Gretel by Garrison Keillor

This text is Gretel’s version of the story but it is put into a modern setting. Gretel complains that Hansel and her father did not tell the true version of the story. She says that Hansel was really very weak and that she always had to help him (she carried him on her back and she cried not out of fear or hopelessness but because of carrying her “wreck” brother. She says her father was an unpleasant man (he would get drunk) who wanted to leave them in the forest. Gladys could not do anything without his permission. It was his idea to leave them in the jungle.
Gretel says that leaving children in a forest was not necessarily evil. She says that many parents did it because they believed that animals, fairies or people who lived in the forest would rescue them. She says this is usually what happened. Although leaving children in the forest seemed harsh and selfish, the experience made such a child a better person afterwards. But not Hansel. After the publication of the book, Hansel and father lived in “luxurious” manors while she lived in an ordinary “condo” located above an alchemist’s shop (she didn’t have a house of her own, neither did Gladys). Gladys was not given anything as a settlement property.
Gretel says that she has sympathy for her step mother and the witch. She says she doesn’t know why she killed the witch. She had pushed the witch into the oven. The witch wasn’t after her anyway! She was after Hansel and she (the witch) wanted to make a new statement which shel was unable to understand. The witch’s “militance” had validity and meaning which she didn’t understand before, and which she regrets now.
Keillor’s language is presented in the form of statement. It’s very persuasive in style as he wants readers to really believe that the female characters have been demonized by the male characters. Hansel and her father have tricked Gretel of the profit which she was supposed to get after the publication of the story by the Grimms brother. Gretel puts forth series of arguments revoking the story told to the Grimms. For example, it was Hansel who was weak character, not she. She slapped him to teach him lesson; also father was not a kind person as narrated in the published story. Thus, both male characters are critically exposed. However, the female characters are spoken of in a positive way. Gladys, her stepmother followed the orders father gave her. The idea of sending Hansel and Gretel into the forest was father’s idea, not Gladys. Thus, Keillor has very cleverly tried to manipulate reader’s reason, emotions in favour of her point of view. Keillor clearly comes across as a strong feminist who is strongly opposed to male superiority. She tries to prove that male characters are not strong and resourceful. Keillor is supporting for proper justice and end to discrimination against women. She regrets killing the witch, so she says was not after her at all. Keillor’s persuasive style has lot of sarcasm and humour embedded in the clever use of language.

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