Analysis of The Goose Girl by The Brothers Grimm

📌Category: Literature, Tale
📌Words: 1289
📌Pages: 5
📌Published: 02 February 2022

Fairy tales are written to tell stories and share lessons to keep children in check. Regions create their fairy tales to teach people about their culture and values. In German fairy tales, a familiar way to teach children a lesson is to have the children face seemingly impossible tasks. One common way they teach children in German fairy tales is by having antagonists endeavor to injure the children. Germany’s tales usually show the growth of maturity in the protagonist and how they overcome their obstacles to become victorious. The German fairy tale “Goose Girl” teaches leadership and obedience, children who have good behavior can rise above those who harm, this can even lead to them coming out victorious. 

In “Goose Girl” the princess is faced with challenges throughout her hero’s journey that she has to overcome. On the princess’s journey to the palace, she asked her maid to fetch her some water from the river, but she refused. This moment is portrayed as a warning and danger because the waiting-maid who was brought to help her is refusing her request.  When the princess went to the river she “got down,… dared not bring out her cup; and wept…” This moment shows the first signs of her maid betraying her. The princess was not expecting the waiting-maid to act that rudely and was taken by surprise. Farther along their journey to the palace, the waiting-maid stole the princess’s identity. Once they arrived at the palace the maid tricked the prince into thinking she was the princess. She then ordered the king to put the princess to work and told him that she was not worth paying attention to because she was just a maid. The way the maid acted was devious. The false princess talks to the king and they say, “she may not be idled…a lad takes care of my geese, she may go and help.” This moment is important because the waiting-maid has successfully tricked the king and the prince, and has betrayed the princess. The princess is being forced to work when she is supposed to be the bride of the prince. When she first left her mother's house her mother was happy for her because she would never have to work a day in her life, but she was wrong. Her precious daughter was taking care of geese and got the nickname goose girl. Another challenge the princess had to face was when they got to the palace the waiting-maid did not want the horse she rode upon, Falada, to tell anyone her secret. In order for the maid to keep the horse’s mouth shut, she had one of the knackers cut off its head. Everything the false bride said to the king about how Falada acted on their ride to the palace was a lie, “faithful Falada was killed…the true princess heard of it and wept.” This is a painful and sad moment for the princess because that was the horse her mother gave her and it was killed. Falada was the princess’s beloved horse and would have been her best chance of becoming the prince’s bride. The maid had betrayed her yet again, but this time it was more personal. The princess lost her faithful companion and the last thing she had relating to her mother.

Fairy tales are known for having threatening figures that bring harm to children, such as the waiting-maid in “Goose Girl.” The princess asked the maid a second time to get her water, but the maid refused with a harsh voice and said, “Nay…if you are thirsty, get off yourself…and drink. I shall not be your waiting-maid.” This moment is important because the waiting-maid was brought on the journey to keep the princess company, instead, she neglected her duties and talks harshly to the princess. Since the princess and waiting-maid are alone in the forest, this allows the maid to say and do whatever she wants because no one is watching. The princess got down from her horse and went to the river to get water. As the princess leaned down to drink, the maid noticed the handkerchief with the blood float away. After the princess was done getting water she walked back to her horse and the maid. The blood on the handkerchief was protecting the princess, so when it floated away it allowed the maid to force the princess “to give up her horse and…royal clothes.” This is important because the maid forced the princess to switch identities with her so that when they showed up at the palace the prince would think she is the real princess and marry her. The imagery and details add deeper meaning because when the maid saw the handkerchief float away she knew that the princess’s protection was gone. At the palace every morning when Conrad and the princess went to take care of the geese, Conrad noticed that the princess talked to Falada (horse head) when they walked past the gate. Conrad found this strange, so he told the king. The king the next day asked the princess why she talked to the head of the horse. The princess burst into tears and the king was concerned and wanted to know why she was upset. She could not tell him and said to him “that I must not tell you nor any man, or I shall lose my life.” The real princess is forced to keep a secret from the king because the maid threatened to kill her if she ever spoke to anyone about what happened. This is foreshadowing the end of the fairy tale when the false bride gets what she deserves.


 

Goose Girl obeys the people that instruct her and ends up victorious over the maid. On their way to the palace in the forest, the princess got water and the handkerchief with blood on it floated away in the river. The maid knew that she would have power over the princess and told her, “I will ride upon Falada, and you may have my horse instead.” This is important because the princess was obligated to give up her belongings, if she would have fought back she could die because she was alone in the forest with the maid. This helps show that the princess cannot fend for herself and is venerable to the maid. After a few days of the princess being at the palace, the King pulled the princess aside one evening and asked her why she spoke to the horse head each morning. She burst into tears and told him she could not tell any man or she shall lose her life. The king was concerned for the princess and wanted to know the secret, so said to her “If you will not tell thy story, tell thy grief to the iron stove.” The king was secretly listening to the princess near the stove and overheard everything she said. The king knew the real story and that the maid had lied, he felt betrayed and wanted revenge for his son. After the king found out about the false bride he ordered royal clothes to be put upon the princess and told his son that he had a false bride. The King ordered a great feast to be ready for all his court. After feeling betrayed the young prince rejoiced when he saw the princess’s beauty and heard how meek and patient she had been. That night at the feast, “the bridegroom sat at the table…the king told the story…thought ought to be done to the servant.” The real princess went to the feast and never said anything when the king was telling her story. The king then asked the waiting-maid what she thought should be done to the poorly behaved servant. The maid said what should be done to the servant and, she did not realize that she was deciding her fate.

German fairy tales, such as “Goose Girl,” show values in Germany that Teach children to respect their peers and the respect they will earn from being obedient. The story teaches that everyone faces challenges throughout their life’s journey and, with good actions come great rewards. The tale makes it clear that in Germany, royalty and leadership are to be respected and, if you betray someone there will be major consequences.

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