The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods is a fairytale with a very stereotypical story. It is about a princess who was cursed to sleep until a prince saves her from a wooded castle. Atwood makes a very different story by questioning why the woman has to be helpless and the man has to save her. She challenges every aspect of a typical fairytale and the normal view on the princess. Perault's The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods and Atwood's "There Was Once", have very contrasting ways of portraying fairytales; Perault's story represents a stereotypical fairytale, viewed in a misogynistic way, while on the other hand Atwood challenges the archetypal format of a fairy tale, and uses feministic outlooks to shape her story.

Perault writes their story set up like a conventional fairy tale, which has the beautiful princess, the magical castle, the extravagant money and the amazing scenery. This vague antecedent was shown in many ways throughout the story. "There was placed before every one of them a magnificent cover with a case of massive gold, wherein were a spoon, knife, and fork, all of pure gold set with diamonds and rubies."(Perault) The family held a feast for 7 magical fairies that would bless their child with many gifts. The princess was blessed with many gifts such as being the most beautiful person in the world, the wit of an angels, that she has perfect grace in everything she does, she can dance and sing perfectly, and she would play music in perfection. Typically she gets a curse that she would fall into a sleep if she gets stuck with a thimble and only the handsome king's son could awake her.  
Perault writes his story in a very patriarchal style and does not really view it from a woman's point of view. He talks about how the princess is completely helpless without a powerful young prince to save her. The current prince had heard stories and wanted to find out where this princess was. "...Who heard my grandfather say, that there was then in this castle a princess, the most beautiful was ever seen; that she must sleep there a hundred years, and should be waked by a king's son, for whom, was reserved."(Perault) Perault uses many different ways to create his story that is set up like the stereotypical fairytale.

It Atwood's story, the two main characters are talking and one tells a fairytale. The entire story is about them conversing about how the story was too conventional and how they should make fairytales more realistic. The author talks about how beautiful the girl is and how she's perfect. "I think we can cut the beautiful, don't you?... Cant you make her, well, more average? "(Atwood) The main character who was telling the story said that the main girl was beautiful, poor, and lived with an evil stepmother. The second speaker argued why they had to be all these stereotypical characteristics of the main character in fairy tales. They also talk about feminist ideas throughout the story to lead us only to assume they want us to respect the woman for more than just beauty. "Then you can scratch the condescending paternalistic terminology. Its woman, pal. Woman."(Atwood)  The second speaker is again criticizing the common fairy tale idea that it always has to be a girl or a princess, and not a woman. At some points she uses very strong words to show her disgust with men in a way. (Better. But I am tired of negative female images! And stepmothers -- they always get it in the neck. Change it to stepfather, why don't you? That would make more sense anyway, considering the bad behavior you're about to describe. And throw in some whips and chains. We all know that those twisted, repressed, middle-aged men are like"(Atwood)  The author is showing here that she have very negative view of men. The way she talks about the stepfather makes us believe she may of had problems with her father in the past. The negativity towards men is consistant throughout the piece and it is obvious Atwood has very strong feelings towards this subject. Atwood shows very strong emotions in this part of the story to add to the feministic view.

The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood, and There Once Was have many differences but there are also some similarities. One thing both authors do is establishing the idea of a normal fairytale. Atwood talks about beautiful girl in the woods with her evil stepmother and she has to overcome struggle to get away. Perault sets his story up a little differently in the fact that she is very wealthy and comes from a good, loving family but even then she still has to overcome a struggle.

Both stories use the idea of a fairytale in very different ways. One is very straightforward in the fact that it is based on a conventional fairytale. The other contrasts the entire idea of a fairytale and its reality in today's society. As a reader we can see that Atwood has very strong opinions on the womans roll in fairy tales and in society through her feministic outlook. Perault writes in a very different style by making the princess helpless without the male to save her. This also plays into modern day thinking that the man has to provide for his family and the woman is the one who takes care of the kids and stays at home doing the chores. Both stories have very different views and very different meanings to the reader. Perault's The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods and Atwood's There Was Once, have very contrasting ways of portraying fairytales; Perault's story represents a stereotypical fairytale, viewed in a misogynistic way, while on the other hand Atwood challenges the archetypal format of a fairy tale, and uses feministic outlooks to shape her story.
