A Feminist Interpretation of Tanith Lee’s “When The Clock Strikes”. Anjali Vallikkat College

The earliest fairy tales were published in a patriarchal society where women had little rights and played a subordinate role, raised to bow to male authority. As a result, most traditional fairy tales tend to reflect the norms of such a society. Even some popular modern versions still undermine female authority by presenting women who are objectified and easily pitted against each other due to petty reasons. In “Feminism and Fairy Tales,” Karen Rowe discusses the anti-feminist sentiments of fairy tales and explains the importance of strong female characters. We must ask, is it even possible to retell “Cinderella” in a feminist manner? In her modern retelling “When The Clock Strikes” which was written in 1983, Tanith Lee deals with Cinderella’s anti-feminist history in complex ways. Lee’s story revolves around a young girl called ‘Ashella’ who practices dark magic, taught to her by her mother, and performs ‘evil’ tasks yet still ends up victorious. It might seem, at first, that Lee’s tale which “bears witness against women” goes along with Rowe’s conclusion that “the liberation of the female psyche has not matured with sufficient strength” (358) to strongly challenge the patriarchal society. However, I argue that despite...