Presented by: Stefphoney Grinage & Rosanna Depaz

Galen University

ENGL 220

FairytalesA Closer Look at

“Cinderella”

A magic story which cannot

be true

What is a fairytale?

OralGoodness is rewardedStorytellersTeach valuable lessonsReading as oppose to hearing a tale

History of folktales

Discussion about folktales in generalThompson shows how folktales have been presented

throughout the history.Nature of folktales (household tales or any type of story

passed on from one generation to the next).More traditional folktales comes from medieval times and

India.Oral stories are found in all civilization an they are

factored by religion.

Universality of folktales (Stith Thompson)

Begins with once upon a timeSetting is usually in a castle, forest or townStory has good/nice charactersStory has mean/bad charactersSome characters are animals or members of royaltyStory has magicStory has a problemProblem in the story is solvedGood wins/outsmarts badEnds with “happily ever after”

Characteristics of a fairytale:

Anthropologists, linguists, educators, psychologists, psychiatrists and literary critics see fairytales as a kind of genetic code – a means by which cultural values are transmitted from one generation to the next.

Fairytales may really be ways of inculcating young and impressionable children with culturally approved values. Adults and children use fairytales in complex and subtle ways.

Argument against fairytales

Good & Bad sides

Religious significance

Understand beginnings

Social & religious significance of tale telling

The culture played a large role in shaping each Cinderella stories around the world.

Example:

Perrault's Cinderella is from the Medieval French Culture.

Culture

Cinderella

Who Cinderella really was?London Globe

Vedas (Hindu)Cinderella’s sisters were the

powers of darkness.Cinderella waited after her

sisters.Mitra (sun)Cinderella cannot linger with

Prince in the heavens.Cinderella appeared as

evening twilight.

Women & The

Cinderella Complex

Click icon to add picture

Relationship

Gender divide

Longevity Single life First date Internet Tolerance

Background

Tales were a way to explain unknown forces.

Tales were oral because of low literacy.

Oral tales expressed the ideas that everyone needs to be helpful to survive.

A means to instruct the rising aristocracy as a proper behaviour in the middle ages.

Young heroineEpitome of beautyTreated poorly by her

familySeen for her true worth by

a man of high status.

What do we know about tales?

Characteristics

Faith or ChoicesDomestic ViolenceLabelsWeightPlastic surgerySelf EsteemEducation/rightsAgingLabour (authority)Marriage/family

Issues

Faith or choices

Chick flicks

Source (Modern Cultures)

Barbie

Sibling Rivalry (Bruno Bettelheim) It relates to something that ever1 has to go through in their lives..sibling

rivalry Our conscious and unconscious mindsBut it also inspires confidenceRelates to those children towards the end of their oedipal stageThe German language to live among ashes

Loss of her father’s love (Jacqueline Schectman)Makes a comparison b/w the four archetypes in Cinderella and the stages of

grief families and the children she treats in therapy.Stepmother : structure and truth Stepsisters: unacknowledged grief Father: loss wife

She points out for the readers to see how quietly and without notice fathers can be emotionally absent in a fractured family.

The two variants of Cinderella

Modern Cinderella Stories

By: Taylor Swift

Love Story

Message: justice will prevail, even when it appears the unrighteous are prospering from their evil deeds

Theme: ChristianPurpose is to teach truthThe stepmother and stepsisters represent people who try to

prosper through evil deeds.Fairy Godmother: angel from heavenPrince is the reward

Cinderella Stories

Bettelheim, B. (1999). Cinderella. In L. Behrens &Rosen (Eds.), Writing and reading across the curriculum. (pp.567-574). New York: Longman

Perrault, C. (1999). Cinderella. In L. Behrens &Rosen (Eds.), Writing and reading across the curriculum. (pp.527-531). New York: Longman

Thompson, S. (2005). Universality of Cinderella. Retrieved: March 25 th, 2011. Website: http://www.Theuniversalityofcinderella.org

The London Globe. (1896). Who Cinderella really was? The New York Times. New York.

Warner, Marina. Cinema and the Realms of Enchantment: Lectures, Sermons and Essays. London: British Film Institute, 1993.

References