A princess locked up in the highest tower of the castle is saved by her prince charming. After he fought numerous gatekeepers, fire breathing dragons, and risked his life in all ways to retrieve his princess, he carries her away on his white stallion, neglecting to leave a mark on her. In today’s society, the princess could be a woman on the side of the road with a flat tire. However, instead of waiting for her prince charming to magically arrive and save her, the norm would be to call triple A and figure out the problem herself.
How about when you’re walking in the pouring rain and a man selflessly lends you his umbrella to use to prevent your mascara from smearing and your freshly blow dried hair to frizz? When was the last time this, or a similar situation, ever actually happened to you? Not trying to make you feel envious of old-fashioned days, but it seems that chivalrous gestures seem to be less frequent as time goes on.
“I think chivalry is still there, but I think guys have different mentalities now than they did in the past. It’s hard to be a gentleman in college when you have a demanding schedule. I don’t think women have to have a man all the time to be satisfied anymore,” UCF student Marisa Licastri said. Â
It could be that there are fewer “damsels in distress” today. A trend has been set in society for women to be independent and self-sufficient. Today, it is not unordinary for a woman to live on her own and provide for herself. The role of a man to be there and save a woman from her problems is essentially gone.
In the end, it’s not safe to say that chivalry is completely dead. Chivalry has just evolved drastically to match our culture. It is no longer a one-sided gesture where the man has to do all the work. Although being pampered and treated like a princess without giving anything back seems like the ideal situation, in order to receive chivalrous actions from your man, you need to appreciate and give back.
It is not time to say so-long to the days of having the door held open for you or receiving a bouquet of roses “just because.” The next time you and your boy go out, offer to pick up the check, or when he comes down with a cold, surprise him with his favorite soup. Most likely, your actions won’t go unnoticed and he will be more apt to play the role of your prince charming.