The male and female perspectives in works of art are mostly expressed through the characteristics given to the characters and the themes. Most men believe in facing off their problems individually without involving other parties. In the ‘King Pig’, there are different ways the writer tries to express this idea. In the story, the king’s son who was later called Mister Piggy hears his first and second wives plotting to kill him while asleep. He doesn’t tell anyone about the evil thoughts of his wives but kills them first before they try to kill him. Even when confronted by his parents, he does not disclose to them the reason why he had to kill his two wives (Canepa, 2007). The writer depicts the king’s son as a man who faces off his enemies without seeking intervention from other parties, a character that is portrayed by many men.
On the other hand, Beauty and the Beast is an old French folk – tale story written by a female writer. Most women are driven by the idea of love, and passion. In the story, the main character who is the prince is cursed into becoming a Beast. The prince is required win the love of a beautiful young girl (Belle) in order to return to being a normal human being (Carter, 1982). The fact that the main character has to win the love of a woman in order to return to being normal expresses the writer’s female perspective. When the story of the King Pig makes us wonder whether the King Pig would actually capture the eggs of the birds and remain the king, the story of the Beauty and the Beast makes us wonder whether the Beast Prince would actually earn the love of Belle.
References
Carter, A. (1982). Sleeping Beauty and other Favorite Tales. London: Gollanez
Canepa, N. (2007). The Tale of Tales, or Entertainment of Little Ones. Wrigley: Walter Foster Publishing
