Anne Sexton: Cinderella

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As many of us know, our world today is not short of sarcasm. Many times sarcasm can be funny but other times it can cause harm. But in Anne Sexton’s poem, she uses sarcasm to throw her audience back to actuality, even a midst a fairytale element. In Anne Sexton’s poem, Cinderella she uses sarcasm and a basis of the true tale to make what many would call a “mockery” of the original Grimm Tale. Sexton does not refer to the Grimm brothers in her poem, for she considers this re-telling her own creation, uniquely by using irony to her advantage. As an audience we can relate to how and why Sexton takes much from the original versions, but we find that her interpretation brings a different approach. Sexton felt the original versions held no light to reality, so she changed the shallow premise of the original Cinderella bringing all the unrealistic morals in the story to the surface. The author's style, tone, and language helps to convey her sarcastic approach and differentiate between gritty reality and the ideal of fairy tale endings. As the poem begins, Sexton starts with how the Prince and Cinderella are living happily ever after, but compromising the original naïve direction, she gives the poem a modern context bringing the reader back to reality. While it is obvious to the audience the discrepancies in Sexton’s version, it brings out many jealousies many of us struggle with, such as wealth and everlasting happiness. Sexton makes her audience notice early on many of the pre-conceived notions and expectations we bring to fairy tales. Sexton knows that real life gives no reason to be perceived as happiness, because why learn something that will never amount to use in reality? This tale is Sexton’s answer to her audiences of the “happ... ... middle of paper ... ...hips. Such being so, we can relate greater and have actual smiles pasted on our faces for a life handed to us was one earned. I find that Sexton has lead this poem of her take on Cinderella to a gratifying point, not without throwing in sarcastic approaches, which many would enjoy, while others are stuck in their disposable fairytale ending. I found this poem to be a breath of fresh air and take a look at what I have, and value it for it is real, and I can write my own storybook ending to be one that is gratifying and reachable at best. One that will leave a smile on my face where I can then declare, “yeah, that is my story.” Works Cited Kasdano, Michelle. "Poetry: The Legacy of Anne Sexton." Helium (2007). Web. 31 Aug 2011. . Sexton, Anne. Cinderella. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1971. Print.

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