GRETEL

Garrison Keillor

Gretel by Garrison Keillor is an interpretation of the story "Hansel and Gretel" from the perspective of a female (feminist point of view). The interpreter is Gretel who denies her cowardice (the trait of lacking courage) in the original story. She claims that the depiction is distorted (having an intended meaning altered or misrepresented) one. This adoption takes the form of a statement made by Gretel.

Gretel says that there was an understanding between her and her brother to sell their story to Grimm brothers. They had signed in a contract paper with an agreement to share fifty-fifty of the profit. But unexpectedly, Gretel found the story published the other day totally in a different order. The story depicts her as coward and her brother as a brave person. She claims the brother was, in reality, a coward not vice-versa. It was her brother who wept time and again, and she had to carry him. The portrayal of he father and mother is also distorted. Father was not so kind hearted; he was a drunkard; he liked to watch bull fight. Mother (GLADY) was not that cruel as shown Hansel and Gretel. Gretel describes their parents leaving them in the forest as a natural phenomenon of the time. Parents used to leave the children in forest hoping that they will be better cared in forest by frog, raven (large black bird with a straight bill and long wedge-shaped tail) or saints. She claims that she was not worried when she in the forest, as she had known the reality. At last, she repents for killing the witch, for the witch was not after her; she had wanted to kill Hansel.

Why does Gretel blame her father and brother?

Do you think Gretel represents modern feminist women? Give your opinion briefly.