Cinderella
star
star
star
star
star
Last updated over 2 years ago
9 questions
Note from the author:
1 Once upon a time, there lived a young woman who was unloved by her family and forced to perform menial labor. She got a chance to marry well and escape her situation, but only because she was mistaken for someone from a better background. In order to live happily ever after, she had to be recognized and accepted for who she truly was. She succeeded by means of a special shoe that fit perfectly.
2 Sound familiar? That’s because this is the basic plotline of “Cinderella,” one of the most famous folktales of all time. The story of this remarkable heroine has been told and retold for hundreds of years across many different cultures. For example, “The Rough-Face Girl” is from the Algonquin Indians of North America, “Tattercoats” is from England, and “Kajong” is from Vietnam. According to Smithsonian magazine, there are more than 700 different versions of the Cinderella story in circulation. The earliest, Egypt’s “Rhodopis” and China’s “Yeh-Shen,” have even been traced back to ancient times.
3 Although most of the Cinderella stories share a simple plot structure, specific details about the heroine and her journey from rags to riches vary widely and surprisingly. In some versions, Cinderella is treated poorly by her biological mother and sisters, rather than by her stepmother and stepsisters. Cinderella might be aided by a fairy godmother—or by her dead mother’s magical bones. Sometimes her father is dead; sometimes he is alive and just doesn’t care about her fate. Some of the tales even involve cannibalism! In one Italian variant of the story, the Cinderella character, named Zucchettina, is born inside of a gourd. Could that strange plot twist be the inspiration for the magical pumpkin transformation so popular in later retellings? No one really knows for sure.
4 Scholars can trace the version of the tale that is most familiar in United States popular culture back to “Cendrillon.” This French story was written by Charles Perrault in 1697 and brings together the pumpkin, the fairy godmother, the glass slipper, and the midnight spell. “Cendrillon” influenced “Aschenputtel” (“Ash Girl”), which was published by the famous German Grimm Brothers in their 1812 collection of fairy tales. Aspects of both “Cendrillon” and “Aschenputtel” can be found in the 1950 Walt Disney animated movie Cinderella, which eventually came to dominate the way Americans understand the story.
5 Interestingly, it was the Grimm Brothers who introduced the idea that Cinderella succeeds because she is kind and beautiful. This differs from previous versions of the story, in which the character wins because she is smart and wily. One of the earliest European versions of the tale is Italian writer Giambattista Basile’s 1634 “Cenerentola” (“Cat Cinderella”). As the name implies, this Cinderella is clever as a cat. She gets rid of her abusive stepmother and pokes her father with a pin until he marries her governess. When this new stepmother proves to be equally wicked, Cat Cinderella outwits her and the stepsisters, sneaks into the ball, and triumphs with the help of fairy friends. In Marie-Catherine d’Aulnoy’s 1697 “Finette Cendron,” the Cinderella character’s nickname Finette means “Little Clever Girl.” Hilariously, Finette’s kindness is celebrated not so much because it helps good people, but because it successfully frustrates bad people.
6 While revising their text over time, the Grimm Brothers also cut Cinderella’s lines of direct speech by half. She had twelve lines in the 1812 version but only six by a version from 1857. Instead, the narrator describes her words and actions. According to a Vox article by Constance Grady, the effect is to make Cinderella a more passive character. She is no longer the “active author of her own fate.”
7 More modern screen versions of the story have attempted to restore the dimension Cinderella lost over the centuries. They have also envisioned the story in new ways. A groundbreaking television musical from 1997 features a Black Cinderella and a Filipino prince. In 1998’s “Ever After,” a feminist Cinderella character named Danielle earns the love of the prince through her intelligence and high ideals. She requires no magical intervention. When the prince comes to rescue her near the conclusion, he finds that she has already rescued herself. The 2015 Disney live-action reboot of “Cinderella” follows a more traditional plotline. However, it still emphasizes a meeting of the minds between the prince and serving-girl. There’s more to their story than a single dance with a stranger.
8 New additions have always been a part of the Cinderella story’s history, given that there’s not much to the basic plot. As an NPR article by Linda Holmes claims, “Cinderella becomes a kind of cultural tofu that takes on the flavor of whatever you’re mixing with it.” That characteristic may be one reason for the story’s endurance. Another, opposite reason is that the story’s central themes are universal, playing out in strikingly similar ways across time periods and cultures. They are also pretty appealing. Goodness is rewarded with personal and financial success, while evil is punished in immediate and obvious ways. In “Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters,” a version from Zimbabwe, one sister prioritizes power and prestige. She ignores people’s pleas for food and help. The king subsequently appears to her as a five-headed snake and recites all of her faults. In addition, the Cinderella story takes a somewhat unique approach to class differences when compared with other works in its genre. It celebrates social mobility by featuring a character who successfully breaks down barriers imposed by her impoverished upbringing. It also emphasizes the idea that true connection can only be achieved when all of our fancy disguises have disappeared and we show one another who we truly are.
9 According to a theory explored in Grady’s Vox article, a further reason “Cinderella” has lasted is because it explores common conflicts that arise in families as a result of one parent’s death and the other parent’s subsequent remarriage. It asks, “How do you mix members from two different families?” However, as in real life, there are no clear answers to this question in the story.
10 Finally, Cinderella stories support the inspiring narrative of the "underdog,” the one who succeeds against all odds. In the United States, this theme is associated with the American Dream. According to this ideal, people can rise to the top if they work hard and play fair. The fairy tale of “Cinderella” is a perfect fit for such a belief system. The story sends that message that no matter who you are or where you came from, you can achieve success. You just need grit, kindness, and a little bit of luck or magic. Oh, and a good-fitting shoe.
1 Once upon a time, there lived a young woman who was unloved by her family and forced to perform menial labor. She got a chance to marry well and escape her situation, but only because she was mistaken for someone from a better background. In order to live happily ever after, she had to be recognized and accepted for who she truly was. She succeeded by means of a special shoe that fit perfectly.
2 Sound familiar? That’s because this is the basic plotline of “Cinderella,” one of the most famous folktales of all time. The story of this remarkable heroine has been told and retold for hundreds of years across many different cultures. For example, “The Rough-Face Girl” is from the Algonquin Indians of North America, “Tattercoats” is from England, and “Kajong” is from Vietnam. According to Smithsonian magazine, there are more than 700 different versions of the Cinderella story in circulation. The earliest, Egypt’s “Rhodopis” and China’s “Yeh-Shen,” have even been traced back to ancient times.
3 Although most of the Cinderella stories share a simple plot structure, specific details about the heroine and her journey from rags to riches vary widely and surprisingly. In some versions, Cinderella is treated poorly by her biological mother and sisters, rather than by her stepmother and stepsisters. Cinderella might be aided by a fairy godmother—or by her dead mother’s magical bones. Sometimes her father is dead; sometimes he is alive and just doesn’t care about her fate. Some of the tales even involve cannibalism! In one Italian variant of the story, the Cinderella character, named Zucchettina, is born inside of a gourd. Could that strange plot twist be the inspiration for the magical pumpkin transformation so popular in later retellings? No one really knows for sure.
4 Scholars can trace the version of the tale that is most familiar in United States popular culture back to “Cendrillon.” This French story was written by Charles Perrault in 1697 and brings together the pumpkin, the fairy godmother, the glass slipper, and the midnight spell. “Cendrillon” influenced “Aschenputtel” (“Ash Girl”), which was published by the famous German Grimm Brothers in their 1812 collection of fairy tales. Aspects of both “Cendrillon” and “Aschenputtel” can be found in the 1950 Walt Disney animated movie Cinderella, which eventually came to dominate the way Americans understand the story.
5 Interestingly, it was the Grimm Brothers who introduced the idea that Cinderella succeeds because she is kind and beautiful. This differs from previous versions of the story, in which the character wins because she is smart and wily. One of the earliest European versions of the tale is Italian writer Giambattista Basile’s 1634 “Cenerentola” (“Cat Cinderella”). As the name implies, this Cinderella is clever as a cat. She gets rid of her abusive stepmother and pokes her father with a pin until he marries her governess. When this new stepmother proves to be equally wicked, Cat Cinderella outwits her and the stepsisters, sneaks into the ball, and triumphs with the help of fairy friends. In Marie-Catherine d’Aulnoy’s 1697 “Finette Cendron,” the Cinderella character’s nickname Finette means “Little Clever Girl.” Hilariously, Finette’s kindness is celebrated not so much because it helps good people, but because it successfully frustrates bad people.
6 While revising their text over time, the Grimm Brothers also cut Cinderella’s lines of direct speech by half. She had twelve lines in the 1812 version but only six by a version from 1857. Instead, the narrator describes her words and actions. According to a Vox article by Constance Grady, the effect is to make Cinderella a more passive character. She is no longer the “active author of her own fate.”
7 More modern screen versions of the story have attempted to restore the dimension Cinderella lost over the centuries. They have also envisioned the story in new ways. A groundbreaking television musical from 1997 features a Black Cinderella and a Filipino prince. In 1998’s “Ever After,” a feminist Cinderella character named Danielle earns the love of the prince through her intelligence and high ideals. She requires no magical intervention. When the prince comes to rescue her near the conclusion, he finds that she has already rescued herself. The 2015 Disney live-action reboot of “Cinderella” follows a more traditional plotline. However, it still emphasizes a meeting of the minds between the prince and serving-girl. There’s more to their story than a single dance with a stranger.
8 New additions have always been a part of the Cinderella story’s history, given that there’s not much to the basic plot. As an NPR article by Linda Holmes claims, “Cinderella becomes a kind of cultural tofu that takes on the flavor of whatever you’re mixing with it.” That characteristic may be one reason for the story’s endurance. Another, opposite reason is that the story’s central themes are universal, playing out in strikingly similar ways across time periods and cultures. They are also pretty appealing. Goodness is rewarded with personal and financial success, while evil is punished in immediate and obvious ways. In “Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters,” a version from Zimbabwe, one sister prioritizes power and prestige. She ignores people’s pleas for food and help. The king subsequently appears to her as a five-headed snake and recites all of her faults. In addition, the Cinderella story takes a somewhat unique approach to class differences when compared with other works in its genre. It celebrates social mobility by featuring a character who successfully breaks down barriers imposed by her impoverished upbringing. It also emphasizes the idea that true connection can only be achieved when all of our fancy disguises have disappeared and we show one another who we truly are.
9 According to a theory explored in Grady’s Vox article, a further reason “Cinderella” has lasted is because it explores common conflicts that arise in families as a result of one parent’s death and the other parent’s subsequent remarriage. It asks, “How do you mix members from two different families?” However, as in real life, there are no clear answers to this question in the story.
10 Finally, Cinderella stories support the inspiring narrative of the "underdog,” the one who succeeds against all odds. In the United States, this theme is associated with the American Dream. According to this ideal, people can rise to the top if they work hard and play fair. The fairy tale of “Cinderella” is a perfect fit for such a belief system. The story sends that message that no matter who you are or where you came from, you can achieve success. You just need grit, kindness, and a little bit of luck or magic. Oh, and a good-fitting shoe.
10
Do you think the Cinderella story will ever stop being popular?
Do you think the Cinderella story will ever stop being popular?
10
Why is the Cinderella story so universal?
Why is the Cinderella story so universal?
10
Do you like Cinderella stories? Tell what you like or dislike about them.
Do you like Cinderella stories? Tell what you like or dislike about them.
10
How many versions of Cinderella exist in the world?
How many versions of Cinderella exist in the world?
10
What is one thing that all Cinderella stories have in common?
What is one thing that all Cinderella stories have in common?
10
Why do different cultures focus on different parts of the story?
Why do different cultures focus on different parts of the story?
10
Which idea is supported by the text throughout the selection?
Which idea is supported by the text throughout the selection?
10
| Draggable item | arrow_right_alt | Corresponding Item |
|---|---|---|
model | arrow_right_alt | imply |
assistance | arrow_right_alt | version |
suggest | arrow_right_alt | intervention |
contain | arrow_right_alt | involve |
interesting | arrow_right_alt | appealing |
20
What would your Cinderella story look like?
What would your Cinderella story look like?