Growing Brave: A Feminist Short Story Inspired by Myth, Folklore, and Fairy Tales

Fairy tales are often deemed as nothing more than "children's stories" or "old wives' tales." With this ideology, stories that are seen as "childlike" or "feminine" are somehow labeled as unimportant or silly. However, these tales, as well as their adaptations, are anything but frivolous and trivial. Fairy tales have the unique power to reflect or change the cultural values of a people and era through their morals and lessons. With this project, I will examine this genre of creative writing and rework classic stories from a feminist perspective to reflect the issues and values of the 21st century. I will be writing a short story inspired by myth and fairy tales that feature strong female characters figuring out their own solutions to their problems and becoming their own fairy godmothers. The story focuses on the themes of resilience and courage, individuality, and finding a voice.