The Tangled and RapunzelMany people know the old story of Rapunzel. It is a fairy tale told many times and in different ways. The original German version is very different from the modern Disney version, “Tangled”. However, both stories offer an interesting and different genre perspective. In classic fairy tales the woman usually needs to be saved and the prince is the one who saves her. In both of these stories the gender roles are slightly different, especially in Tangled. Rapunzel features different gender roles than most classic fairy tales because Rapunzel is more independent, doesn't immediately fall in love, and ultimately saves the prince. In the film, Rapunzel is more independent than most fairy tale princesses. The original German version written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm represents several classic gender roles in fairy tales and even some different roles. However, in the original version Rapunzel makes the woman more dependent. Rapunzel needs the man to bring her silk every day so she can build a ladder to climb down from her tower (Grimm). In Tangled, Rapunzel takes control of the situation when she takes the man (Flynn Rider) prisoner and forces him to help her. Rapunzel captures Flynn when he climbs the tower. Rapunzel hits him over the head with a frying pan and ties him up. Rapunzel demonstrates her independence when she says, “Too weak to handle myself out there, huh, mother? Well... tell that to my pan." This scene from the film goes against the classic gender roles in most old fairy tales. Instead of scaring the woman and needing help, Rapunzel springs into action (Greno, Howard). In many classic fairy tales the man and the woman fall in the middle of the paper... and this he saves Rapunzel from being stuck in the tower forever. Rapunzel holds the man she loves in her arms and as she does so she begins to cry only tear falls on Rider. This tear heals him completely and the couple can live happily ever after (Greno, Howard). In this version the woman and the man save each other, this goes against the gender roles of many fairy tales. The woman is not completely dependent on the man but he is also dependent on her. The story of Rapunzel has many interesting gender roles in both versions. This is even more true in the story of Tangled. Tangled breaks down many stereotypes and expectations about the role of women. Throughout the story Rapunzel is different, because she is more independent, she doesn't fall in love immediately and in the end she saves the man.