The Wicked Father

While women traditionally get a rough ride in fairy tales - you are either the beautiful, vulnerable heroine or the wicked stepmother or a witch - men become the archetypal hero. Prince Charming rescues Cinderella from her life of drudgery, The Huntsman kills the Granny-devouring wolf and saves Little Red Riding Hood, and the Seven Dwarves allow Snow White to live in their care and protection (albeit in returning for doing all the domestic work in the house...which she can't really complain about as most of it seems to be done by the various woodland creatures who visit! However, in my house that would result in a telephone call to Pest Control...but I digress!). Even Aladdin (a thief and a vagabond) turns out to be an all-round good guy, whilst it turns out that the Beast was just simply misunderstood. So why do separated fathers suddenly become the devil in disguise?! These are the same men that the Evil Queens fell in love with - the men who they married, had children ...