Cinderella Vs Ashenputal Analysis

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Michaela Bailey Denton World Lit-3 Question 1 One folktale that has multiple versions is the story of “Cinderella/Ashenputal”. Each story contrast the two time periods and cultures of France and Germany. The story of Cinderella was written for royalty, while Ashenputal was written for peasants. In Cinderella is a much more gentler take on the story, suggest that it was written for the upper-class. It involves The King’s Ball, a fairy godmother, and all other actions to create a harmonious conclusion. In the end Cinderella also forgives her family for her mistreatment. She also wears glass slippers instead of gold because these would be only something you could get with great wealth. In the German version the subject matter is much more raw because it was written for more of the lower-class. Pagan magic, spell casting, and self-mutilation are much more violent and aggressive than the fairy dust and glitter found in Cinderella. Peasants would also never go to a ball, but would be able to identify more with a wedding feast. In Ashenputal the slippers are also made of gold because that was a precious metal to its audience, who would not even be able to imagine a glass slipper. Also because it is German, there is no “happily ever after.” It was considered just for the stepsisters’ heels and toes to be cut off and their eyes to be plucked out by birds. Both stories deal with a young girl who, with the help of a little magic, is able to find her prince and live happily ever after. Needless to say on of these versions is much darker than the other, but the story sends an overall good message. Question 2 The stories of “Sleeping Beauty” and “Snow White” both share the common theme or motif of being brought back to life with a kiss. ... ... middle of paper ... ...gers to see how fat they had gotten. Instead Hansel stuck out a bone to make the witch think that they were still skinny in order to by time. Hansel and Gretel eventually escaped from the witch’s house and lived happily ever after. Both of these stories deals with the motif of the wicked stepmother. Cinderella is probably one of the most famously know stories about a wicked stepmother, while in some versions of Hansel and Gretel, they do not even mention the step mother. In both stories, the stepmothers do not care for their stepchildren one bit. In Cinderella the stepmother forces her to be almost like a slave, and in Hansel and Gretel, the stepmother wants to get rid of them completely. In my opinion, the story of Cinderella demonstrates this motif better because the stepmother is more involved throughout the story and is the main cause of Cinderella’s despair.

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