Rumpelstiltskin

“A little Rumpelstiltskin figure, contorted with hatred...” (Page 257)

Rumpelstiltskin is a famous fairy tale which was first chronicled by the Brothers Grimm. It tells the story of a young woman who wants to marry a King; in order to do so, though, she must first spin straw into gold. A swindling character, Rumpelstiltskin, then arrives and agrees to complete the task, allowing the young woman to be wed to the King. However, he sets one stipulation: he will only do the job in exchange for the woman’s first-born child. Being a trickster, though, he says he will let her keep her child if she is able to guess his name. Believing this to be impossible, Rumpelstiltskin figures that he will triumph, but he is overheard saying his name aloud and is forced to return the child. Orwell makes an allusion to this mythical character because of his connection to Big Brother. Both characters believe themselves unstoppable. Like Rumpelstiltskin, Big Brother essentially tricks everyone into thinking and acting in a certain way. Instead of drawing a parallelism between these two characters, Orwell also points out the connection between the young woman and Winston. Both must defy the odds and find their way around these domineering individuals in order to free themselves.

"Study Guide for Rumpelstiltskin." Index. Web. 11 May 2010. http://www.marilynkinsella.org/Study%20Guides%20and%20info/Study%20Guide%20for%20Rumpelstiltskin.htm.

Rumpelstiltskin. Digital image. Web. 11 May 2010. http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/illustrations/rumpelstiltskin/images/crane_rumple1.jpg.