Charles Perrault

Portrait de Charles Perrault par Charles Le Brun (détail)

Charles Perrault (12 January 1628 – 16 May 1703) was a French author and member of the Académie Française, who laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from pre-existing folk tales. The best known of his tales include Le Petit Chaperon Rouge (Little Red Riding Hood), Cendrillon (Cinderella), Le Chat Botté (Puss in Boots), La Belle au bois dormant (The Sleeping Beauty), and Barbe Bleue (Bluebeard). Perrault's stories continue to be popular today and have been adapted to opera, ballet, theatre, and film.

Biography

Charles Perrault was born in Paris to a wealthy bourgeois family. He attended the best schools and studied law before embarking on a career in government service, following in the footsteps of his father and elder brother. In 1663, he became a member of the Académie Française, a position that he used to promote the arts and sciences. Throughout his career, Perrault was involved in a series of debates on the merits of modern science and art compared to those of the ancients, known as the "Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns" (Querelle des Anciens et des Modernes).

Literary Work

In 1697, at the age of 69, Perrault published Histoires ou contes du temps passé, with the subtitle Les Contes de ma Mère l'Oye (Tales of Mother Goose). This collection of eight fairy tales was written in response to the literary quarrel between the Ancients and Moderns. Perrault sided with the Moderns, arguing that contemporary writers could produce works just as meritorious as those of the ancients. His fairy tales were designed to illustrate this point, blending simple storytelling with sophisticated moral lessons.

Legacy

Perrault's fairy tales set the standard for the fairy tale genre. His use of magical elements, transformation, and the triumph of good over evil have influenced countless authors and storytellers. The themes and archetypes found in his tales have become integral to Western culture, appearing in various media over the centuries.

Perrault's approach to fairy tales, emphasizing moral lessons that could be drawn from them, also had a significant impact on the development of children's literature. His stories were among the first to be written specifically for children, and they continue to be adapted and retold, reaching new generations of readers.

Selected Works

• Le Petit Chaperon Rouge (Little Red Riding Hood)
• Cendrillon (Cinderella)
• Le Chat Botté (Puss in Boots)
• La Belle au bois dormant (The Sleeping Beauty)
• Barbe Bleue (Bluebeard)

Influence

Perrault's influence extends beyond literature into the arts, including music, film, and visual arts. His fairy tales have inspired operas by composers such as Gioachino Rossini and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, ballets, and countless films and television adaptations. The enduring popularity of his tales demonstrates their timeless appeal and the universal themes they explore, such as the importance of cunning, the dangers of disobedience, and the value of kindness and bravery.