Classic Fairy Tales for Maidens, Matrons, Crones
Review: Spinning Straw into Gold by Joan Gould
Jul 20, 2008
Joan Gould’s book of gold begins with a question: "What's your favorite fairy tale?" All the insight and wisdom one might glean from a fairy tale rises to the top in this invigorating book. From maiden to matron to crone, the essential thing in these stories is that they each describe change. At every stage “true transformation happens internally and involves pain,” warns the author.
These are women’s stories written by and about women, handed from mother to daughter, told to pass the time, to soothe a heart, to impart a life lesson. Unlike stories written by and about men, the heroine’s victory is always one of inner transformation. It takes a thorn to remove a thorn might be Gould's surprising analysis of a successful story.
Spinning is a Metaphor for Transformation
Far from simplistic endings with magical rescues by the handsome prince, the emphasis here is on change. Besides, says Gould, “In these stories, sisters rescue brothers far more often than brothers save sisters. Daughters rescue fathers or lover rather than the reverse.” Spinning may be traditional women’s work, but these are not Disney versions. These are about life-changing choices and transformations in women’s lives. “We are born to be changed, the stories tell us,” writes Gould.
Cinderella, a Different Version
In an earlier German version, handed down by the brothers Grimm, Cinderella’s life is not saved by the prince’s offer of love and marriage. Already she has the means of acquiring everything she needs. Fortuitously, growing over her mother’s grave is a hazel nut tree, a giving tree full of magic. What is more, as the only child of her father's first marriage and therefore the true inheritor of his wealth and estate, her place in the family should be assured.
Each Stage Presents a Choice
So why have these half-sisters been able to bludgeon their way into her life, keeping her sitting in rags by the fireplace? Only when Cinderella can recognize her own worth and dismiss the role the sisters have imposed upon her can she takes up her life as the queen she truly is. Change always comes first from within.
Divided into three main sections of maiden, matron and crone, the book’s charm comes from the stories selected along with the sharp insights of Gould’s analysis. The wisdom made apparent in these old tales makes them seem again what they were intended for: talismans for the long, winding road.
Fairy tales, Myths, Films and Novels Referenced in this Book Include:
Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, East of the Sun and West of the Moon, Bluebeard, Fitcher's Bird, Hansel and Gretel, Demeter ad Persephone, Cupid and Psyche, The Seal Wife, Lilith, The Minotaur, Daphne and Apollo, Jane Eyre, Rebecca and Casablanca.
Source: Gould, Jane. Spinning Straw into Gold: What Fairy Tales Reveal About the Transformations in a Woman's Life. New York: Random House, 2005.
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