Introduction

"A story of self-meeting, and its eternal promise is that of self-realization, the blossoming thorn, the curse turned to joy"

- William F. Woods

 

"More than a fancifully stylized love story that portrays a young maiden's retreat into herself and the breaking of the spell by a youth in love; ... the tale depicts the endowing, threatening, paralyzing, and redeeming of not only some girl or other but of mankind in general"

- Max Luthi

 

Like all fairy tales, Sleeping Beauty has been the subject of numerous analyzations. These searches for meaning have covered the gambit. Ralph Harper suggested that the Grimms' version of Sleeping Beauty, Brier Rose, might be a religious allegory (Harper, p 130) concerning the "Advent of the true Prince [Jesus] and of His sacramental presence." (Harper, p 10) Earlier interpretations saw the story as having its origins in the myth of the seasons. More recently, many interpretors have focused on how Sleeping Beauty represents growing-up, or more specifically sexual maturation.

Much of the analysis of the Sleeping Beauty tale has been done based on the Grimms' version. Some scholars have examined "Sun, Moon, and Talia," an Italian version found in the Pentamerone, as well. Some of the symbolism they have found is most obvious, or only present in this version. For example, Bettelheim addresses the reciprocal mother-child bond. The mother gives the child physical life, and in return the child gives new dimensions to the mother's life. This concept is best represented in the Pentamerone because in that version, the enfants awaken Talia from the spell, giving her new life. Bettelheim elaborates on this symbolism by extending the waking effect gotten by nuturing children to everyone, not just mothers.

Bettelheim maintains that the symbolism of Sleeping Beauty has some very important messages for children. It assures them that their situation is natural, and that they will successfully overcome the difficult stages of their development. While this is a valid point, and the examination of Sleeping Beuty, and fairy tales in general, for symbolism can prove useful, it is important not to get carried away in it. Remember the wisedom of Max Luthi who asserted that some events are constant and interpretable, but one should not analyze everything. Analysis can help us to understand some of the subtle forces behind the tale's impact and popularity, but one must never forget that it is a story, and should be appreciated solely on that basis first. "By analysis one is enlightened rather than charmed." (Harper, p 30) Never forget to be charmed by the tale.

 

Symbolism in Grimms' Brier Rose

 

According to Bettelheim, the King and Queen's waiting is one of the symbols of the wait for sexual fulfillment. This waiting is only a minor part of the Grimms' version, however. Perrault put more emphasis on it in his tale.

 

 

In several of the Grimms' tales, Bettelheim sees frogs and toads as symbols of sex. In this particular instance, that metaphor is more precisely defined to represent conception. Water is also included in this metaphor.

The frog's proclamation is supposed to represent that wishing alone can cause a pregnancy. While this reasoning is weak, the other symbolic interpretation of this event in the story is even weaker. Some scholars see the proclamation as a manifestation of the King's desire for a daughter but his reluctancy to sleep with his wife.

Since the curse is one of the dominant features of the tale, it is reasonable that many psycho-analytical symbolisms have been drawn from it. The most reasonable of these metaphors is that the curse represent new restrictions imposed on a female at puberty. Thirteen, the age of Brier Rose in some of the versions, was traditionally the age when menstruation started, so it can be seen as the beginning of womanhood. This line of thought leads to another of the symbolisms. The underlying cause for the curse results from the realization that Brier Rose has the potential for becoming an object of desire. Her potential sexuality threatens men and makes women jealous. Because of jealousy, the old/evil fairy wishes to stop Brier Rose from ever taking her place as a woman and to die before she can experience the "joys of courting and marriage."

The curse itself has another intriguing symbolic meaning. It can be interpreted as the onset of menstruation. Bettelheim elaborates on this metaphor. The thirteen good fairies represent the thirteen months of the lunar calendar. The twelve that are good also represent the twelve months in the traditional calender. The thirteenth fairy, since there is no thirteenth month in traditional calenders, represents menstruation. In addition, since the curse came from an old woman, there is the added significance of the "curse" being passed from woman to woman and originating with the oldest woman, Eve.

 

 

The mitigation of the curse by the last fairy represents the good fairy's idea, and probably the idea of humanity in general, of how wonderful it would be "to remain a blossoming maiden forever." (McGlathery, p 117)

 

Bettelheim builds on his interpretation of the curse as menstruation in interpreting the prohibition of the King, her Father. The Father does not understand the importance of the curse, menstruation, coming to pass, so he tries to prevent it. Her Mother, the Queen, being a woman herself, understands the curse and its importance. According to Bettelheim, that is why she is not actively concerned and does nothing to stop it. The King's actions prove futile, however. Brier Rose pricks her finger anyway. His proclamation might even have served to bring about his daughter's fate. By banning spindles, they become an object of curiousity, so when Brier Rose sees a spindle for the first time, she is drawn to it.

Another analysis suggested other motifs behind the Father's action. By banning spindles, he can prevent Brier Rose from ever having to engage in onerous tasks not "befitting a princess." (McGlathery, p 98) The King also takes away Brier Rose's chance to dream, since spinning is associated with dreams.

 

 

McGlathery says that Brier Rose is seen by the fairies as an "eventual object of ardent passion," (McGlathery, p 118) although as a character, he thinks she is flat, especially in the Disney version. On the other hand, Max Luthi sees the heroine, again from the perspective of the reader, as an image of the human soul. (One can hope that Luthi does not share McGlathery's view on the lack of depth of the character.)

 

 

The sequence of events leading to Brier Rose pricking herself on the spindle has a very sexual interpertation, according to Bettelheim. The circular staircase which she climbs represents sexual experiences. The small locked room represents the female sex organs. Turning the lock in the key to enter the room represents intercourse. Finally, the hidden chamber with a woman spinning represents exploring formerly inaccessible areas of existance.

Bruno Jockel contributes one interpretation to this sequence. He says that Brier Rose's giddiness after climbing the staircase to the tower represents the sensations experienced at the "onset of physical maturity." (McGlathery, p 129)

 

 

Spinning has several general symbolisms. Spinning, and especially the spindle itself, is associated with dreams of "building romantic castles in the air," (McGlathery, p 98) which in Brier Rose's case are taken away by the King's ban on spindles. It is also seen as a passage to sexual adulthood. The spindle, according to Bruno Jockel, can also be a male symbol directly impling sex. Appearing to following the same line of thought, Bettelheim interprets the distaff, the part of the spindle which rotates and collects the thread, as a penis. Weaving and spinning are also commonly associated with women.

 

 

 

The climax of this scene, Brier Rose pricking her finger on the spindle, has also been interpreted in many ways. Steff Bornstein claims that the prick could symbolize menstruation or defloration. A similar interpretation comes from Bettelheim who sees the prick as a representation of sexual awakening. McGlathery maintains that it occurs in association with dreams of becoming pregnant. Bettelheim, in one of his non-sexual interpretations, also focuses on the absence of Brier Rose's parents when she pricks her finger. He claims this represents the parents inability to help children through the various trials of growing-up.

 

 

The interpretation of Brier Rose's long sleep has progressed along two lines. The first is sexual, like most psychoanalytical interpretations of this fairy tale, and comes from Bettelheim. Its reasoning is based on the assumption that the sleep is symbolic of the wait for sexual fulfillment. It comes at the end of childhood and is a way to prepare Brier Rose for a later "sexual union." (Bettelheim, p 232) She spends these years withdrawn and in inner reflection. The sleep may delay her eventual sexual maturity, but in the end, it will happen and with as much glory as ever.

Bettelheim also asserts that this long sleep is the only way to avoid change and development. McGlathery adds that it allows Brier Rose to remain a maiden for a hundred years. She is also reduced to passivity since she can not actively persue a prince while she is sleeping. Bettelheim does add that this shutting out of the world is unhealthy and that it must be broken by the transformation of the girl into the woman.

 

Steff Bornstein claims that the thorn hedge represents Brier Rose's "inimical anxiety" (McGlathery, p 129) about men. Betteleheim maintains that it prevents sexual encounters before she is ready for them.

 

Several interpretations see the Prince as a father substitute since in many versions the Prince arrives in the story only after the Father leaves it. McGlathery goes on to say that the Prince's actions are what the Father would like to do, but is prevent from by incest taboos.

The Prince's arrival at the appropriate moment marks Brier Rose's sexual awakening and/or the birth of the higher ego, according to Bettelheim. The Prince also makes a "more appropriate object of curiousity and desire" (McGlathery, p 118) than the spinning wheel which is what fascinated Brier Rose when she fell asleep.

 

 

Bettelheim sees two significances in the transformation. The first is that Brier Rose is finally ready for a sexual encounter. The other, which is actually not sexual, is a general life lesson. Do not worry about a seemingly "impossible problem." (Bettelheim, p 233) When the time is right, it will solve itself.

 

 

Bettelheim asserts that how the waking of Brier Rose is perceived by a child changes as the child matures. First, a child sees it as a coordination of the id, ego, and superego. When the child is older, her interpretation will change to the idea of "acheiving harmony with the other" so that two may live "happily ever after." This changing view leads the child to realize, preconsciously, that one must be at peace with oneself before reaching out and trying to be happy in a relationship.

If one assumes that the curse is symbolic of menstruation or bleeding during sexual intercourse, then Brier Rose's awakening carries a very reassuring connotation. Although this bleeding must be taken seriously, which might be represented by the heroine's hundred year sleep, one should not be frightened of it. It "does have the happiest consequences." (Bettelheim, p 235)

 

 

Bibliography

Bettelheim, Bruno. The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales . New York: Vintage Books, 1975.

Harper, Ralph. The Sleeping Beauty . London: The Harvill Press, 1955.

McGlathery, James M. Fairy Tale Romance: The Grimms, Basile, and Perrault . Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1991.