The tales from the Brothers Grimm come from a very patriarchal era. Maleen could not obey her father’s wishes (…er, demands) and accepted her punishment for that. However, in her own way, she was a strong girl even at such a young age. She stood up to her father. While she was locked away for seven years she still stood her ground and chose to be locked up rather than marry someone she didn’t love. In that day and age, that’s pretty impressive!
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1. PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT POST SPOILERS.
2. Don't be rude toward the artists, their work, or other readers.
3. Disagreements are fine, insults are not.
4. Joking at the fairy tales silly nature is fine, crude jokes and comments are not. This is an all-ages site. Let's keep it that way.
5. Comments can be removed at moderator's discretion.
↓ Transcript
Panel 1: Maleen and Chambermaid are observing the last of their food supply. Chambermaid: Our long years must be at an end for our food supply is nearly gone. Surely our salvation is at hand.
Panel 2: Women look hopeful.
Panel 3: Women look less confident.
Panel 4: Maleen looks disheartened. Maleen: There have been no sounds of a hammer to be heard. No stones are falling from the walls. Has my father forgotten us? Chambermaid: What shall we do, mistress? We have few supplies left. We shall suffer a miserable death if we are not released soon.
Panel 5: Maleen looks determined. Maleen: We have just on last resort... we must see if we can break through the wall.
Panel 2: Women look hopeful.
Panel 3: Women look less confident.
Panel 4: Maleen looks disheartened. Maleen: There have been no sounds of a hammer to be heard. No stones are falling from the walls. Has my father forgotten us? Chambermaid: What shall we do, mistress? We have few supplies left. We shall suffer a miserable death if we are not released soon.
Panel 5: Maleen looks determined. Maleen: We have just on last resort... we must see if we can break through the wall.
Gotta love that it takes her seven years to think of this complex plan. :)
Women back in the time these stories came from were trained from birth to be helpless. You really can’t blame her for not deciding to do anything till her life was truly in jeopardy.
Heh, the last panel makes me think of Gunnerkrigg Court. “We shall construct a robotic digging device to provide us with an exit from this tower!”
You know, I think I might have decided on this course of action a little sooner. Like, by day 3.
i like this page, but if this is supposed to have no light or anything coming through those walls, i wish the backgrounds of the white panels where black… thats just me bein just’ a bit nit-picky and stupid here :P
agreed – she is a weak heroine for taking this longer to consider breaking out. but her boyfriend? the biggest loser in the history of the world of fairytales for not making any effort whatsoever to bust her out. impossible to empathize or identify with any of them so far. possibly my least favorite fairy tale, and i love fairy tales.
I do think Maleen is strong in standing up to her father and chosing seven years confinement rather than marrying someone she didn’t love… so that’s definitely a plus. However, I still find it a bit silly that she wouldn’t think of the plan to make a hole in the wall until seven years later. But then again I am a girl of a different age. :)
Had she chosen to get out sooner, I think there would have been guards to prevent that.
I would’ve been horrified, the possibility of NEVER coming out of the tower. To be forgotten, she was a brave girl.