TAZ-TFG-2015-1812

Aug 21, 2026

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Academic essay analyzing Emma Donoghue’s Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins through feminist retellings of fairy tales. It introduces Donoghue’s background and the book’s structure of thirteen re-imagined stories linked by “the witch,” then examines how specific tales reshape traditional characters and narratives. Comparative analysis highlights how Donoghue subverts stereotypes, reverses conventional roles, and re-centers women’s empowerment while offering a more human, vulnerable perspective of the witch figure.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages30

Reading Time46 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Feminist Rewritings of Fairy Tales

Analysis

Traditional vs. Donoghue’s Fairy Tales: A Comparison

Reversal of stereotypes from fairy tales

Women’s empowerment

Conclusion

Bibliography

􀀂􀀃􀀄􀀅􀀄􀀆􀀇 􀀈􀀉􀀊 􀀋􀀌 􀀍􀀃􀀄􀀋􀀇 􀀎􀀊􀀏􀀄􀀐􀀑􀀉􀀊􀀒 􀀓􀀔􀀌 􀀕􀀉􀀓􀀖􀀔􀀗 􀀈􀀌􀀏􀀉􀀊􀀉􀀐􀀓 􀀘􀀏􀀙􀀇􀀚􀀌􀀃􀀏􀀌􀀊􀀓 􀀉􀀊 􀀘􀀏􀀏􀀄 􀀇􀀊􀀇􀀒􀀔u􀀌'􀀐 􀀔􀀆􀀎􀀎􀀆􀀏􀀕􀀁􀀂􀀃 􀀅􀀆􀀁􀀇􀀂􀀈 􀀉􀀊􀀋 􀀌􀀍􀀊􀀃􀀎 􀀆􀀏 􀀐􀀃􀀑 􀀒􀀓􀀆􀀏􀀎 􀀜u􀀓􀀇􀀃/􀀌􀀐 􀀛 􀀄 􀀃 􀀜 􀀃􀀄 􀀊 􀀋 􀀄 􀀝 􀀌 􀀃 􀀏 􀀇 􀀐 􀀉 􀀞 􀀞 􀀄 􀀉􀀃􀀌􀀖􀀓􀀇􀀃/􀀌􀀐 􀀛ó􀀊􀀉􀀖􀀄 C􀀄􀀞v􀀇 P􀀄􀀐􀀖u􀀄􀀞 􀀈􀀄􀀖u􀀞􀀓􀀄􀀋 􀀋􀀌 􀀈􀀉􀀞􀀇􀀐􀀇fí􀀄 y L􀀌􀀓􀀃􀀄􀀐 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 3 2. FEMINIST REWRITINGS OF FAIRY TALES..................................................... 4 3. ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................. 7 3.1.Traditional vs. Donoghue’s Fairy Tales: A Comparison................................. 7 3.2 Reversal of stereotypes from fairy tales ...................................................... 111 3.3 Women's empowerment .............................................................................. 188 4. CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................... 255 5. BIBLIOGRAPHY..................................................................................................... 29 1. INTRODUCTION Emma Donoghue was born in Dublin, Ireland, in October 1969. She is the youngest of eight children of Francis and the Irish academic and literary critic Denis Donoghue. She attended Catholic convent schools in Dublin, but spent a year studying in New York at the age of ten. In 1990 she earned a first-class honors BA in English and French from University College Dublin. Later, she moved to England where she would receive a PhD from the University of Cambridge in 1997. After years of commuting between England, Ireland, and Canada, she finally settled in London, Ontario (Canada) in 1998, becoming a Canadian citizen in 2004. She works with very different genres, such as drama or literary history, but she is best-known for her fiction writings. I have chosen Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins, her third book of fiction and first story collection, as the focus for this essay. The book, later adapted into a play, was published in 1997, and it is a series of thirteen re-imagined fairytales, inspired by traditional European sources, which are linked to each other through the figure of "the witch" . The witch or the alleged evil figure of one fairytale is the protagonist of the next tale, what provides a different point of view and helps us to understand the reasons behind the “witch”: her own story that has made her what she is. As Elizabeth Wanning states, Donoghue's reworking of the tales is a play for voices: each tale is told by a different voice, always autodiegetic narratives which are linked to the others, but yet they are different in style and perspective from the others (134) . This essay will focus on two retellings from Kissing the Witch: “The Tale of the Rose” and “The Tale of the Voice”, which are new versions of the traditional tales Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid, and the original tale "The Tale of the Kiss" . The aim of this essay is to analyze the strategies Emma Donoghue uses in order to subvert the conventions of traditional fairytales, especially concerning the representation of female characters, with | | 􀀁􀀂􀀃􀀄􀀅􀀆􀀇􀀄􀀈􀀆􀀄 􀀊􀀂 􀀋􀀌 􀀍􀀎􀀆􀀏􀀂􀀈􀀅􀀆􀀊􀀌􀀊 􀀊􀀂 􀀐􀀌􀀈􀀌􀀑􀀄􀀒􀀌 􀀓 􀀐􀀌􀀑􀀔􀀌􀀎 􀀕􀀇􀀇􀀃􀀖􀀗􀀗􀀒􀀌􀀑􀀔􀀌􀀎􀀘􀀔􀀎􀀆􀀒􀀌􀀈􀀘􀀂􀀅 | | | --- | --- | --- | a focus on the figure of the witch, who will be no longer demonized but shown in a different light so that her real character may be understood. According to Wanning, Donoghue is especially interested in "rehabilitating the witch": showing a witch who is both human and vulnerable, "contesting the ways the witch has been represented in generations of tale-telling" (130) . In a similar vein, the Beast in "The Tale of the Rose"will be connected to the figure of the witch as she embodies similar connotations and confronts the same problems as the witch in "The Tale of the Voice" and in "The Tale of the Kiss" . The three tales

FAQs

Which work does the essay focus on, and what is its core structure?

The essay focuses on Emma Donoghue’s Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins, described as a series of thirteen re-imagined fairytales linked through the figure of “the witch.” Each tale is told by a different voice and provides a new perspective on the witch’s story.

What feminist strategy does the text emphasize for subverting fairy-tale stereotypes?

The essay highlights rewriting as a feminist strategy to challenge patriarchal ideology in traditional texts. It explains how older stories often idealized or demonized women and reduced them to archetypes, and it frames rewriting as a “re-vision” act that enables survival and new critical perspectives.

How does Donoghue’s retelling change the portrayal of the witch and related characters?

According to the essay, Donoghue focuses on “rehabilitating the witch,” presenting her as human and vulnerable rather than demonized. It also connects characters such as the Beast to the witch figure to confront similar problems and offer deeper understanding across selected tales.

Aug 21, 2026

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