Did she say Yes?
By: Maddie Andres
We all know that Sleeping Beauty is put under an enchantment that prevents her from waking up. She is placed in a room where she is unable to wake up. We are constrained, along with the characters, to just perceive her physical charms and appearance as a result of this. In this story, the prince must kiss the princess to break the curse and wake her up. Despite the fact that this is regarded as a genuine love kiss, it is linked to the sexualization of women and consent. Because Sleeping Beauty was sleeping, she had no say in what was going on. She was observed resting there like a stunning woman, but she was also deafeningly silent. Many people believe that having the prince kiss her was a magical deed that saved her. At the end of the day, it was an assault. When she was unable to respond, she laid silently and was kissed. The prince in this narrative couldn’t stop himself from kissing her, which only adds to their sexual urges for these lovely ladies. At the time that these fairy tales were written women were looked down upon while men ruled over everything. That has been shown again and again the power and desires these men hold upon women. These problems of consent and looks are not just an issue shown in Sleeping Beauty but have been shown in various other fairy tales we know in love. The men look at their beauty and not what value and love they have on the inside. This problem that is displayed in these fairytales gives a false persona to the audience that it is all about looks and beauty.
In Sun, Moon, and Talia these same recurring themes of looks, beauty, and consent are yet shown again. Talia was put under a magic spell where she could not wake just like in Sleeping Beauty. She would lay still for days on end, unable to move. In this version, the male was unable to control his desires and assaulted her as a result. She had just given birth to twins when she awoke. This raises the question of how this might have happened while she was sleeping. There was no consent given in this tale just like Sleeping Beauty. They see the beauty in the women and take advantage of them through the irresistible desires they have.
In modern times they have shown to be a lack of permission in many famous tv shows and movies. Sexual assault is a developing problem that occurs on a regular basis in real life. Switched at Birth is an example of this being depicted in a film. Bay, a high school student, awoke in bed with her ex-boyfriend with no idea what had happened in a scenario. Throughout the season, she ponders if it was rape and refuses to do so because she does not want him to get into problems. This demonstrates men’s dominance and power over women, as she refused to report so he wouldn’t get in trouble. But she was abused in the end, and she never gave consent, though it was difficult for her to reach this conclusion because she considered him as a friend.
Whether it is a fairytale, film, or television show, the issue of sexualizing women and the absence of permission is a repeating theme. Men’s inability to control their desires, despite the fact that they go against all social norms. In all of these parts of literature, the inability to see past a woman’s appearance needs to be addressed. The audience may get the wrong idea as a result of these perceptions.
