Storybook Endings?

Y'all remember when I wrote a few months back about The Night Circus. Well, I've had a few months to think about the story more, and I've come across another aspect of the narrative that just bothers me. I really don't want to dwell on the negative aspects of the book any more than I already have, especially since I still think I would recommend The Night Circus to most anyone. However, I missed the book club discussion on The Night Circus when I was sick last month, so I've got to get this out of my system somehow.

So... Bailey.

The character Bailey is a farm boy, but not really the "poor and perfect" variety admired by Princess Buttercup. Well, he's probably poor, but he doesn't have enough of a personality to be considered perfect. His defining characteristic is that he doesn't want to be a farmer anymore... and, really, there's a lot of potential for a good character conflict there. I mean, a young man pursuing his dreams against the wishes of his family could make a pretty compelling story. Someone should write that book.

Shortly after Bailey gets introduced, we're given this little tidbit:

He reads histories and mythologies and fairy tales, wondering why it seems that only girls are ever swept away from their mundane lives on farms by knights or princes or wolves. It strikes him as unfair to not have the same fanciful opportunity himself. And he is not in the position to do any rescuing of his own.

You know, I read that quote, and something about it must have bothered me, although it wasn't apparent at first. Now I think about Bailey's attitude and find two major problems with it.

Firstly, this is a lazy attitude. Someone in the real world with this same attitude would NOT be sympathetic. Such an individual would just be lazy. Even in fiction, characters who simply pine after an escape from their dreary lives are some of the most maligned characters in all of fiction. I'm looking at you, Cinderella!

(That said, I did read a pretty interesting opinion from a friend about why Cinderella actually is an inspirational character. Check it out.)

The second issue I have with Bailey's attitude, though, is that it just ISN'T TRUE. Boys are recued from lives of mundanity in fairy tales and myths ALL THE TIME. The difference, though, is that boys get rescued at the BEGINNING of their stories, while girls get rescued at the END.

Think about it: For every Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty, you've got a Harry Potter or Luke Skywalker. Once the prince comes for the woman, the curtain lowers and the story is over. However, when the mysterious stranger takes the man away from home, there are still a good 350 pages left in the first volume of his seven book series.

So, okay, it's an annoying attitude Bailey has, but I think I'm actually more bugged by what it says about the most common story tropes. Why do these young men have to be swept out from their mundane lives? Why don't we admire them for lifting themselves out from their dissatisfying life? And why can't we have more stories about what happens to women AFTER their "happily ever whatever"?

That last point really came to mind when I watched Pixar's The Incredibles. It's ostensibly a movie about Mr. Incredible, but, really, I think the best, most three-dimensional character was actually Elasti-Girl. She's strong, competent, capable... and a wife and mother.

That's a lot of pondering I've been doing, and, really, I don't have much of a point to make other than the questions I've been asking. If you've got any favorite answers to my questions (self-made fantasy heroes, kick-butt moms, or anything similar), let me know. I'd be interested to read about them.