Symbolism in sleeping beauty

"More than a fancifully stylized love story that portrays a young maidens retreat into herself and the breaking of the spell by a youth in love; ... The tale depicts the endowing, threatening, paralyzing, and redeeming of not only some girl or other but of mankind in general"

- Max Luthi

Have finally started the illustrations and so have been looking at symbolism, like I have mentioned previously I would like to include some of this using imagery and text (hidden within the images). This link I have included is especially good as it looks at all the versions that I have decided to use. Obviously you cannot take every thought as gospel and some of the ideas seem quite extreme- I have been trying to find text that was written by the authors on there tales but this seems to be impossible. I think I will take some ideas that I like and disregard others.
Observations On Grimm:

• Since the curse is one of the dominant features of the tale, it is reasonable that many psycho-analytical symbolisms have been drawn from it. The most reasonable of these metaphors is that the curse represent new restrictions imposed on a female at puberty. Thirteen, the age of Brier Rose in some of the versions, was traditionally the age when menstruation started, so it can be seen as the beginning of womanhood. This line of thought leads to another of the symbolisms. The underlying cause for the curse results from the realization that Brier Rose has the potential for becoming an object of desire. Her potential sexuality threatens men and makes women jealous. Because of jealousy, the old/evil fairy wishes to stop Brier Rose from ever taking her place as a woman and to die before she can experience the "joys of courting and marriage."

• The frog's proclamation is supposed to represent that wishing alone can cause a pregnancy. While this reasoning is weak, the other symbolic interpretation of this event in the story is even weaker. Some scholars see the proclamation as a manifestation of the King's desire for a daughter but his reluctance to sleep with his wife.In several of the Grimms' tales, Bettelheim sees frogs and toads as symbols of sex. In this particular instance, that metaphor is more precisely defined to represent conception. Water is also included in this metaphor.

• The curse itself has another intriguing symbolic meaning. It can be interpreted as the onset of menstruation. Bettelheim elaborates on this metaphor. The thirteen good fairies represent the thirteen months of the lunar calendar. The twelve that are good also represent the twelve months in the traditional calendar. The thirteenth fairy, since there is no thirteenth month in traditional calendars, represents menstruation. In addition, since the curse came from an old woman, there is the added significance of the "curse" being passed from woman to woman and originating with the oldest woman, Eve.- This might be interesting to illustrate could have a calendar or a watch. The sun and Moon= Time passing. Could have the light changing through certain pages, symbolizing time passing.
  

• Another analysis suggested other motifs behind the Father's action. By banning spindles, he can prevent Brier Rose from ever having to engage in onerous tasks not "befitting a princess." (McGlathery, p 98) The King also takes away Brier Rose's chance to dream, since spinning is associated with dreams- This is interesting as it was an observation I made myself. Like I have mentioned I wondered at the choice of "evil object"not just in Grimms but in all versions.
  

• Spinning has several general symbolisms. Spinning, and especially the spindle itself, is associated with dreams of "building romantic castles in the air," (McGlathery, p 98) which in Brier Rose's case are taken away by the King's ban on spindles. It is also seen as a passage to sexual adulthood. The spindle, according to Bruno Jockel, can also be a male symbol directly implying sex. Appearing to following the same line of thought, Bettelheim interprets the distaff, the part of the spindle which rotates and collects the thread, as a penis. Weaving and spinning are also commonly associated with women

• Bettelheim, in one of his non-sexual interpretations, also focuses on the absence of Brier Rose's parents when she pricks her finger. He claims this represents the parents inability to help children through the various trials of growing-up.
  

• The interpretation of Brier Rose's long sleep has progressed along two lines. The first is sexual, like most psychoanalytical interpretations of this fairy tale, and comes from Bettelheim. Its reasoning is based on the assumption that the sleep is symbolic of the wait for sexual fulfillment. It comes at the end of childhood and is a way to prepare Brier Rose for a later "sexual union." (Bettelheim, p 232) She spends these years withdrawn and in inner reflection. The sleep may delay her eventual sexual maturity, but in the end, it will happen and with as much glory as ever.

  Bettelheim also asserts that this long sleep is the only way to avoid change and development. McGlathery adds that it allows Brier Rose to remain a maiden for a hundred years. She is also reduced to passivity since she can not actively persue a prince while she is sleeping. Bettelheim does add that this shutting out of the world is unhealthy and that it must be broken by the transformation of the girl into the woman.- Have been wondering how I can show the princess sleeping, she must have dreamt- and I would like to include imagery of her dreams.
  

• Several interpretations see the Prince as a father substitute since in many versions the Prince arrives in the story only after the Father leaves it. McGlathery goes on to say that the Prince's actions are what the Father would like to do, but is prevent from by incest taboos.

  The Prince's arrival at the appropriate moment marks Brier Rose's sexual awakening and/or the birth of the higher ego, according to Bettelheim. The Prince also makes a "more appropriate object of curiosity and desire" (McGlathery, p 118) than the spinning wheel which is what fascinated Brier Rose when she fell asleep. Bettelheim sees two significances in the transformation. The first is that Brier Rose is finally ready for a sexual encounter. The other, which is actually not sexual, is a general life lesson. Do not worry about a seemingly "impossible problem." (Bettelheim, p 233) When the time is right, it will solve itself.

• If one assumes that the curse is symbolic of menstruation or bleeding during sexual intercourse, then Brier Rose's awakening carries a very reassuring connotation. Although this bleeding must be taken seriously, which might be represented by the heroine's hundred year sleep, one should not be frightened of it. It "does have the happiest consequences." (Bettelheim, p 235)
  

Am finding it difficult to find critical analysis on my other versions: Am going to re-read Marina Warners pages on Sleeping Beauty to see if I have missed something there. One problem is that I planned to use two versions of Basiles- but these will have the same symbolisms which means the illustrations will be very similar. More on this at a later date.......