Hansel and Gretel

I surprised when reading Hansel and Gretel, how negatively the females are portrayed in the story. The evil step-mother, the Wicked Witch in the woods, and than poor little helpless Gretel. Someone has to be the mean evil character in stories, and it seems to sway more toward females. But what I really enjoyed about the story is how weak and defenseless Gretel is-that sounds terrible. Her brother has to do all the work in getting them home, and comforting her, while he conducts himself with strength. But in the end it is Gretel that saves the day by pushing the nasty old witch into the fire. The twist of Gretel's character is an empowering moment for the females in fairytales. This is why I enjoyed Gretel's weak character, because in the end she kicks butt and kills the witch!