Shirley Climo's The Korean Cinderella

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“The Korean Cinderella” by Shirley Climo is a story about Pear Blossom, an orphan who is brought into a family that makes her work. One day she wants to go to a festival in the village, and is told by her her stepmother she can go, but only if she weeds the rice patties, something they both know is a chore that will take days. A magical Black Ox then encounters her in the rice paddies, and finishes her work for her. When she leaves for the festival, she then sees a rich man being carried toward the village in a palanquin. She loses her sandal when it falls in a stream trying to hide from the palanquin. She flees, but the man sees her and wants to stop her. He is struck by her beauty, and marries her, taking her far away from her wicked stepmother …show more content…

Cinderella has two step sisters instead of one, she cleans the mansion instead of the rice patties, she goes to the ball and dances instead of attending the festival to watch, her sandal is a glass slipper and her black ox is a fairy godmother. Her gift from her fairy godmother is a dress and glass slippers, but it differs from the other story in that the fairy godmothers gift is terminal; all of it goes away at midnight. She loses her slipper running away as the clock struck 12, and the prince matches her foot to the shoe the next day in a village-wide search. The theme in the two stories is the main character achieving success through perseverance, optimism, and a little luck, and the conflict is also the same in being locked up by mean stepmothers. Even with the same theme and conflict, there is major difference due to the …show more content…

They both have step sisters, who are spoiled while the main character was almost a slave for them. Both Cinderella and Pear Blossom stayed respectful to their new families, even though times must be hard due to the fact that both of their mothers dies and now they live to work for other families. Even after Pear Blossom is told that she has to weed before attending the festival, which basically means no, she replies with “I am most grateful, Honourable Mother.” This suggests that she is a good person and she does deserve that Ox to help her out, as well as Cinderella deserves the Fairy Godmother. Then in the end, they both get what they deserve in someone to marry. This also shows that evil people have bad news coming their way, as both stepfamilies lose their servant and are surely very jealous of their new

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