We commonly evaluate fairy tales on the basis of the role models they provide, especially for girls and young women. One example is the cultural conversation between the films Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty and Maleficent, starring Angelina Jolie, which reinterprets the character and meaning of the wicked fairy. 

The conscious reworking of this story is important but fairy tales say more than we intend. Has our attention to gender and role models obscured the essential message behind the 13th fairy? Who is she and why do we retell her stories?

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