writers' use of the "Sleeping Beauty" motifs, it is first necessary to outline some facts about the young-adult genre. In “Value,” Cart explains that the sector did not begin to develop until the late 1960s, and it is constantly transforming to fill the requirements of its contemporary audience, much like the fairy tales and the age of adolescence. Young adulthood is a period defined by physical, emotional, and societal change; essentially, it is a time when liminality reigns. So, to support these readers, the genre addresses certain developmental requirements, according to Cart: "These needs recognize that young adults are beings in evolution, in search of self and identity; beings who are constantly growing and changing, morphing from the condition of childhood to that of adulthood." This being said, one of the most important elements for this sector is the ability to reflect the reader in the teenage protagonist who faces conflicts relatable to his or her own. The protagonist, and the work, must address topical subjects that can easily translate to a reader's own situation, such as the search for identity, sexuality, and the passage from child to adult (Donelson 33). The princess serves a dual role in the adolescent books: she is an obvious element within the “Sleeping Beauty” tale, and she performs the actions needed in a young adult’s central character. One of the more popular ways an author will capture the audience is through a first-person narrator (Donelson 37). Dokey utilizes this method to establish her protagonist, Aurore. She also uses a metafictional narrative that allows Dokey to play with and draw on the tale's universality. For example, in the "Preamble, or a Fancy Way of Saying Introduction," Aurore describes a door to the outside world, which she is kept from in the early part of her life: "It is made of old, dark oak with iron handles and hinges. . . . You know what lies beyond it, don't you? That's right. My truth. My way. My story" (3). Through the introduction, Dokey recasts the beginning of Aurore’s life, enacting a key ingredient of character development in young-adult literature: "Readers cannot rejoice in the arrival of a character unless they know where the character started" (Donelson 33). The author also spends a significant amount of time on the naming of the princess, who could be one of two people depending on her early behavior and countenance, Aurore or Henriette-Hortense. The family waits about a month for the christening to make sure the name fits, which it does because Aurore is an attractive baby: "In my case, however there was no possibility that I might, even yet, become Henriette-Hortense" (7). Through these early notes, Aurore's character takes shape. Aurore is further humanized because she is unlike the typical princess created by the Grimms or Perrault, with "beauty, the temper of an angel, grace, the ability to dance perfectly, the voice of a nightingale, and musicality. In other words, she is bred to become the ideal aristocratic lady" (Zipes, Subversion 24). While Dokey’s Aurore is beautiful, with long flowing locks, blue eyes, and rosy cheeks, and she is forecast to "grow up straight and true, for that is what's supposed to happen when you are born royal," she struggles to fulfill the role of a domestically trained princess her mother sets out for her (6-8). For example, Aurore eats the fruit she is supposed to paint, and she does not excel at braiding rugs. Furthermore, she has male clothing (a shirt, a leather jerkin, and breeches) hidden in her room, which she later uses to escape and seek out her fate: "These I put on, being careful to fold the garments befitting a princess I was taking off and put them in their proper place" (92). With this disconnect between who she is and who she is supposed to be, Aurore takes on characteristics similar to those readers who may be struggling with their own roles in their family and society. McKinley invokes a third-person narrator to tell Rosie's story, but the omniscience of the teller helps the reader achieve a full understanding of the heroine. Much like Dokey, McKinley begins the story before Rosie is born, building up her character early in the work. The reader is with Rosie during her christening, when a name that runs three lines long is bestowed upon her, and later when Katriona and Aunt give her a more fitting name: "‘I don't even know what to call her.’ . . . 'Briar-Rose,' said her aunt. 'Rose. Rosie. Rosie is a good name for a little village maiden. We'll call her Rosie'" (59). In addition, the reader learns about Rosie through Katriona’s early interactions with the baby, which show her to be curious and relatively calm despite being snatched from her home, and she exhibits an accord with forest animals. As Rosie grows, the reader is able to see specific differences from the typical protagonist, who the Grimms call "wonderfully beautiful" (69). Though Rosie is endowed with golden hair, blue eyes, "skin as white as milk," the ability to dance, and a beautiful singing voice, she does not at first take on these traits in McKinley’s work (33). In fact, the author is quick to point out Rosie’s smart demeanor over her looks: "But aside from her hair, she was not pretty, . . . and she was intelligent" (72). Rosie, much like Aurore, is a bit defiant. During her childhood, she finds scissors and lobs off her hair and eyelashes, and she sports clothes typically worn by males. She also becomes a "horse doctor" through her friendship with the odd but lovable Narl (146). She dislikes dancing, embroidering, and other princess duties, and she is described as having a "strength of character," which the early “Sleeping Beauty” does not at first glance appear to have (89). Rosie is anything but passive in her actions, and her character, with all its defiance and strength, becomes relevant to young readers. While both teen authors take liberties with the heroine to give her young-adult appeal, they do retain the element of curiosity Perrault and the Grimms create in the princess. But, the later writers do not attach the level of morality to the trait that the former do. For example, in Perrault, Beauty’s curiosity regarding the spindle is considered to be her downfall. In fact, the trait was often thought to be undesirable in women in the time Perrault was writing: "[His] ideal ‘femme civilesée’ of upper-class society, the composite female . . . knows how to control herself at all times” (Zipes, Subversion 25). This is also highlighted in “Briar-Rose,” as the Grimms make attempts to promote more acceptable feminine virtues such as modesty and a good nature (Grimms 68). McKinley and Dokey, on the other hand, use curiosity as a way to try out different modes, roles, and actions within the characters' lives. The trait serves less as a guide for youth, who do not pay close attention to the morality of a piece as it is: "Young adults read first and worried about the morality of the literature second" (Donelson 59). In fact, curiosity is a virtue in contemporary society, which the later heroines encompass. Each protagonist embarks on this active curiosity in her own way in these two books, particularly in regard to the curse motif. Aurore, who is aware of the ill fate that will befall her, blatantly refuses to be reigned in and seeks to visit a larger world than the one she has been exposed to: "I had explored every single inch of the palace grounds to my satisfaction and was ready to take the next step: the world outside the palace walls" (Dokey 45). Rosie, too, is invested deeply in the curse; she is driven by a desire she cannot quite name to know more about herself, and by default, the princess: "'There's something I can't quite remember about---about before I lived with you. I know I was too young to remember anything, but I do'" (McKinley 157). Through the curiosity, the young-adult reader is able to reflect on his or her own methods of discovering an appropriate role in society, choosing for him or herself what is right or wrong. The curiosity is a way to forward self-discovery, which leads to another young-adult need in relation to the protagonist and the tale itself: plot and theme. The more well-received plot patterns in young-adult literature are self against self or self against another: "A large portion of the rites-of-passage stories popular with young adults are of the protagonist-against-self type. Through the happenings in the book, the protagonist comes to some new understanding or level of maturity" (Donelson 30). The self-against-self plot can be combined with self against another, as is evident in both modern “Sleeping Beauty” tales (Donelson 31). Here, the theme of self-discovery ties closely in with the plot patterns. This theme is enacted in the "Sleeping Beauty" stories through the heroine's struggle to understand who she is (self), and second, the fight to defeat and win out against the curse brought upon her by another. Aurore turns sixteen and knows she must face the curse, because lengthening its duration only wreaks havoc on her family and the kingdom: "If the spells spoken over me in my cradle were fulfilled, the war within me would be over. The calamities which threatened to destroy us all would stop. All it would take was the prick of a finger" (Dokey 88). But, when Aurore decides to face her fate she is unsure how to accomplish the task, especially because she will have to figure it out on her own: "I had absolutely no idea what I was about to face. I only knew that, for the first time in my life, I would be alone" (Dokey 91). Through this dual plot, Aurore begins to strive for her own path to self-discovery. Rosie’s self-against-self battle is slightly different, because she is less aware of what her role should be. Her self-against-self struggle is a conflict to align the identity she knows with the one brought upon her by her birth. Her self-against-another conflict finds form in a number of different happenings, which help to spur her into adulthood. In her fifteenth year, for example, she must face the outward pressure from forces such as Katriona's marriage and subsequent pregnancy. These actions create a world of change and a lack of comfort within her own being: "Not knowing what she thought made her feel lost; and feeling lost made her feel suddenly as if she were somebody else, and that feeling set up echoes, deep down inside herself, and these scared her" (McKinley 121). With new babies around, she is no longer the youngest in the family; in fact, she must grow into an adult, which Rosie remarks on in the story (McKinley 144). Another external force weighing on Rosie is her own cursed world, which Pernicia bestows upon her. While the evil fairy essentially drops from Perrault’s and the Grimms’ plot lines, and even to a certain extent Dokey’s, she remains a driving force in this story. Rosie is sought out with what McKinley calls a "searching spell" that lasts for twenty long years (175). In addition, Pernicia’s evil power spurs Rosie into action throughout the latter half of the book, thereby coming into her own and saving her family, friends, and the kingdom. Both heroines' struggles exemplify another key point of young-adult literature. These books tell readers the truth about themselves through the characters' conflicts, according to Cart’s “Values”: "In this way it equips readers for dealing with the realities of impending adulthood and for assuming the rights and responsibilities of citizenship." In other words, the new "Sleeping Beauty" conflicts directly translate to modern coming-of-age trials. The struggles show readers that though the path is difficult, they can survive and grow. Another noteworthy point about each heroine’s conflict in these two stories is how they compare to Perrault’s and the Grimms’ versions. In the early variations, there are no discussions of the trials on the part of the heroines. While the contemporary protagonists seek out the answers to who they are, the other two do not; there is a marked absence of their thoughts, feelings, and internal battles. For example, the Grimms jump from a description of the beauteous woman Briar-Rose is becoming into her curiosity about the palace during her fifteenth year. She is not inclined at any point beforehand to explore (68). The underlying conflicts they face as well as the ever-present theme of self-discovery are underdeveloped. It is less about the process in the early works, while the two newer versions devote a good deal of attention to the development of the conflicts in order to strengthen the character in the eyes of a young-adult reader. The development of the theme of self-discovery and the trials the heroines face lead to the next motifs in the “Sleeping Beauty” tale: the spindle prick and the elongated nap. Perrault and the Grimms banish the spindles early in their tales, and afterward, the stories lack progression in this subject as it relates to the heroines. The Grimms write, "And in the very moment when she felt the prick, she fell down upon the bed that stood there, and lay in a deep sleep" (69). Meanwhile, Perrault’s princess quickly falls asleep after the prick: "She ran the spindle into her hand and immediately fainted dead away" (75). There is no room in these tales for the heroine to form any kind of opinion about the spindle prick, and she is translated into the meek, mild heroine most readers are accustomed to. This quick action carries out the intent of the early authors: “She [Sleeping Beauty] is expected to be passive and patient for a hundred years until a prince rescues and resuscitates her” (Zipes, Subversion 24). Dokey and McKinley rework the spindle prick into the course of the story, allowing it to be woven into the fabric of the pieces and their protagonists’ lives. In addition, once the spindle prick happens, the girls do not quickly fall down dead to sleep for one-hundred years. Instead, their stories continue, thus carrying on the character that has been formed and allowing the young-adult reader to continue to reflect on the heroines without losing track of their goals. In both contemporary books, of course the spindle is banished. But Dokey allows her heroine to comment on the lack of sharp objects in her home, offering the reader a chance to garner her feelings: "Do you have any idea how challenging it is to live your life deprived of sharp objects? To live each day as if the presence of a butter knife constitutes a threat?" (23). The author even lets her heroine learn to embroider, weaving a bit of danger into the story. McKinley too faces the spindle prick head on; it is even found in the title of the work. While spinning with a pointed end is banished by the king’s proclamation, McKinley's characters create a new art in the form of spindle ends: "The new spindle ends became not merely necessary adaptations of an old system, but the way things were: and the offhand whittling of them became both elaborate and beautiful" (67). Rosie also picks up a needle in her lifetime without pricking her finger. In fact, she is adept at spinning and embroidering, though it frightens her at first. Even more interesting is the object that is slated to kill Rosie becomes a means to defeat Pernicia. The young woman’s gift with embroidery allows her to fashion a rope out of Narl's long hair (308). By weaving the spindle into multiple elements of the story, the two heroines keep this aspect of their pending conflict in the forefront of the readers’ minds. These elements offer hints to the reader, thereby keeping him or her engaged in the plight of the princesses (Donelson 28). The spindle prick does make its appearance as a sleep-inducing object in a culmination of the young-adult authors’ dropped hints. It is just executed differently than the originals. For example, Aurore pokes herself with a needle when trying to stitch Prince Ironheart's cheek after an injury: "I felt a small, bright spear of pain, for all the world like the sting of a bee, shoot through my right hand as I sat back upon my heels and my hand brushed against my thigh" (Dokey 162). What follows is a brief fainting spell, in which Aurore comes to terms with her fate and levels her existence out in her head. In McKinley's version, Rosie is drawn to the spindle, but it is not she who pricks herself. It is Peony, who is disguised as Rosie: "---And Peony touched the point of the spindle, uttering a tiny cry as it pierced her forefinger, and the first bright drop of blood spilled out . . ." (270). By making Peony prick her finger instead of Rosie, the author allows the reader to remain focused on the heroine, removing a minor character instead. Thus, the connection the young-adult reader makes with the heroine throughout the beginning of the story is not broken in these newer adaptations by the spindle prick and subsequently, the great sleep. The one-hundred-year rest is transformed in both Dokey’s and McKinley’s novels. At first glance, it appears that both heroines sleep for only a short period of time. For example, Aurore is not completely sure at the novel’s end how long she slept, or if she did at all: "As to what happened to me [in la Forêt], is it possible to sleep for a hundred years in the blink of an eye? Perhaps it doesn't matter how long I actually slept, only how long I was gone" (Dokey 186). McKinley keeps Rosie awake as well, solidifying the heroine as an active protagonist, while those around her are treated to a nap: "'Where---where is everyone else?' she said at last, fearfully. 'Oh, they're here too,' he said matter-of-factly. 'They're just all asleep'" (275). On the surface level, it appears the heroines have outlasted the sleep. In reality, the sleep can be seen as a larger metaphor for their entire adolescent period and the liminality that ensues as the protagonists move from child to adult. Once the heroines hit the age of adolescence, which has been extended to age ten, their worlds become ones of tension and ultimately, crisis: “Perhaps the most significant aspect of contemporary adolescent fiction is its focus on the moments of crisis that are typical of the transitional stage between childhood and adulthood” (Roxborough 248). At ten, Aurore is allowed outside for the first time by her parents, hastening her toward her destiny. At eleven, signs that Rosie and her family are being watched from a force in the woods surface. At thirteen, she begins to question her own identity; at fifteen, the story transfers into Rosie's thoughts, staying closely in her head for the majority of the second half. But, the climactic actions of the struggle do occur when the heroines would typically be asleep. For Aurore, this occurs when she is sixteen and heads into la Forêt to seek out her curse: “That’s how many [steps] it would take to cross the patch of ground that marked the transition between the world of la Forêt and the world in which I’d grown up” (Dokey 102). For Rosie, this begins when she comes to understand herself as the princess a few months before her twenty-first birthday. She aids Katriona in a surprising act of adulthood: "Rosie, not until that moment realizing she could, leaned over and picked up her cousin, her foster-sister, the only mother she could remember . . ." (McKinley 187). The adolescents begin to grow up, mirroring the struggle of a teenager on the cusp of adulthood. The final motif of the "Sleeping Beauty" story that this analysis will touch upon is the act of waking up, which serves as the last gateway into adulthood. The waking-up scenes are highly charged with sexuality---they are instances of experimentation for the new stories, and for the old, they showcase male dominance in a sexual relationship. In Perrault's work, the passive sleeper is “erotically revived,” according to U.C. Knoepflmacher (22). But, this occurs without even a touch of the lip: "His 'trembling' young prince may also be somewhat immature, but the sexual excitement he exhibits as he kneels over the 'radiant beauty' lying before him is unmistakable" (Knoepflmacher 15). On the other hand, the Grimms leave all reference to sexuality out of the actual waking scene, keeping the princess in her original, virginal state without fulfilling the sexual role even by the end of the story, notes Knoepflmacher (15). Despite the lack of sexuality in the kiss, the scene is replete with innuendo: "When the king's son came near to the thorn hedge, it was nothing but large and beautiful flowers, which parted from each other of their own accord . . ." (Grimms 70). In both, Beauty takes no part in her waking or the subsequent trip into adulthood. Her destiny waits right in front of her in the form of a prince, thus promoting the male-dominated tone of the works and alienating a group of readers seeking to understand the concept of one’s own sexuality. Many young-adult novels are preoccupied with finding one's sexual identity, so it is only natural that sexuality takes flight in the two modern interpretations. Young-adult literature serves as a venue for teenagers to find their sexuality in a safe, unassuming environment. It provides an opportunity for growth, new understanding, and an introduction to different viewpoints (Donelson 5, 16). Dokey and McKinley retell the kiss by giving the heroines an active role in the waking, which launches the protagonists into the final journey into adulthood. In Dokey, the reader is presented at first with a rather comical scene that is somewhat reminiscent of high school. Ironheart, the prince Aurore comes upon during her time in the forest, tries to wake her after her swoon: "Then a third time, each with growing desperation, and realized what I felt were lips themselves. I was being kissed" (164). But, she takes charge of the kissing scene later, when presented with her true love, Oswald: "And I leaned forward the rest of the way and pressed my lips to his . . ." (175). This allows the heroine to dominate in a role reversal that speaks to teenagers, specifically a female audience, who may be experimenting with different actions, roles, and behaviors. McKinley also plays with the scene in her version, first having Rosie kiss Peony to wake her: "Rosie leaned forward, round the globe of hands, and kissed Peony on the lips," and the spindle ends "shatter" (343). This instance is a male castration of sorts---the role typically played by the male is completely turned on its head and reversed. Though not necessarily meant to be read as a lesbian scene, it is a challenging of sexual identity, which teenagers face as they grow into their own bodies and beliefs. In addition, Rosie has another opportunity for the kiss, this time with Narl. Again she takes charge of the action: “She flung her arms around his neck and kissed him . . .” (353). By providing multiple scenes and options, the young-adult writers invoke a key need for the protagonists’ sexuality, as well as the readers'. From the waking, the contemporary heroines can either choose to accept the role outlined for them, or they can forge their own pathway. This is something that Perrault and the Grimms do not offer their sleeping princesses; they instead set out a line that leads directly to the male rescuer. For instance, Beauty’s waiting period is honored by Perrault: “Such docility and self-abandonment are rewarded in the end when the prince returns and sets everything to right” (Zipes, Subversion 24). Similarly, Briar-Rose and the Grimms’ other heroines need to assume a submissive role; their “happiness depends on conformity to patriarchal rule” (Zipes, Subversion 57). In regard to the contemporary, the two heroines are not docile or self-effacing; instead, they choose the path they prefer. They forge ahead to solve their own problems and find their destiny, whether it is traditional or unconventional. Starting with McKinley, Rosie painfully refuses to become the princess and fulfill the role that is set out for her, because she knows it is not who she is: “She, Rosie, had been born a princess; and she had chosen to forsake her heritage forever” (350). Instead, she falls in love with Narl, and it is unknown at the novel's end whether they plan to marry, though they clearly exercise their desire for one another. This lack of closure successfully spurs discussion and consideration in a young-adult reader's mind: "Although stories with open-ended plots are sometimes frustrating to young readers, they are interesting to read and discuss as a group because they force readers to ponder the story and come to conclusions" (Donelson 29). Meanwhile, Dokey seals up her story. Aurore marries her cousin, fulfilling the role her parents set out for her. She becomes the poster child for tradition by becoming the heir to her parents' throne, bearing two children, and ending with "happily ever after" (186). Though this is a more common and conventional role, as opposed to Rosie’s, the fact that each writer takes on the waking and adulthood in a different manner proves that readers need to be introduced to a number of viewpoints before coming to his or her own conclusion: "Both boys and girls are taught as they grow up what our culture expects of them, but in our modern society, there is serious questioning of the traditional roles . . ." (Carlsen 10). In addition, though Aurore does end up in a traditional role, the reader watches her question the viability of the establishment up until her awakening. Through McKinley’s and Dokey’s rewriting of the tale, it is apparent that "Sleeping Beauty" can withstand the test of time, culture, and age group. According to Midori Snyder’s article, “Sleeping Beauty,” the protagonist has "been redrawn, her dilemma reshaped, her salvation changed---but she has endured each reincarnation with something of her original story intact." McKinley and Dokey do utilize the basics of her story, yet they adapt it to a generation of readers seeking identification within the work they are reading. The story and the larger fairy-tale genre have a certain universality that allows them to be adapted for specific purposes. A fairy tale is “stable and flexible,” and “effectively draws our attention to relevant information that will enable us to know more about our real-life situations" (Zipes, Why They Stick 100-101). This functionality can be translated to teenage readers who seek to know more about their own realities through the tales. The works appeal to a transient audience with changing needs because the topics they address are “concerned with those crises that are typical to youth and that transcend all topical limitations” (Roxborough 254). In addition, though the books published within the young-adult genre tend to date quickly, the fairy tale has the ability to withstand the tests of a changing audience, because it is so timeless and at its core, realistic. What can date a work is the "more accurate portrayal of adolescent speech patterns," as well as the discussion of clothing and activities or entertainment, which can alter a young adult’s ability to believe the piece (Hunt 6). Yet, the fairy tales do not need to use such descriptions to draw the readers in. Because they are set in a land without any real time designation, there is no real requirement for an accurate portrayal of language or clothing, except minimally. What they do need to do is speak to the readers, giving them someone to identify with and providing opportunities for reflection about their own problems, desires, and roles. Another factor leading to the success of the fairy tale within the adolescent sector is the group’s significant growth. The young-adult audience has expanded in recent years, and with it, teenage readers, according to Cart's "Value": "Between 1990 and 2000, the number of persons between twelve and nineteen soared to thirty-two million, a growth rate of seventeen percent. . . ." With the growth of the generation, so has the sale of young-adult books, jumping twenty-three percent between 1999 and 2005. Last year, paperback novels for children and young adults grew more than two percent to $1.5 billion, while the industry as a whole shrank by just under two percent, according to the Association of American Publishers. Though it is difficult to say exactly how much fairy-tale retellings impact the sector in terms of numbers, these writings are indeed a driving force. McKinley, for example, has garnered a number of honors, including the Newbery Medal for The Hero and the Crown and a Newbery Honor for The Blue Sword. She has been churning out revisions of the fairy tales since 1978, with her Beauty, a Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast. Her next revision, Pegasus, comes out this year. Similarly, Simon & Schuster's publication of the Once Upon a Time series, which Dokey's novel is a part of, currently encompasses more than ten stories that retool the classics for teen readers. Dokey has also penned Golden, Sunlight and Shadow, and The Storyteller’s Daughter (187). The use of a series is a successful marketing effort on the part of publishers, because it is geared specifically toward young-adult readers who often purchase their own novels: "Many young-adult titles are issued as original paperbacks---far more than in the children's section. Many belong to series" (Hunt 5). Clearly, Simon & Schuster relies on the popularity of series novels within the young-adult section---if a reader enjoys one, there is a large chance he or she will select another. But there are numerous examples of retellings of the “Sleeping Beauty” tale, as well as other works. For instance, young-adult author Alex Flinn has penned at least two retellings: A Kiss in Time, which is based on “Sleeping Beauty,” and Beastly, a reworking of “Beauty and the Beast.” Alyxandra Harvey-Fitzhenry wrote Waking, a “Sleeping Beauty” adaptation for seventh- to tenth-graders. If the fairy tales did not continue to be relevant, there would be no use in retelling these age-old stories. Through the formation of Aurore and Rosie as heroines who are active within their lives, Dokey and McKinley are able to write characters who have mass appeal for young-adult readers seeking identification and reflections of themselves in the books. While Aurore and Rosie may not be the same “Sleeping Beauty” character, the retellings offer the heroines and the readers options in contemporary society. Their new humanity makes the protagonists appealing within the adolescent genre, but they could not have begun to grow and transform without the base that Perrault and the Grimms set for "Sleeping Beauty." Beauty has morphed into what a young reader needs because of her universal appeal, and she has a lasting draw that has been passed down from centuries before. The story of “Sleeping Beauty” and others in the fairy-tale genre can be rewritten hundreds of times over, and as long as they continue to cover relevant issues, they will be read by adolescents and other audiences, including children and adults. Works Cited Association of American Publishers. AAP Reports Book Sales Estimated at $23.9 Billion in 2009. New York: Association of American Publishers, 7 April 2010. Print.Bartel, Julie. “Mythic Fiction for Young Adults.” The Endicott Studio: Journal of Mythic Arts (2006): n. pag. Web. 3 April 2010. Basile, Giambattista. "Sun, the Moon and Talia." Trans. N.M. Penzer. About the Sleeping Beauty. Comp. P.L. Travers. New York: McGraw Hill Book Company, 1975. 85-91. Print. Byock, Jesse. Trans. Saga of the Volsungs: The Norse Epic of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990. Print. Carlsen, G. Robert. Books and the Teen-age Reader. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1967. Print. Cart, Michael. "The Value of Young Adult Literature." Young Adult Library Services Association. American Library Association. Jan. 2008. Web. 18 April 2010. Dokey, Cameron. Beauty Sleep. New York: Simon Pulse, 2006. Print. Donelson, Kenneth, Alleen Pace Nilsen. Literature for Today's Young Adults. Glenview: Scott Foresman and Company, 1980. Print. Grimm Brothers. "Briar Rose." Trans. Margaret Hunt. About the Sleeping Beauty. Comp. P.L. Travers. New York: McGraw Hill Book Company, 1975. 67-72. Print. Heiner, Heidi. "History of Sleeping Beauty." SurLaLune Fairy Tales. Heiner, 26 June 2007. Web. 13 April 2010. Hunt, Caroline. "Young Adult Literature Evades the Theorists." Children's Literature Association Quarterly 21:1 (1996). Project Muse. Web. 24 April 2010. Knoepflmacher, U.C. "Repudiating 'Sleeping Beauty.'" Girls Boys Books Toys: Gender in Children's Literature and Culture. Eds. Beverly Clark and Margaret Higonnet. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999. 11-24. Print. McKinley, Robin. Spindle's End. New York: Ace Books, 2000. Print. Penguin Group USA. “About Robin McKinley.” Penguin.com (USA). Penguin Group USA, n.d. Web. 18 April 2010. Perrault, Charles. "The Beauty Sleeping in the Wood." Trans. Geoffrey Brereton. About the Sleeping Beauty. Comp. P.L. Travers. New York: McGraw Hill Book Company, 1975. 73-83. Print. Roxborough, Steve. “The Novel of Crisis: Contemporary Adolescent Fiction.” Children’s Literature 7 (1978): 248-254. Project Muse. Web. 29 April 2010. Simon & Schuster. “About This Series: Once Upon a Time Books.” Simon & Schuster. Simon & Schuster, n.d. Web. 18 April 2010. Snyder, Midori. "Sleeping Beauty." The Endicott Studio: Journal of Mythic Arts (2007): n. pag. Web. 23 April 2010. Tatar, Maria. Introduction. The Classic Fairy Tales. Ed. Tatar. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1999. ix-xviii. Print. Travers, P.L., comp. About the Sleeping Beauty. New York: McGraw Hill Book Company, 1975. Print. Zipes, Jack. Fairy Tales and the Art of Subversion. New York: Methuen, 1988. Print. ---. Why Fairy Tales Stick: The Evolution and Relevance of a Genre. New York: Routledge, 2006. Print.  Kristen Schott is OC Family's children's book editor. Be sure to check out "Storytime," my video book reviews, for more fun facts about stories you and your kiddies must read. Do you know a 'Tiny Art Director'? 'How to Draw With Drew' Summer books Author spotlight: Henry Winkler Borders launches Double Dog Dare Reading Challenge 'Zack the Prairie Dog' Oh, what a kid-book world Young adult and children's lit in 1 place Earth Day is coming! Author spotlight: Rhonda Fischer 'That Cat Can't Stay' Calling all book lovers 'Where the Mild Things Are' by Maurice Send-up That dog's gettin' old 'Prentice Hall: The American Experience' Pick up this springtime counting book One whimsical story Anaheim Public Library launches book donation campaign Gosh, I love Spoonfuls of Stories 'Are You My Mother?' Poetry for kiddies Books aplenty in O.C. Vocab – it's not a nightmare anymore 'What reading can do for your kiddies' A look back Book with no words 'Pickle Things' Book vs. Kindle A world of magic awaits Hearts and hugs? 'Rita and Whatsit' Colds and books More 'Twilight'? 'Princess and the Frog' Where do you read? Are they really 'Indestructible'? Book journals 'Weezer Changes the World' 'All Kinds of Families' |
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The Fancy Nancy books, illustrated by OC's Robin Preiss Glasser are fun to read and absolutely beautiful. The illustrations dance off the pages.
| Comment at 5/20/2010 |
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