The retelling of fairy tales has become a popular trend that allow us to view our beloved fairy tales in a new light. Cinderella has been reinvented multiple times throughout history, and can be found across multiple cultures. In the novel, Ella Enchanted, author Gail Carson Levine shows us a modern adaptation of the tale that reinforces from the original, but at the same time differs greatly. The protagonist Ella, shares similar events and qualities with Cinderella, but they also have contrasting experiences and personalities. For one thing, Ella and Cinderella are both left without a mother and have to deal with an evil stepmother and sisters. In both adaptations they deal with families that don't care for them and enslave them for their
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The fact that Cinderella willingly does as told makes her seem submissive and it gives off the impression that girls should stay shut and obey. On the other hand, Ella also does as told, but because she was cursed and cannot help it. The difference is that even Ella who starts to feel sick when she tries to fight the curse, protests anyway. She would rather feel sick for a few seconds then immediately comply. This gives off a completely different message, where we see that women are strong and should be free to speak their minds. Also, this idea is reinforced when Ella rescues herself from the curse instead of relying on prince like Cinderella. This gives a completely different twist to the original version that encourages girls to wait around for a prince. With this distinction girls can understand that they have the ability to stand up for themselves and develop more independence. For this reason, the retelling of Cinderella redefines value systems found in the classic tale. It includes all the things we loved from the original, but modernizes it to reflect more of the characteristics and role of women in our current society. Ella isn't your typical damsel in distress that can be found in classic fairytales and for this reason, both adaptations reinforce different ideas. In Cinderella, we feel for the helpless maiden, but are unsatisfied with the way things are carried out. In Ella Enchanted, we
The fact that Cinderella willingly does as told makes her seem submissive and it gives off the impression that girls should stay shut and obey. On the other hand, Ella also does as told, but because she was cursed and cannot help it. The difference is that even Ella who starts to feel sick when she tries to fight the curse, protests anyway. She would rather feel sick for a few seconds then immediately comply. This gives off a completely different message, where we see that women are strong and should be free to speak their minds. Also, this idea is reinforced when Ella rescues herself from the curse instead of relying on prince like Cinderella. This gives a completely different twist to the original version that encourages girls to wait around for a prince. With this distinction girls can understand that they have the ability to stand up for themselves and develop more independence. For this reason, the retelling of Cinderella redefines value systems found in the classic tale. It includes all the things we loved from the original, but modernizes it to reflect more of the characteristics and role of women in our current society. Ella isn't your typical damsel in distress that can be found in classic fairytales and for this reason, both adaptations reinforce different ideas. In Cinderella, we feel for the helpless maiden, but are unsatisfied with the way things are carried out. In Ella Enchanted, we