The Brother's Grimm Hansel and Gretel includes one of the few heroines we see in fairytales. Gretel saves herself and her brother from being eaten by a cannibalistic witch. The girl shoves the witch into the fire and locks her in with the flames. This act appears powerful, and seems uncharacteristic of Gretel based on her previous role in the story. To explain twist of finding a female savior, we must examine the overall role of women in the tale.
In the original version, written in 1812, the Brothers Grimm use the biological mother in the plot. It is later revised in 1857 to include a stepmother. This character change was most likely done to better explain the woman's ability to abandon Hansel and Gretel. The stepmother convinces the father that they will perish with the children, and devises the plan to leave them in the woods. Contextually, desperation could have forced parents to make extreme decisions for survival. The stepmother's dark image comes from the emotional fulfillment in seeing her children gone. The first time the kids found their way home, their stepmother scolded them as "wicked children" (Grimm 3), and made up a weak defense that blamed the kids for their abandonment. The Brothers Grimm contrast her disappointment by clarifying "but the father was overjoyed when he saw his children once more, for he had not wanted to leave them alone" (3). The stepmother is purposefully depicted as harsh and threatening. Her death at the end of the tale contributes to the happy ending. Despite the riches that will banish the family's hunger, the stepmother is absent, suggesting her as an obstacle to happiness as well.
The witch is an obvious evil in the story. She is ugly and old in appearance, which is commonly found to be associated with the enemy in fairytales. The witch baits the hungry children with her edible house. She then forces Gretel to prepare Hansel to be eaten. Her cannibalism is seasoned with the distress of the children. Her death is a victory, and means relief for the happy, good-natured family of three.
Gretel is the most interesting female character in the tale. Her image appears as a scared and defenseless girl who weeps to her brother in distress. She "cried bitter tears and said to Hansel, "Its over with us!" "Be quiet, Gretel," said Hansel, "and don't worry, I know what to do" (1). Hansel is framed as the brave leader. He makes the plans that help them find their way back home. This is a sharp contrast to the illusion of ignorance that allows Gretel the chance of escape. Instead of climbing into the oven, Gretel tells the witch "I don't know how to do that. How can I get inside?" (7). The girls plan relies on her perceivable helplessness. Her best hope of escape is to play dumb, and let the witch think she is a "stupid goose" (7). After closing the oven, Gretel runs immediately to Hansel to celebrate their victory. Once he is freed he resumes his role of power. He leads Gretel in taking the pearls and gems, their true key to survival. Then on his command, they leave the witches house and make their way home. Gretel shows a brief moment of resourcefulness when she figures out how to trick the witch. Unfortunately, she uses her inferior and helpless appearance as her weapon.
The role of women in Hansel and Gretel is consistent with many traditional fairytales. Witches appear often, and correlate evil with ugliness. The stepmother is free from her maternal ties, and therefore can resent her children. Gretel at first appears to offer a redeeming aspect to the perception of women. However, further analysis shows her power is limited. Once Hansel is free, he immediately takes control again. In "Some Day My Prince Will Come": Female Acculturation through the Fairy Tale, Marcia R. Lieberman uses this tale as an example of how "an examination of the best-known stories shows that active resourceful girls are in fact rare; most of the heroines are passive, submissive, and helpless" (387). The story validates this theory, leaving us with another insufficient model of feminine leadership.
