Fabulously (in)dependent women

Abstract Are female figures in fairy tales full of courage, intelligence, resourcefulness, and perseverance or are they lacking autonomy and are incapable of taking control of their own lives? In the context of a research-project on the Italian popular traditional fairy tales (Thompson 1946), a substantial difference was revealed with respect to the entirely passive protagonist. The two tale types analysed ( Cinderella ATU 510A and The Clever Farmgirl ATU 875) show two intelligent girls who make a choice and take responsibility for their own desires using their resources in an active way.