Abstract :
Reconstructed fairy tales provide a different point of view and challenge the
assumptions of a common set of values; for that reason, these stories provide a medium
in which to examine power relationships in texts by applying a critical multicultural
analysis (Botelho & Rudman, forthcoming, 2008, A critical multicultural analysis of
children’s literature: Mirrors, windows and doors. New York: Lawrence Erlbaum) to
identify and analyze power relations of Rumpelstiltskin (Grimm & Grimm, 1812/1987,
New York: Bantam) and Rumpelstiltskin’s Daughter (Stanley, 1997, New York: Morrow
Junior Books). Specifically, this study examines how power is exercised on a continuum:
domination, collusion, resistance, and agency. Findings indicate that by identifying and
questioning text ideologies, critical readers can consider how texts maintain, counteract,
or promote alternative systemic power structures.
