Reading Response Log: Dialect Journal for Ella Enchanted

Reading Response Log: Dialect Journal for Ella Enchanted

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine is the story of a girl who is

cursed at birth by a fairy named Lucinda. The fairy Lucinda tries to

bestow a blessing on Ella but instead curses her with total obedience

to every command. This "gift" is very dangerous because Ella must obey

every command anyone issues her, even if they were to command her to

kill herself. This book tells of Ella's journey to find Lucinda and

reverse the spell that has haunted her since birth. Ella meets many

people on her quest. The whole book isn't just about her quest though

It is about her growing as a person and falling in love. Throughout

the book Ella tries to discover who she really is and what she wants

to become. Ella learns about her past and starts to discover a new

future she can have if she can just overcome her past. On her journey

Ella discovers that people are not always as they seem and that you

have the power to change anything you want.

In Ella Enchanted, Levine develops Ella and the characters around her.

The main characters in the story are Ella, Lucinda, her fairy

godmother Mandy, Ella's Father, and Prince Charmont. Throughout the

book Ella makes some very strange choices. Later these choices are

seen as efforts to protect the people she loves from the curse she is

under. When Lucinda casts a spell on Ella, a huge mess results. If I

were Lucinda I would have thought before I cast a spell. While Lucinda

thought she was doing a good deed, had she thought on the matter

further she would have realized that total obedience would really be a

curse. In Ella enchanted the interactions between the characters plays

a huge part in setting the mood and making the story more

comprehensible. While I was reading this book, I was wondering why

Ella has such a hard time convincing Lucinda that she was wrong! It

was so obvious, to me, that the gift of total obedience would really

be a curse. Throughout this book, I felt many different emotions. I

was sad, hopeful and despairing at times. Other times I was excited,

thrilled, and on the edge of my seat. Always wondering what was going

to happen next. Ella Enchanted never has a dull moment. Throughout the

book, Levine manages to keep the reader's attention while telling a

magnificent and magical story.

In Ella Enchanted the style is evident throughout the story. Levine

uses "old-fashioned" language like "nightdresses" and "delighted to

make your acquaintance.