¨She wept so much that her tears fell upon it and watered it. It grew and became a beautiful tree.¨ (Grimm). In the Grimm brothers version of Cinderella, she goes through anguish and depression due to the death of her mother, the nonexistent presence of a father and the hardships she deals with at home. This is what causes her to go to her mother's grave multiple times a day and to be able to cry enough tears to be able to water an entire tree. These hardships Cinderella endures, the depression she experiences and many other elements of the story are a common part of virtually all the various versions of Cinderella. For example, these elements can also be seen in the ¨Little Golden Book Cinderella” story and the film version, Cinderella. Although
Even though the overall setting of each story remains the same or very similar, there are smaller settings that have both similarities and differences. Each version of Cinderella takes place in a time long ago where women have no rights and basically had to make a living through marriage. But, the seasons each story takes place is different between each version. For example, the Grimm brothers’ version of “Cinderella” starts in the Autumn. Autumn is an archetype that represents tragedy and death. In the beginning of the story, Cinderella’s mother dies which is tragic for Cinderella and results in her crying at her grave everyday as explained earlier. The “Little Golden Book Cinderella” takes place in summer. Summer is an archetype for marriage which relates to a common topic in the story which is true love. Also, the story ends with a wedding which also relates to the season the story takes place in. One very important setting in the “Little Golden Book Cinderella” is the garden. The garden also prevails in the film Cinderella and they share a very similar purpose in both. A garden is an archetype that means paradise and innocence. This is Cinderella’s place of paradise in both of these stories because she goes here to get away from the horrors and malice she faces inside of the house from her stepsisters and her stepmother. She comes here in both stories to weep and let out her emotion from everything she has gone through. In the “Little Golden Book Cinderella” it states “Cinderella ran into the garden. She wept and wept.”(Little Golden Book CInderella). But in the Grimm brothers’ version, rather than praying at a garden she “went out to her mother’s grave every day and wept, and she remained pious and good” (Grimm). This is completely different than the other two settings and this relates to the darker theme the author attempted to
The archetypes that were found in the various Cinderella versions are extremely similar. They each involve a heroine, a villain or evil figure, and a mentor or helper. In addition, there were traditional theme archetypes, such as a quest for love. These archetypes represent the similarities between each culture’s version of the story.
Cinderella is a childhood fairytale created through Disney that highlights fairy godmother magic, animated nature with talking animals, and happily ever after ending. While the latent meaning we grow
It all begins with “Once upon a time” and ends with “and they lived happily ever after”. “Cinderella” is a very widely known story that many children around the world look up to and admire through their entire life. The history of this story, how scholars interpret this tale, and how the authors have retold the story are all key points to keeping this story fresh and popular. Most of the time when people hear the story of “Cinderella”, they think about the Disney version and maybe it is time that changes. All in all, the story brings light to everyone’s life even if they only know the original “Cinderella”.
A young girl is forced to live with her step-mother and step-sisters after her father and mother die. She becomes the maid of the family, tending to their every need. Eventually there is a ball; she acquires a fairy Godmother, goes to the ball, falls in love with the prince, blah blah blah. All you really need to know is that she has a happy ending. A happy ending. No matter how much suffering she went through in her early years, at the end, it all came together and she had no more worries. And this is the problem. Cinderella is not realistic. It never was and never will be. Watching this movie when I was young made me believe there was a prince waiting for me somewhere. I grew up thinking that life was simple and uncomplicated, that I did not need to worry about the future because there was a man that would provide everything I wanted and needed. But as I got older, I realized this was not the case. I saw many of my friend’s parents divorce, people die, and the world fight with each other. My fantasy died off, and I realized I had to work hard for myself, and not others. The poem Cinderella by Anne Sexton made fun of the ending of Cinderella. She states, “Cinderella and the prince / lived … happily ever after … / their darling smiles pasted on for eternity. / Regular Bobbsey Twins. / That story.” (Sexton 11). Notice who she referenced and how she has a sarcastic tone. Cinderella and the prince smiled for others, trying to convince
Cinderella is known all around the world. Cultures are never exactly the same but yet they have some things in common. The main thing they have in common is fairy tales. The story of Cinderella is told all around the world. It is told in many different languages and in many different versions. Some cultures have other names for their Princess. In some versions the Cinderella of the story is not a girl it is a boy. Cultures have some of the same fairytales but their versions are a little different from the ones known today. One of the most common fairy tales known around the world is Cinderella. Cinderella is usually a pretty girl with evil stepsisters and a stepmother that treat her poorly.
The first clear difference is seen in the format the versions are written in. While the Grimm’s is written in prose, Sexton’s is a poem, with many stanzas and a few rhyme schemes as well. Despite the stories being similar, this format helps Sexton, who was a poet, separate her version from that of the Grimm’s, and helps her story create its own original identity. The Grimm’s prose form allows a more straightforward approach to its audiences, while Sexton’s poem helps it give the story a deeper meaning. Another major difference was Sexton’s addition of a new introduction and conclusion to her story. The poem starts off by mentioning other stories and fictional tales, but ends with truthful statements that show just how fictional the relationship between Cinderella and the prince is, like “Regular Bobbsey twins” (Sexton 79). Sexton also breaks the fourth wall in some instances, mostly to show her cynical and sarcastic attitude towards her story’s own character, Cinderella. In comparison, the Grimm’s Cinderella is shown to be the typical goody-two shoes damsel in distress, which every girl should try to be like. Sexton’s commentary in her poem changes this attitude towards Cinderella, and instead makes Cinderella look like the fragile, naïve, and helpless woman that she is. These divergences are what grab new and old readers of either the fairy tale genre, or Cinderella’s story alike. Old readers get to experience new elements and a fresh take on an old story, while newer readers can find it easier to understand and follow through Sexton’s story and the ideas it’s trying to convey. All these contrasting elements help change Sexton’s versions tone and connotations, despite the stories being very
Most children experience agony and hope as they face the struggles of sibling rivalry throughout their childhood. This situation has been experienced by children, of whom may or may not have siblings, for hundreds of years. Several stories represent this crisis, including the Biblical story of Abel and Cain which was written over 3000 years ago. Abel of whom was forced to be Cain’s ash-brother. Cain had developed an intense feeling of jealousy of Abel when his offering to the Lord was rejected while Abel’s was accepted. This caused him great agony, but he wasn’t the only one. The fairytale “Cinderella” encompasses the ideas of sibling rivalry as well as the agonies and hopes that correspond with it.
She cooked and cleaned all day, but managed to remain faithful and visit her mother’s grave to grieve and pray three times a day.... ... middle of paper ... ... If we have the courage to overcome the adversity that we face now and in the future, as did Cinderella with her stepsisters and jealous stepmother, then we too are that much closer to reaching our dreams.
Over centuries of children have been enjoying the classic fairy tales of the Grimm Brothers and Charles Perrault. The fanciful plots and the vivid details allow children to be entranced by characters and adventures that can only be found in these stories. One of the most beloved fairy tales, which both the Perrault and the Grimms have their own separate versions of, is Cinderella. Cinderella is able to show how both versions are able to feed off the same plots while personifying the century and social economic situation in which they have lived.
Cinderella is about a beautiful young girl that is mistreated by her step family. They give her the worst chores, make her sleep in a very dirty room up in an attic, and even give her the name “Cinderella” because they say she is always playing in the cinders of the fire. Cinderella is different though because despite being mistreated, she is still very nice and warmhearted. She represents how you should act in a world full of hate. If you are nice to everyone despite their rudeness and hate you will be rewarded in the end. Since Cinderella was so nice to her step sisters throughout her whole life, when she wanted to go to the ball her fairy godmother granted her wish. Cinderella got to go to the ball and looked absolutely beautiful, beautiful enough to catch the attention of the prince. While at the ball she was still very nice to her stepsisters, giving them food and telling them how nice they looked. When the stepsisters got home from the ball that night, they explain how lovely the mysterious princess was and how they thought she was so beautiful, not knowing that the mysterious princess was Cinderella. Cinderella played it off like she knew nothing of the princess but agreed with them that she must have been very beautiful. The next day came around and the stepsisters returned to the ball the
Each person in the world has heard of Cinderella, no matter what kind of version it may be. Cinderella is the one fairy tale story that has been popular and will always be the one tale that has to be told to children. Words and story lines might be twist and turn, but in the end the knowledge of the story will be learned in similar ways. As we all know when one story is told another is created, when one is at its best then another is at its worse. One version will always be better than another, but no matter what version it might be the story will be told.
A lot of the fairy tale stories that we have seen as young adults and even as adults are original folk tale stories that have been modified and rewritten to accommodate our new cultures. Cinderella happens to be one of these stories that have been changed over the years. There are many different versions of Cinderella, an African Cinderella, a Hungarian Cinderella and even a Chinese version. All of the Cinderella’s are similar in plot, but the author dictates the story’s theme based on the people whom he is writing for which completely changes the story’s tone, mood and other elements. While Perrault's version stresses the values and materialistic worries of his middle-class audience, Grimm’s' focus is on the harsh realities of life associated with the peasant culture. Perrault’s and Grimm’s Cinderella’s have the same plot, but their writing style is different which completely modifies the tale.
Even though the two versions are extremely similar, they contain slightly different morals. When the Grimm Brothers wrote their story, the world was a different place and children did not need to be babied. That is why they chose to write such a cruel ending to their version. In the modern-day Cinderella, there is a profusion of magic and there is no violence, which is a change from the original story. By changing this and the ending, children receive a different message from the story. However, both stories give kids hope that they will live happily ever after.
This over exaggeration of the human imagination is what makes fairytales stand alone in their own category of fictional stories. Valerie Gokturk describes a fairytale as, “having magical things happen…talking animals… inanimate objects talking.” This can be seen through the Cinderella story as Cinderella is treated poorly by her new step-family, so in response she turns to frequently visiting her passed mother. Upon request, the father of Cinderella brings her a hazel twig to place on the mother’s grave. With the twig placed on the ground, a magical element comes into play as a hazel tree grows and produces birds that grant Cinderella wishes. This sense of magic is further seen as the tree produces a series of exquisite dresses that Cinderella wears to the prince’s ball. No tree of non-magic origin would be able to fully grow in such a short period of time, not to mention being able to spawn flawless dresses. The birds are seen as having a magical essence as Cinderella talks to them, instructing them to pick out the lentils out of the ash in the fireplace. This event can be seen as slightly more plausible; however, the fact that the birds can communicate with Cinderella places the series of events that unfold in a magical category. With the utilization of talking birds as well as a magical tree, it is clearly shown that the story of Cinderella has the essential element of magic that allows it to
Cinderella’s mother passed away and her father remarried a woman who had two daughters from a previous marriage. A few weeks passed and a prince is holding a three day festival and all the beautiful young girls in the town were invited. Cinderella wanted to go but her evil stepmother gave her two impossible tasks to complete before she could attend the festival. Cinderella completes the two tasks with the help of her bird friends and her mother’s grave. Cinderella goes to the festival and she dances with the prince all three days. Finally, the prince has fallen in love with her and eventually they get married. Fairytales and Disney productions threaten gender politics and women’s role by portraying women in certain areas like domestic behaviors