There is a plethora of fairy tales that have survived into the modern age, familiar stories such as; Jack and the Bean Stock, the Little Mermaid, The Tin Soldier, Little Red Riding Hood, and many others have all been used in modern films and literature. However, there is one storied classic that has been captivating children and adults alike for centuries, Cinderella. Charles Perrault wrote the familiar tale over three hundred years ago, yet modern adaptations of the story continue to be used. One example of a modern rendition of Perrault’s tale is the 1998 major motion picture titled Ever After (IMDb.com). Walt Disney’s cartoon version titled Cinderella is by in large the most popular and wide spread cinema rendition of the fabled story, however …show more content…
Grant uses the same basic plot of Perrault’s story, drawing many of the main basic plot lines. This basic template can definitely be seen in Ever After, however, stories, like ideas, change overtime and fairytales are used as tools to demonstrate social and cultural norms of the timeframe they are told in. Thus, we see Grant using the same basic plot line of Perrault’s Cinderella with a modern twist of feminism, suggesting the original Cinderella story may be wrong and hers is correct (Ever After). Ever After draws attention to the independent intellectual woman that is evident in Danielle. Going back to the introduction of the film, Grant depicts the Queen telling her version of the story to show the audience that the old Brothers Grimm and Perrault versions are wrong and …show more content…
Grant’s Ever After depicts a much more modern “Cinderella story”. It follows the basic plot set by Perrault’s original story with a modern feminist flair, it changes the overall message of what the proper female stereotype should be. The message of obedience is also changed in Grant’s story with a message of free choice and freedom in the form of democracy and knowledge. Susannah Grant is successful in writing a modern version of the classic fairytale which will continue to live on due to its liquid plot that can continue to be molded by social norms for many years to
The woman society wants and idolizes cannot exist because it is impossible to remain true to oneself and one's personal goals completely, while still maintaining a relationship and the responsibilities of royalty. Society is not merely receiving this paradox, but perpetuating and encouraging it by turning a blind eye to something they do not want to see. This unrealistic, unattainable fantasy has become the goal of this modern feminist generation, and Poniewozik highlighted how this new tale has distracted from the true telling and story. Cinderella was simply a woman who just wanted to go to ball, and now she has become someone who is independent and driven, but still falls in love and learns to accept the fact that she is a princess. A woman who doesn't change who she is, but then changes titles and falls in love doesn’t exist, she is a
Presently, many books and fairytales are converted movies and often, producers alters the original tales to grasp the attention of a large audience. However, some of these interpretations hide the primary interpretation. The original interpretations of the Disney classics Snow White and Sleeping Beauty are greatly reinvented from the original fairytales Sun, Moon, and Talia and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs because of the brutal nature of the treatment women in these original forms. Although there are differences in certain aspects from the original tales to the movies, there are many issues that are influential to the young girls who are still watching the Disney version. I realize this when my youngest niece, Anella asks me, “Why can’t I be beautiful and fall asleep and suddenly wake up to finally find my prince?” This is true in all cases of the four different translations of the fairytales. Every single girl in these stories are in a “beautiful” state of half-death who wake to find a prince who if eager to carry them off. This can lead to negative psychological effects on young girls as they are growing up, creating a large amount of pressure and low self-esteem due to the beauty that these stories portray and maintaining restrictions that these women experience in the stories. While it is true that Sleeping Beauty and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves are considered Disney classics that entertain children and provide meaningful role models, it is evident that the true, vulgar nature of these tales are hidden; these stories are about women who are thrown away.
Although Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” published in 1837, contains many patronizing nineteenth-century attitudes towards women, a value system that at least acknowledges the legitimacy of femininity shapes the fairytale. Unfortunately, Walt Disney’s 1989 film version of “The Little Mermaid” eliminates the values that affirm femininity in the original story (Trites 145)
Cinderella is illustrated as a beautiful and dazzling young woman. She is tall, delicate and gently shaped with a soothing face. She has fair skin, pink lips, and shimmering blue eyes. Her hair is light parched orange, shoulder-length with cushioned bangs. She is a strong-minded and independent young woman who is truly graceful and charming in the view that she doesn’t let her anger and sorrow get the better of her. She is kind to all and is in no way is sculpted as naive or childish. She is prohibitively mature, perpetual and has shown that she can overcome her obstacles. The customary aspect of kindness and beauty is exemplified in Charles Perrault, as “Yet, through it all, Cinderella remained ever gentle and kind, for with each dawn she found new hope that someday, her dreams of happiness would come true.”
Even though the time periods are very different (by 200 years) the formulas for their fairy tales seems to remain constant. Character development, which is very important in fairy tales is both well done and accurately portrays the living situation for a character in the time period of when it was written. Perrault's version seems to put Cinderella's family in a higher, well-off situation of the Grimm's because she is still abided to obey the rules that her dying mother had set for her. Something that you would see a women do in the late 1600's. Her higher class and the rules of her generation has set her to not have revenge on her step-sisters and helps them marry in the end, making a happy ending to the story for everyone. This also gives off the rules of the time to the young girls who would be listening or reading this story back then. They knew their place in society and tales like Perrault's reinforced it. The Grimm's version, titled Ashenputtle, has key elements in the story line that make it very different from Perrault's Cinderella. The theme becomes very different as the end of the tale results in revenge on the step-sisters from Ashenputtle. This variation in the story line represents the setting in which the Grimm's either lived in themselves, or the living situation of the people who related this tale to the Grimm's.
Everyone knows and loves the enchanting childhood fairytales of magic, princes, and princesses, but very seldom are privy to the detrimental impacts of “happily ever after” on the developing youth. Fairy tales are widely studied and criticized by parents and scholars alike for their underlying tone and message to children. Peggy Orenstein, feminist author, mother, and fairy tale critic, has made it her personal mission to bring these hidden messages to the surface. In the article, “What’s Wrong with Cinderella?” Orenstein dissects the seemingly innocent tale of love and magic, and the princess many know and love, and points out its flaws and dangers. Fairy tales, Cinderella in particular, are not suitable for children because upon deeper evaluation,
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
...hough she was brutally mistreated, Cinderella was able to find a solution for her problems and children can to. All they have to do is make the effort, try hard enough and success is possible. Adults should pay attention to this and see if Cinderella can help their children keep a positive attitude toward whatever situation they may be in - exaggerated as it may be. Cinderella doesn't only help show one how to overcome adversity it points out good morals, and sends the message that good always prevails. Both of these messages are crucial in a society that is slowly crumbling. All we can do is watch and hope the messages learned from Cinderella make a difference in the lives of Children all around the world.
of the Cinderella story are psychologically harmful to women.” (p648). The fact that Cinderella is a limited character may give the girl an impression that she should be happy with what she has and not have any or aspirations in her life. That is, until her Prince comes to rescue her. Since these comments were made, the Cinderella story has been modified and changed. In order to see how gender roles have changed in fairy tales from the old to the new, let’s compare the classic version of Cinderella by Charles Perrault to a recent version which is a movie that was released in 1998 called “Ever After”which was directed by Andy Tennant.
Fairytales, the short stories that most children heard as they went to bed, are actually folktales from previous decades. The fairytales today are primarily adaptations of older versions recreated by Disney— the pioneers of this generation. With that said, the modern versions consistently display good triumphing over evil, a prince charming that constantly came to the rescue, and a happily ever after ending. However, the original folktale version didn’t always come with fortunate events, but often were more violent and gruesome. With the fairytale Cinderella, Disney maintains a similar theme as its Grimm version; however, the conflicts, events, and characters that support this idea are rather different.
This was not my first time to watch a professional ballet dance performance. However, it was my first time to watch the Cinderella. Not only are the lighting design and the stage sets fit the scenes, the music played by the orchestra also make me obsessed with the performance. The performance even added the projection design to make the stage sets more vivid. The tree which stands for the hope for a rescue of Cinderella’s miserable life is the most magical stage set that makes me wonder if the tree really can be physically touched or it just a projection. This tree was used in many scenes and there were a lot of tree geniuses came out to surround and give Cinderella hopes in these scenes. The color of the tree also changed as the scenes changed
Every girl dreams of finding her prince charming and having a fairytale wedding. She wants to be rescued from entrapment and saved from death. What these girls fail to realize is that the fairytales are laced with insults to women. All of the desireable women in the stories have long hair, tiny waists, and sparkly dresses. The princess is powerless and patient while the prince is brave and controlling. Each fairytale ends with the marriage of the princess and prince. Similarly, marriage is the ultimate goal for the female characters in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Jane Bennet and Charlotte Lucas take on the character of fairytale princesses while Mary Bennet and Elizabeth Bennet act more like modern women and through each character, Austen comments on women’s roles in 19th century English society.
The classic tale of Cinderella is well known for the fight of overcoming great obstacles despite great odds. However, there are always a few ill-hearted people who go out of their way to cease any competition that they might face, as seen with Cinderella’s step-sisters. Samuel Jackson says is his distinguished quote, “The hunger of imagination…lures us to…the phantoms of hope,” to help develop a more defined view of a fairytale. The story of Cinderella fully embodies the ideals of a true fairytale by encompassing magic, hope, and struggle between good and evil throughout the duration of the plot.
Some fairy tales are so iconic that they withstand the passing of time. One of those fairy tales is that of Cinderella. The rags to riches story that gives even the lowliest of paupers, hope that they may one day climb the social ladder. While the core message of the story has transcended time, over the years it has been adapted to address a variety of audiences. One of those renditions is Perrault’s Cinderella where the traditional idea of gender is conveyed and therefore associated with good/evil. This idea is challenged by a fellow 1600’s French author, L’heriter de Villandon’s, who’s version of Cinderella brings about a female protagonist who is also the heroine.
Throughout history, fairy tales have grown to captivate the hearts and minds of many. A Cinderella Story is set firmly in reality and in the present day; in fact, it's every bit a fantasy as the original story. This film refrains from any allusions to magic, but instead lets serendipitous occurrences provide the engine on which this fairy tale creates its plot. The impression A Cinderella Story is in place of a well-thought out story and characters that anyone could relate to or believe. Although the target audience of the film are teens, females, and romantics, A Cinderella Story can be praised and savored by all audiences because of its ingenious screenplay, acting, and melodic soundtrack.