The “princess and the dragon” motif goes back to Andromeda and Perseus – the chained or imprisoned young woman threatened with death or ingestion by a dragon who must be rescued by the hero of the tale. It continued with stories like those of St. George and the Dragon. Disney introduced a dragon into the Sleepy Beauty story. However, in the late 20th century the stories changed. Works such as the Paperbag Princess, Anne McCaffrey’s Pern books, and George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice of Fire series show young women who not only don’t need rescue, they control the dragons or at least work with them. They have gone from being dragon snacks to being dragon riders. If dragons are images of greed and power, the representation of women in danger of such strong (and traditionally masculine) emotions and drives, has mirrored the women’s movement and women are now perceived as being in full control of them. This talk will provide an outline of how this image has changed and how it reflects societal changes.
About the presenterJulie M. Still
Julie Still is on the faculty of the Paul Robeson Library on the Camden Campus of Rutgers University. She has spoken on a number of topics at local, regional, and international conferences, and published books and articles. Her primary interests are social history, women’s studies, and digital humanities.