The first fairy tales were published in a patriarchal society where women had few rights and played a subordinate role, raised to comply with Male authority As a result, most traditional fairy tales tend to reflect the norms of such a society. Even some popular modern versions still undermine female authority by presenting women who are objectified and easily pitted against each other. others for petty reasons. In “Feminism and Fairy Tales,” Karen Rowe discusses the anti-feminist sentiments of fairy tales and explains the importance of strong female characters. " in a feminist way in her modern story "When the Clock Strikes"? 1983, Tanith Lee deals with the anti-feminist story of Cinderella in a complex way. Lee's story revolves around a young girl called "Ashella" who practices. black magic, taught by her mother, and performs "evil" tasks but still ends up victorious. It might seem, at first glance, that Lee's account of "testifying against women" is consistent with Rowe's conclusion that "the liberation of the female psyche has not matured with sufficient force" (358 ) to strongly question patriarchal society. However, I argue that despite expectations of passive female characters, Lee's fairy tale challenges norms by presenting "wicked" but powerful female characters. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay While most Cinderella tales barely mention the mother, "When the Clock Strikes" presents Ashella's mother with an irreplaceable role. According to Marina Warner, in most "familiar stories" of Cinderella, "the heroine's mother no longer plays a role" (205). This quote refers to how well-known fairy tales often depict a father-daughter bond while forgetting to involve the birth mother. Warner explains the cultural reason for the removal of mothers by stating that writers cannot produce material in which mother figures are ambivalent or dangerous, as this could harm the audience, who were predominantly children. This argument is directed at popular versions of Cinderella, but Lee's account is linked to older versions in which mothers play an important role. Contrary to Warner's assertions, Rowe argues that "mothers enforce conformity from their daughters" (349), where the noun "conformity" refers to adherence to established norms and regulations. Rowe implies that the importance of the mother-daughter relationship has been undermined in fairy tales, and the extent of the influence these relationships can have is demonstrated in Lee's work. Ashella is her mother's helper and was "recruited into her service almost as soon as the infant could walk" (Lee, 119). The use of the word "infant" instead of child is interesting because it emphasizes Ashella's innocence and shows how malleable she was when her mother began teaching her dark magic. Additionally, Lee uses the verb "recruited", making it seem as if Ashella was called into military service where supervisors or commanders shape the conformity of soldiers, and her mother occupies the role of supervisor. Additionally, she swore Ashella "to join the fellowship of Hell" (Lee, 120), an event that dictates her actions throughout the story. Ashella's mother, despite her evil nature, represents strength and promotes feminist sentiments because, even though she was killed, she stood up for her beliefs andremaining faithful to her faith, she prevails over patriarchy. Therefore, the use of a powerful and dangerous mother figure challenges norms while promoting strong female influences. Despite their opposing views on the role of mothers, Warner and Rowe agree that the stepmother is an embodiment of female rivalry. Warner states that the second wife "often found herself and her children in competition" (213) and Rowe's essay supports this assertion by asserting that the stepmother embodies "the obstacles to this transition to womanhood" as well as “female rivalry, predatory sexuality, and restrictive authority” (Rowe, 348). The stepmother in Lee's fairy tale, compared to those in Perrault and the Brothers Grimm's versions, is more willing to accept Ashella. Nonetheless, she soon tires of his serious behavior and exclaims that people will think that she and her daughters are mistreating Ashella "out of jealousy over her dead mother" (Lee, 122). The name "jealously" alludes to the futile rivalry between the deceased mother and the stepmother, and since the mother is no longer part of the story, this rivalry is redirected towards Ashella. Furthermore, Rowe also says that rivalry with the stepmother personifies "the adolescent's negative feelings toward her mother" (Rowe, 348). Even though Rowe's arguments are aimed at popular classic versions of Cinderella, we must ask whether her words can still be applied to modern versions or not. His statement does not seem entirely appropriate to Ashella's situation because, due to her close bond with her late mother, existing female rivalry stems from Ashella's devotion to her mother. In fact, Ashella exercises her superiority over the mother-in-law by not engaging in such petty rivalries. This is also an example of how the mother, although deceased, still influences Ashella's decisions and relationships. Therefore, female rivalry is not what the mother-in-law embodies in "When the Clock Strikes", but it personifies Ashella's determination to carry out her mother's wishes, which shows strength of character. For centuries, fairy tales have revolved around good-natured, passive heroines, but Lee's "When The Clock Strikes" rebels against that norm. As Warner stated, "authentic power lies with bad women" and in Lee's modern tale, "sinister and horrible forces are amplified and predominate everywhere" (Warner 207). Warner's definition of a "bad" woman refers to someone who is immutably evil in their very nature and "power" implies the ability to act independently and make influential decisions. Although it can be argued that Ashella's mother is punished due to her nefarious character, it is more important to note that Ashella is rewarded, despite resembling her mother, because this ending sets the story apart of Lee's classic versions. Some may say that portraying a woman as evil is anti-feminist, but the fact that this evil woman emerges victorious makes Lee's story feminist. An example of Ashella's triumph is hidden in Lee's account: “Only one thing was left behind. A shoe for women. A shoe that no woman could ever dance in. She was made of glass” (Lee, 128). The first line, "Only one thing was left behind", obviously indicates that at the end of the balloon, Ashella was the one left standing. The third and fourth lines subtly juxtapose power and fragility; the shoe is a metaphor for Ashella's difficult journey that no other ordinary woman, or ordinary man, could have survived. Glass in this situation refers to emotional fragility..