Critical Multicultural Analysis of Folktales: Power Representation in Reconstructed Rumpelstiltskin Stories

If folktales and fairy tales are supposed to convey fundamental universal truths, or validate the past, then why do storytellers change the stories? When stories share similar folktale characteristics (also referred to as motifs), do they also share the same messages? Today there are many versions of traditional tales as well as revised and reworked tales that provide different points of view. One particular tale that has a number of counter perspectives is Rumpelstiltskin. The Grimm Brothers first recorded Rumpelstiltskin nearly two centuries ago. This intriguing tale has a seemingly anti-social message. The only character who tells the truth is the villain, yet he is the only one who is punished. This book analyzes Rumpelstiltskin for its nonconformity to predictable patterns and its implications for society. Applying a critical multicultural analysis of these adaptations brings power relations to the surface, and highlights how power can be exercised. By identifying the implicit power in children¿s literature and folktales such as Rumpelstiltskin, readers can consider how texts maintain, counteract, and promote alternative systemic power structures.