Feminism in Petronella

by Jay Williams

Petronella Background:

Author : Jay Williams

Originally published: in 1973

Genre : Modern Fantasy

Theme: Follow your heart

Brief Story: Petronella is about a princess named Petronella, who is the youngest child of the latest King Peter and Queen Blossom in the kingdom of Skyclear mountain where three princes were always born to the king and queen. Princess Petronella tries to against her role as a girl and takes a journey outside a castle like her brothers to prove everyone that girls can do anything like boys do too.

Why is Petronella belonging to modern fantasy genre?: It is because of its characteristics in the story which are :

• Magic and magical creature exits — There is an enchanter named Albion.
• Closely related to traditional literature — Three princes were always born to the king and queen.
• No scientific explanations for impossible events like magic — Characters do not question about the magic.

Feminism is used as a literary tool to criticise and analyse Petronella written by Jay Williams.

Follow your heart is a theme in this story as a character — Princess Petronella can support the theme. Even if her family do not accept her decision to take a journey outside which girls should not do, she is still following her heart and do what she is really want to do because she wants to prove that girls have rights to do things like boys too. This can show how she is representing to the feminism.

Her character is individual, round and static. Besides, her personality is described as a direct character. Her physical traits are tall and handsome girl with flaming red hair which can be implied that she is ready to prove everyone that she as a girl can do anything like boys do. Her mental traits are kind, sympathetic and unharmed as they are occurred when she helps an old man and tests at enchanter’s house( a way she treats animals for her quests). Her behavioural trait is courage as she is never afraid of danger when she has to go far away from her castle from the castle. These traits can emphasise her character representing to the feminism; therefore, Princess Petronella is a character portraying to the feminism conveying to the theme — follow your heart as she does not let anything like her family, society, and gender to be her struggle to do things what she wants to do. Furthermore, she is also fighting for her rights to against a traditional society about gender boundaries.

Petronella recalls me to a contemporary aspect in a political issue when Yinglak, the first female prime minister in Thailand in 2011, was bullied and looked down that she could not be a good prime minister because of her sex — female. This can reflect to Thai society toward patriarchy.

Petronella is WORTH to read and study: Follow your heart is a meaningful message to the present audience from Petronella written by Jay Williams. Do not let anyone tell you what you can do or what you cannot do because of your gender, race or other things because humans only live once. Therefore, Petronella is really worth to read and study for everyone whether reading in the feminist lens or other lens as this story can be a moral to everyone that we should follow our hearts.

Reference:

Kotekchildrenliterature. (n.d). Modern Fantasy.

Retrieved from http://kotekchildrensliterature.blogspot.com

Princeton. (n.d). Contemporary Fantasy.

Retrieved from https://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Contemporary_fantasy.html