The Velvet Chamber

Since we were all little girls, we've been told the same fairy tales over and over. The one thing that stays the same from one story to the next is that the boy always gets the girl. The girl is always in need of being rescued, and there is always an evil woman behind the scenes creating problems for the hero. And over the centuries, these tales have been told and retold. But what are the origins of these stories, and is it possible that they were created by men to keep their women in line?

At a site I've been reading for some time now, the fairy tale is taking on a whole new image. The site is called The Velvet Chamber and it's dedicated to showing the female's side of life. Not the cowering princess waiting for her prince to come and save her, but the princess who's tired of living in a tower and takes matters into her own hands. The stories in this site show that the woman portrayed as being an evil step-mother is actually a tormented woman who's taking control of her own life.

This site gives women a chance to view the literary world through new eyes. Women from history, characters from many of the classics, and tales that come down from time forgotten. This can all be found within the posts and pages of The Velvet Chamber. I highly recommend reading the story "I am Snow White" by site admin LA Slugocki. It's a new spin on an old tale and one that actually makes some sort of sense. But more than that, it's a hell of a story. It's hard to find parts 5 and 6, but just go to the May 2010 archives and you'll find the title in the list.

I've never considered myself a feminist, but I'm not the kind of woman who expects a man to do all the "manly" work while I spend my time puttering around the house. I can shoot a gun, I love archery, and I've never been one to mince my words. That's why I totally dig this site and think that any woman who's tired of hearing that the only way to happily ever after is after the man wins needs to visit this site.