Analysis of the Original Version of Puss in Boots

8/16/2019 Analysis of the Original Version of Puss in Boots

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3. Original Version

The Master Cat (early French: Le Maître Chat ), mostly known as Puss in Boots ( Le Chat

Botté) because of the main character’s name, originated in France in 1!" and was written by

#harles $errault in one of the first fairy tale books % Histoires ou contes du temps passé. &his

means that The Master Cat was actually one of the 'ery first written fairy tales due to its

ublication in the later 1. &he original French title was * Histoires ou contes du temps

passé, avec des moralités" - "Les Contes de ma mère l!e* (*#tories or $air Tales %rom

Past Times &ith Morals"- "Mother 'oose Tales" )(

&he original 'ersion has known since its first release, hundreds of sub'ersions, mo'ies,

cartoons and e'en games. * Puss in Boots* has insired comosers, choreograhers, and other

artists o'er the years+ for eamle, $uss aears in &chaiko'sky-s ballet The #leepin) Beaut.

One of the most famous fairy tales in history, it has also been analysed in different situations,

whether the morals of the story were in uestion, the main character, the lot, or e'en the

social background. /nlike other classical fairy tales, and e'en thought it has been massi'ely

used for sub'ersions, The Master Cat has managed to maintain its original story as a classical

fairy tale. 0ore elicitly, the original story has not been changed as in other cases % For

eamle, in the original folklore and soken story of *ed *idin) Hood , the little girl does not

get to her grandmother’s house, the wolf eats her before she can e'en get there only later, due

to its gruesomeness, $errault ublishes it with the changed ending% 2ed meets the wolf

disguised as her grandmother, who he had eaten, but the hunter sa'es them both by shooting

the wolf therefore sa'ing the grandmother from the wolf’s stomach and 2ed from an

imminent death. 'en though Puss in Boots changed its original title and entirely different

'ersions ha'e been written, it remains to this day one of the most oular international fairy

tales of all time.

The Master Cat 4 a oular fairy tale that still manages to fascinate both adults and children

alike. $uss aears in #hre+ in 56 as a mercenary who befriends an ogre, the main

character (7ream8orks 9nimation, 'oice of 9ntonio :anderas). ;ater, he stars in a number of

short animated mo'ies, whether he is accomanied by <hrek or not+ #hre+ the Halls (a

#hristmas secial), #cared #hre+less (a =alloween secial) and Puss in Boots: The Three

ia.los. One of its most romoted and newest 'ersions is Puss in Boots (511), the animated

mo'ie by 7ream8orks 9nimation, where $uss, the main character is searching for the >olden

>oose to redeem himself in the eyes of his adoti'e mother. 'en though the storyline is a



combination of many other fairy tales such as /ac+ and the Beanstal+ and the 7ragon from

#leepin) Beaut (here, a giant goose) we must see that due to his oularity, $uss is the main

character, roof of his imortance not only as an animated cartoon, but as a fairy tale icon as

well.

3.1 $errault’s influences

#harles $errault was a retired ci'il ser'ant he was situated in the uer class society and was

a member of the 9cad?mie fran@aise A ;-9cad?mie fran@aise also called the French 9cademy

is the re4eminent French learned body on matters ertaining to the French language. &he

9cad?mie was officially established in 13B by #ardinal 2ichelieu, the chief minister to Cing;ouis DEEE. <uressed in 1"!3 during the French 2e'olution, it was restored in 13 by

Gaoleon :onaarte. Et is the oldest of the fi'e acad?mies of the Enstitut de FranceH.

$errault’s education and relations allowed him to become not a simle writer, but one that

would influence and teach children in his society how they must beha'e. Iack Jies’ (1!3+

1346) ideas of the birth and e'olution of fairy4tales are broadly discussed in his book % $air

Tales and the 0rt o% #u.version. <ome of his research actually includes #harles $errault as

being one of the forefathers of fairy tales and one of the authors with the most sub'ersion of

his stories.

9fter its in'ention, the genre became etremely famous. 'erybody who was an imortant

writer wrote, or at least tried to write, a fairy4tale. 8hen their own cultural insiration faded

away, they went across their borders and started introducing Etalian or 9rabic motifs. &hey

e'en made fairy4 tale4insired lays. Et can be assumed that the French in'ention of fairy tales

benefited later all of uroe eanding in the entire world. Ob'iously there were some who

arodied the genre, considering it nothing more than a story, with no actual learning or

something made only for the lower class eole. Eronically, one of the most famous fairy tale

arodies is the #hre+ series that also include $uss.

Jies (1!3+13) considers that fairy tales aeared at a moment of great shift in social

manners and norms. &he society wanted to reare children for their future, the standards

they belie'ed at the time to be otimal, and therefore they started educating them for their

urose in life. &he stories were suosed to gi'e a role model for children or make themunderstand that they had to act in a certain way if they wanted to fulfil their urose or



desires. 9side from the nursery rhymes and folk oral tales, fairy tales distinguished

themsel'es by the written word and refinement which aealed more to a higher society, thus

making them more reliable as a source of learning.

9ctually, fairy tales were rimarily written for adults, as Iack Jyes (1!3+16) mentions, to

amuse them and gi'e eamles of eemlary citiKens, maybe e'en imlement some ideas,

ideologies, but they also had a great success o'er children, so they became a way of learning

and setting standards for them.

$errault’s resonsibility for the creation of fairy tales has been discussed by many secialists

o'er the years+ some say that what he actually did was take folklore stories, add some morals

and resented them as fairy tales, a way in which children could learn 'aluable lessons of life.

Others consider that $errault only managed to ut u certain limits for children’s

de'eloment. 8e may not know eactly $errault’s intention to maniulate or teach children,

but it is widely known that, as a father, he had a strong interest in his children’s education

therefore, a logical assumtion would be that $errault really wanted to hel children learn

manners and educate themsel'es through reading.

'en though the idea of teaching and rearing children for the future with the use of books

and stories is still racticed today, it had a much deeer and stronger significance when thatfairy tale first originated.

En order to understand better the influence of fairy4tales, we must look at Gorbert lias’

(1!!6+141 1 The Civili2in) Process to see what teachings and morals were introduced in fairy

tales in order to make children grow u to be eemlary citiKens of the 1" th century society.

Et is widely known that for centuries men and women had 'ery distinct rights. &heir routines

were 'ery different, at least in the uer class society. 0en were seen as the master of the

household and women were considered to be weak and mostly a means of reroduction. &hey

were forced to li'e their li'es in their husband’s shadow, raising the children and taking care

of the household. :ack then families were not based on lo'e, but rather on wealth, social

influence and titles. 8omen’s souses did not areciate them, men often ha'ing affaires and

illegitimate children. &hese things were considered normal back then.

Fairy tales taught little girls to marry a rince or a handsome boy, someone rich, settle down

and gi'e birth to a male heir (referably), then li'e the rest of their life acting like a lady % emotional, sensiti'e, naL'e and retty. 8omen were suosed to look retty and lo'e their



husband no matter what. 8omen had to accet this and be hay. 8e can see that in The

Master Cat , the rincess marries &he 0aruis of #arabas for his looks, wealth and title. 'en

nowadays little girls want to be rincesses and marry a handsome and rich rince, roof that

many of those standards and the way they were resented to little children had an enormous

imact across time and in many societies.

0en, on the other hand, were suosed to be bra'e, intelligent and successful. &hey had to

dominate the oosite se, make money and ro'ide for the family. Ef they had money, they

were retty much free to do anything they wanted. 0any slet in searate beds or e'en li'ed

in different houses from their wi'es and children. 0en had to be socially acti'e in order to be

successful. 8e ha'e another eamle of these standards in The Master Cat % the cat, e'en

though he has a modest background, manages to gi'e his master and himself a better life, a

royal life. =e maintains the beliefs erfectly+ % he takes care of his family (his master), he is

socially acti'e (he constantly seaks with the king and is an influential resence to others %

the easants working in the fields), he makes money and gains a title (he steals the ogre’s

castle and entitles his master a 0aruis). $errault’s fairy tales usually targeted women’s social

beha'iour because, as Jies (1!3+5B) considers, he was afraid of emowered women who

knew what to do with their li'es without the hel of a male resence. &he 0aster #at is an

ecetion, he is how the author sees the role of a man in his society, therefore how he seeshimself.

En the 1"th century the difference between the uer class and lower class was a lot bigger

than today. 9ll oor eole were uneducated because they couldn’t afford schooling, and as

the uer class maintained the economic ower, lower class eole looked u to them, trying

to imitate them as best they could. &his is why the fairy tale had such a great imact o'er the

whole world. 'en though most oor eole were not able to read, the stories and their morals

were assed on to other generations by word of mouth.

9lso, the ideology behind these stories and the way they were introduced to society must not

be underestimated. #hristian Jimmer (1!"6+13) remarks that ideology does not use 'iolence

or aggression to con'ince, but rather becomes a reality on its own, using amusement to gain

the confidence of the reader and subMect him to its influences. &herefore, Jimmer (1!"6+13)

concludes that N&o amuse oneself is to disarm oneself. GaL'e and uneerienced children

become more rone to its influence by its retty resentation. <till, $errault and his associates

are considered to roduce harmless amusement. One must take notice that fairy tales are not



the maMor influence in a child’s life, but neither are they neutral. 'en so, 9lbert instein once

said+ NEf you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. Ef you want them to be

more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.

:ecause the suggested standards of the 1"th century were introduced in fairy tales, and the

stories had such a great success, we are still able to see in our society beha'iour that is

considered to be archaic and seist. 'en though women’s rights ha'e changed o'er the

years, emowering them, many still belie'e that their goal in life is to ha'e children, take care

of the house and lease their man. 0en are still considered to be the head of the family and

main ro'ider, e'en though in today’s society, women and men are eually caable of

sustaining themsel'es and their offsring for that matter.

3.5 <etting and $lot

The Master Cat is one of the first fairy tales, which makes it a rototye and a starting oint

for other stories of the genre to begin. 9 fairy tale is a fictional story in which folkloric

characters can be found (such goblins, trolls, witches, talking animals and many others) and in

which the fight between good and e'il is resented, good always re'ailing. &he term is also

used to describe a story that ends haily 4 *fairy tale ending* e'en though not all fairy tales

endings are hay. Fairy tales ha'e their roots in the oral tradition. &hey are found sread

across many different cultures. &o better see the characteristics of the genre in relation to the

fairy tale, a summary of the original story is needed in order for it to be analysed+

&he son of a certain miller, who, when the father died left to his three sons his fortune, got the

least of it % a cat. =e was 'ery disaointed, and afraid of how he would make a li'ing. =e

said that at least when he was star'ing he could eat the cat, but the cat relied that this will

ne'er haen. &hen the cat ut on a air of boots to look resentable and set out to gain

fa'our with the king of the land. =e caught two large heasants in a bag and brought them to

the king-s alace, where he announced it as a gift from the 0aruis of #arabas (the name he

had in'ented for his master). &he king liked the gift, and the cat returned often to bring the

king heasants or rabbits. One day, the cat found out that the king was taking his beautiful

daughter on a ri'erside tri, and he saw an oortunity. =e instructed his master to take a bath

in the ri'er. 8hen the king and his carriage came by, the cat started yelling that the 0aruis of

#arabas was drowning. &he carriage stoed, and the king’s ser'ants took the cat-s master and



clothed him, because the cat had told them that his master had been robbed. &he king was

familiar with his reutation as the 0aruis of #arabas, but did not know the man, yet still

made a lace for him in the carriage. 7ressed elegantly, in the finery of royalty, the rincess

instantly fell in lo'e with him, and they talked together as they went on their Mourney. &he cat

went ahead to reare the castle for the king and his master’s arri'al. =e went ahead to the

alace of an ogre. &he ogre was magical and could turn himself into any form. &he cat tricked

him into turning into a mouse. 8hen he changed into a mouse, the cat ate him. &hen he

reared the alace for his master and king’s arri'al. 8hen the king reached the castle, he was

amaKed of the wealth and ower of the 0aruis, because the ogre-s castle was large and

sacious. =e insisted that the 0aruis marry his daughter the rincess, and they li'ed haily

e'er after.

The Master Cat , as mentioned before, is a classic fairy tale, not only because of its age, but

because of its structure. 9s any other fairy tale, it resents the fight between good and e'il, in

this case resented as the fight between o'erty and wealth but also the fight between

domesticity (a house4cat) and wilderness (an ogre). $o'erty is the one that would not let our

main character li'e because of star'ation and homelessness, and wealth is the one that will

sustain him with abundant meals and luurious homes.

9s in all fairy tales, the setting is unknown the difference is that it does not begin with the

famous NOnce uon a time or N&here once was. Et starts abrutly with the death of the

miller and the legacy left to his three sons. Geither a time nor a lace is resented to the

reader only afterwards do we find out that there is a king, meaning that that the action is

situated in a kingdom, but that is all the information we recei'e. &he atemorality of the story

is a trademark of the fairy tale. 9lso, the enchanted animals % such as a talking cat the

magical numbers % the three sons the royalty % the king and the rincess the o'erty % the

son’s miller afraid of how he would make a li'ing the e'il character % the ogre and of course,

the hay ending % the master and his cat become rich. <ome characteristics of the classical

fairy tale may not be resent in this case, due to the fact that it one of the rototyes of the

genre.

9s we can see from the summary of the story, the lot is slightly different than the classic one.

&he cat does not go on a Ncoming of age Mourney but rather on a Mourney to gain wealth and

stability for both him and his master. 8e can argument that finding stability and making a life

for one’s self is an act of maturity, but the cat’s moti'ation is not internal, but eternal, he



knows that he will ha'e to take care of his master. =e is the main character, but not the main

beneficiary. 'en though usually the master takes care of his et, in The Master Cat , the

situation is re'ersed. &his gi'es the cat a higher rank among animals and eole as well. =is

character and his abilities allow him to concei'e a lan and fulfil it successfully.

&he stages which the cat and his master must comlete are not as difficult as one of a Mourney

made alone (by the master or the cat) there usually are three stages or trials the main

character must comlete. &he two of them form a team in which the cat has the initiati'e and

becomes the leader. &he stages they must comlete are+ making the king accustomed to the

name of the 0aruis of #arabas and gaining his fa'our making the two meet, but without any

roof that the 0aruis is actually oor gaining a fortune and imressing the king, thus

making him gi'e the hand of his daughter to the 0aruis. &he cat’s role is more difficult,

because he has to think of the lan, find a way to imlement it, gain the king’s fa'our, gain the

riches for his master and all of this being while he is simly considered a humble ser'ant.

&he miller’s son only has to be there and listen to the cat. &he story is not of fairness, but

rather of intelligence, or association with intelligent eole.

3.3 0ain character analysis

Often known as $uss, due to the secies it reresents, the cat is ob'iously the main character

of $errault’s The Master Cat . 'en though the cat does not ha'e a name, or at least, not one

that is mentioned in the tet, eole ha'e found him worthy to be called $uss. &he name

comes from his imortance as a character and his ability to seak, wear boots and e'en more

imortant because of his intelligence. =e is mostly considered to be a ositi'e character, a

role model for men % smart, loyal and effecti'e.

9s a reresentati'e of the fairy tale genre, $uss is the rotagonist that goes on a life4 changing

eerience in which he re'eals his true otential and gains wealth for both himself and his

master. =e is the reresentati'e of good against e'il, esecially when he manages to trick the

ogre. /nlike other fairy tales, he is neither rich nor handsome, but etremely intelligent.

0any readers and critics link the main character’s analysis with the moral of the story and its

contribution on child influence. Ef we were to analyse the story by its moral, $uss is not a

ersonified animal, the fact that he is a cat actually signifies the disability of a man thatdoesn’t benefit from good looks. 0oreo'er, as an unattracti'e man, he is etremely different



from the other men in society therefore he is considered an outlaw, or a freak. =e reresents

the struggle of a disad'antaged man in a Mudging society. &he story teaches a lesson+ e'en if

you struggle, you will re'ail, if you ha'e the necessary attributes and abilities.

8e can also analyse the story from a different oint of 'iew, one that considers $uss the loyal

ser'ant of a more intelligent secies % humans. 9lthough $uss is more of a master to the

miller’s son rather than 'ice 'ersa he guides him and hels him on how to become rich and

successful in the end, the miller’s son becomes a 0aruis and $uss is a ser'ant, a rich

ser'ant, but still, a ser'ant.

Furthermore, the morals of the story ha'e been changed o'er the years, as has the cat’s

characterisation. <ometimes (for eamle, when he hels his master) he is considered to be a

hero % loyal to his master and intelligent, other times (for eamle, when he tricks the ogre

and eats him, then steals his castle) he is considered maniulati'e and greedy. 9t first, the

fairy tale was meant to ro'ide a male role model for children % not etremely good looking

but intelligent and successful. ;ater on, it meant that the (suddenly gained) wealth and

aearance of the miller’s son won him the hand of the rincess, therefore, in life, money and

aearances are 'ery imortant.

9s a general oinion, and more realistically, we can conclude that $uss is in fact a loyal andintelligent ser'ant that hels his master and, in the rocess, gains benefits as well. =is

achie'ements are not fully acknowledged because of his origins, yet, for a cat, he is most

etraordinary and li'es a blessed life.

Jies (1!3+6) considers that, due to his manners, intelligence and de'otion, $uss reresents

the educated bourgeoisie secretary which acts in his master’s best interest. =e is a leasant

resence for the king, he gi'es him abundant gifts to his liking and he imresses by with his

manners although he is a cat.

Furthermore, in the story it is ne'er mentioned that $uss is considered to be a cat by the Cing

or the $rincess. 8ith his boots, hat and leather belt, imeccable manners to soothe the uer

society, he may as well be mistaken for an educated ser'ant. &herefore, $uss may also be a

master of disguise, an imostor with good intentions. &he only one who knows the truth is his

master, and he is unlikely to re'eal his true identity. &herefore, $uss becomes the underrated

hero of society.



Ef so far E ha'e looked at $errault’s tet as the main source of the myth of $uss, in the net

chater, another 'ersion of the fairy tale will be resented % 7a'id >arnett’s The Master Cat-

the true and une3pur)ated stor o% Puss in Boots, as well as a comarison between the

original and >arnett’s 'ersion. 9lso, an analysis will be made, in order to demonstrate the

differences between the two stories.

Documents

Analysis of the Original Version of Puss in Boots