Marlen Nieblas

Writing 39B
Dr Lynda Haas
2/7/2016

The Sleeper and the Spindle, written by Neil Gaiman, is based on two well-known tales:
Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. Unlike the original versions of these fairy tales there is an
unexpected twist in the story. In this version it is geared toward an older audience. On the other
hand, the Grimms version of Sleeping Beauty and Snow White were both geared toward the
middle class audiences. While their later revisions became more for children. Gender roles
played an important role in the original versions and also show up in Gaimans story, but in a
different way.
The Sleeper and the Spindle purposefully builds on classic 17th-19th century conventions
of the fairy tale such as gender roles and victory. For example, in the Sleeper and the Spindle,
She called for her fianc and told him not to take on so, and that they would still be married,
even if he was but a prince and she a queen, and she chucked him beneath his pretty chin and
kissed him until he smiled (Kindle). This quote from The Sleeper and the Spindle reflect gender
roles, but unlike the original version they are switched. In this story the queen is leaving to save
the princess. The queen takes control of the situation and decides to leave her wedding and
informs her fianc about the situation. Switching the gender roles shows the independence of
woman and a stronger side of the main character Snow White. In the Grimms version Snow
White awaits her prince to come to her rescue. For example, in the Grimms version the prince

says, You shall become my wife, and Snow White agreed to go with him because she was in
love with him, but didnt know him at all. During the time when the Grimms version was written
women did not have a say in much of what went on in the household. A womans identity and
property were always connected to with the men in her life (Gender and Sexuality). Similar to
the Grimms version, Snow White basically owed her life to the prince. There is also a quote that
says, Let your dress, your conversation the whole business of your life be to please your
husband and make him happy (Gender and Sexuality). The Grimms tale reflects this quote
because she marries the prince as soon as he says that she should come along with him. She only
left with him because she wanted to make him happy after being saved by him. In contrast, in
Gaimans tale the queen leaves her fianc and he must await her return. Snow White or the
queen is characterized as smart and powerful but in the Grimms version she is dumb and nave.
Neil Gaiman said, You dont need princes to save you (Wood), which explains the way he
wrote his story. The queen could be considered the prince because she goes and saves the
princess and is considered one of the heroes of the story.
Victory is an important part in The Sleeper and the Spindle because it is completely
different from the one in the original version. In Gaimans story the enchantress saves the dwarfs
and the queen from the princess. The villain of the story is unexpected because from the original
version the reader would assume that it is the enchantress, but it ends up being the princess. The
enchantress who had once been a princess, held the yarn tightly in her hand, and she thrust
the point of the spindle into the golden-haired girls breast (Kindle). The old woman stabs the
young girl and all her family then wakes up from the deep sleep that they were all in because of
the spell. The old woman is then taken care of by her family and the queen and the dwarfs depart
to their home town. The people are saved from the evil princess and the old woman is finally

back in her kingdom where she belongs with her loving family. Although she does not marry a
handsome prince she still gets a happily ever after; she is surrounded by her family and her
identity is known again. In the Grimms story, Little Brier Rose the villain is not killed like in
Gaimans story. Instead the fairy that wishes death upon the young girl is no longer mentioned at
the end. The victory is changed in Gaimans story because he switched the gender roles in the
story. In doing this he gives women in the 21 st century a sense of determination. This story could
show that as a woman you are powerful as long as you take the initiative. Gaiman could have
been gearing this story to women in order to empower them through two famous fairy tales that
are known by several people. Gaiman states Fairy tales are more than true- not because they tell
us dragons exist but because they tell us dragons can be beaten (Wood). Gaimans approach
could have been to show that even though men exist women can take action into their own hands
and that they dont need to be rescued. This story shows that women now in day take the
initiative and are independent and are not nave or dumb.

Sources:
Kindle Cloud Reader." Kindle Cloud Reader. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2016.

"Little Snow-White." Grimm 053:. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2016.

Wood, Gaby. "Neil Gaiman on the Meaning of Fairy Tales." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media
Group, n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2016.

"Gender and Sexuality in Colonial America." Gender and Sexuality in Colonial America. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2016.