Comparative Analysis: Cinderella And Ella Enchanted

“Cinderella” Comparative Analysis

“Cinderella” is a story that has persisted through the trial of time and remains one of the most widely known fairy tales in the world. The folktale disregards age and manages to instill a sense of fantasy in all that consume it. While “Cinderella” might look simplistic at first glance, the story’s concepts and real life lessons are all but simple. These concepts and lessons can vary in the different versions of “Cinderella”, of which there are numerous. Despite the many variations, the stories of Cinderella have the overarching plot of her exceeding expectations and realizing her dreams, something that is all too relatable to mankind and our desires.

Ella Enchanted, a film with a modernized take on the

tale of Cinderella, certainly encompasses this idea of overcoming life’s barriers. The primary character, Ella (abbreviation of Cinderella), is confronted with an aforementioned barrier from birth, the “gift of obedience”. This “gift”, which is exactly not that, was assigned to Ella by Lucinda, Ella’s fairy godmother. The gift became problematic when Ella’s father remarried to a malevolent woman with like-minded children.
These infamous step sisters discovered Ella’s secret and were quick to manipulate her. After being taken advantage of for far too long, Ella makes it her mission to find Lucinda and have her remove the gift of obedience. Along the journey, Ella establishes relationships with several secondary characters and discovers her love for Prince Charmont. In order to expedite the process of finding Ella’s fairy godmother, Prince Charmont takes her to the castle’s Hall of Records. There, Ella’s gift is exploited by the nefarious king and she is ordered to kill Prince Charmont upon his proposal to her at the Hall of Mirrors.
This order creates a monumental internal problem for Ella and she attempts everything in her power to avoid it. After she fails to do so, the viewer is likely frightened by what seems to be the inevitable outcome in this scenario. Ella certainly expressed these feelings as well. As the clock struck twelve and Prince Charmont was soon to propose, Ella’s order was activated. In spite of what she had not been able to bypass her entire life, Ella is able to disobey the command and overcome the odds presumably due to the extreme circumstances. With great pride, Ella is able to dispel the curse forever. The “typical” fairy tale ending concludes the film with Ella and Prince Charmont’s marriage and the implied changes soon to transform the kingdom.
Jacob Ludwig Grimm and Wilhelm Carl Grimm’s version of “Cinderella”, considered to be the English original, doesn’t stray away from the fairy tale ending either. However, their tale arrives at that ending in a much different way. The Grimm’s story begins by describing the transition of Cinderella’s new home life with the stepmother and stepsisters. The stepsisters are portrayed as particularly harsh in this version in comparison to the stepsisters’ actions seen in Ella Enchanted. While the stepsisters in Ella Enchanted embarrassed and held Ella back from certain opportunities, the stepsisters in the Grimm’s version resorted to even causing Cinderella physical harm by making her sleep on the floor of the fireplace which had cinders amidst it. This resulted in far more emotional trauma than that seen in the film.
Regardless of this rather brutal treatment depicted in the original story by the Grimm brothers, Cinderella shares the same strong will as Ella and will not let go of her aspirations, even if she must temporarily mask them. The Grimm brothers’ story proceeds to introduce the mystical aspect of this “Cinderella” tale, this being a magical tree that grew upon Cinderella’s mother’s grave which housed white birds that would grant any wish she asked for. These birds, which only worked in favor of Cinderella, contrasts to the fairy godmother seen in Ella Enchanted that truly only put Ella at a disadvantage. The white birds play a pivotal role in Cinderella’s trip to the king’s festival, which is the equivalent of the Coronation Ball featured in the film version. The English tale ends in the same fashion as Ella Enchanted with Cinderella rising above her complications and realizing her potential.
This underdog feat is by no means exclusive to Ella Enchanted and the Grimm’s variant of “Cinderella”. Walt Disney’s portrayal of the household tale, adapted to text by Campbell Grant, also incorporates the idea of surpassing the odds and accomplishing your goals. It is quite likely the most well-known fairy tale in history. The medium of Disney’s imitation, which is mostly watched as an animation, is likely the reason for its universality and prevalence among the masses.
The animation and text adaptation are also extremely prevalent due to the approach Disney had taken to illustrate the folktale.

This approach underscored the fantasy features of the tale, which in many minds places it on a completely different level from that such as Grimm’s “Cinderella” and Ella Enchanted. While the inclusive fascination and globalized fame are undeniable, Disney’s rendition might be seen as more rudimental in comparison to the former tales as the characters debatably lack complexity and seem flat in nature. The only exception to this is the fairy godmother, whom is slightly more advanced than the fairy godmother in Ella Enchanted and far more complex than the wish granting white birds in Grimm’s original, of which are limited simply by the fact that they are doves. Despite some character uniformity and lack of range, Disney’s “Cinderella” arguably concludes most fulfilling in its class, leaving none to forget the glass

slipper.
The tale of Cinderella has proven to be far more than just a bedtime story, a chapter of a school textbook or a moving picture to watch while snacking on popcorn and drinking an overpriced soda.

“Cinderella” has managed to engross and inspire millions without an expiration date in sight. The lore has no boundaries and excludes no audience. The wide variety of audiences has led to countless versions of “Cinderella” which makes itself an ever-evolving story. Although this evolution will presumably be forever rapid, the core message of “Cinderella” is mostly exempt. This core component being that even when you have your back against the wall and are in an undesirable situation, you can climb above those difficulties and become the person you want to be as we see accomplished in Ella Enchanted, Grimm’s “Cinderella”, and Walt Disney’s “Cinderella”. Although Ella’s battle is avoiding a group of ogres trying to eat her or Cinderella attempting to disregard expectations in the two text tales, we all have our own “ogre” to battle and expectation to transcend. Cinderella’s story demonstrates that this is as possible as you think it is. It may be a journey and there will be those who try to stop you, but happiness is

achievable.

Works Cited
Ella Enchanted. Dir. Tommy O'Haver. Prod. Jane Startz. By Michele J. Wolff. Perf. Anne Hathaway, Hugh Dancy, and Cary Elwes. Miramax Films, 2004. DVD.
Grimm, Jacob Ludwig, and Wilhelm Carl Grimm. "Cinderella". Grimm's Fairy Tales. 1812
Textual excerpts from Walt Disney’s ‘Cinderella,’ by Campbell Grant, Disney Enterprises, Inc.