გენდერი ქართულ და გერმანულ ზღაპრებში

Abstract

The sociolinguistic study of a fairy tale involves the exploration of social problems that society had to deal with in the period of the creation of the fairy tale. Consequently, the fairy tale as a social phenomenon reflects stereotypes ingrained in the community, including gender roles. Therefore, a fairy tale can be considered a treasury of sociolinguistic knowledge that allows us to analyse it from many different perspectives. Moreover, a fairy tale can be one of the first sources that shape a child’s stereotypical expectations and prejudices regarding gender roles in society. This presentation discusses two fairy tales: the Brothers Grimm’s version of “Rapunzel” and a modern Georgian fairy tale “Heart of the Mountain”. Based on the linguistic and sociolinguistic analysis of the texts, it can be maintained that in Rapunzel, as in an old, traditional fairy tale, a stereotypical attitude towards women is revealed. In this fairy tale, women are passive and associated with the household space. Besides, the women‘ s appearance rather than their mental abilities is foregrounded and considered more important. In a modern fairy tale, however, an opposite situation is presented, female characters are independent, no longer need men to save them from problems. All this makes them much more active and adventurous.