Iron Hans

Iron Hans clearly reflects a male educational process because throughout it displays frequent references to our discussions of what 'manhood' and masculinity were supposed to be when the Grimms were writing these stories. For example when the gruff manly huntsman says to the king, "I'll go at my own risk. I don't know the meaning of fear", men are not supposed to be afraid of anything, they are supposed to be brave and courageous. However, the story is meant to distinguish between bravery and foolhardiness for instance when the boy "threw all caution to the wind" to get his ball back from the wild man's cage. He wasn't being brave, he was being foolish and didn't know what he was getting himself into. Likewise, when he stuck his finger in the spring and accidentally let his hairs fall in he was not being brave, instead it was impulsive, childish acts that got him in trouble because he could not restrain himself as a strong adult male should be able to. However, Iron Hans told him that "because you're not bad at heart" that he would continue to help him. Clearly a virtue of masculinity is being good at heart. As the boy grows up and learns to work in accordance with the governing Protestant work ethic of masculinity he also shows humility and unusual wisdom as when he brought the princess wildflowers instead of rare flowers because he knew, very practically, that they had a stronger scent that she would like more, and when he gave the ducats she gave him to the gardener for his children. Such displays of generosity are of course also part of what makes him turn into a 'man'. Similarly when the boy wants to go to war, his bravery is rewarded by Iron Hans' magnificent horse and army. It is here that the boy is starting to be called "a young man" as well, because he has learned to face and prevail against real danger, as he "did not stop until there was no one left to fight". Furthermore, after the war the young man returned the 3-legged horse to the gardener and did not say that he was the knight that saved the battle, instead he just replied, "I did my best, and without me things would have gone badly" a simple, truthful statement without boasting. In the end, he only tells his stories of bravery really in exchange for a wife and is also rewarded when Iron Hans is returned to his normal state as a king and gives him all his treasure. As usual in a fairy tale the education of the male comes through tales of hardship and bravery in which he must prove himself cunning, human/ handsome, extraordinary in some element, brave, and humble.