Jeana Jorgensen (Butler University)
In the last five years, multiple fairy-tale retellings featuring transgender characters have been published. In these texts, magic facilitates the gender transitions of the main characters and boosts their experience of self-acceptance and self-worth, leading to the narrative intertwining of magic and gender in ways that are highly patterned, innovating on tradition. By utilizing traditional tale texts and motifs as a resource, these authors join the centuries-long heritage of fairy-tale tellers and writers who employ tradition in order to make sophisticated commentary on gender and identity.
Part of 04-07 Dynamic Re-Centerings and Reconsiderations of Gender and Folklore, Friday, October 14, 8:30 am–10:00 am