This post originally appeared on my former blog on Oct. 22, 2010.
Cinderella. Snow White. Sleeping Beauty.
Need I say more? Fairy tales have endured for generations. Their story structure continues to inspire, intrigue and excite us.
Believe it or not, fairy tales do have a structure. Nearly all of them feature a main character (protagonist) who is set upon by outside forces (a villain). This protagonist begins the story with the behaviors and reactions of a child—someone awaiting rescue. Through the story, the protagonist evolves into someone who stands alone and makes a positive future.
Cinderella has help from her fairy godmother to go to the ball, but she must eventually ward off her evil stepmother’s reaction without magic. She must stand on her own two feet (glass slippers or no). The Cinderella tale evolved throughout numerous cultures during the Middle Ages. Not simply Europe, but Asia, the Caribbean and pre-colonial America as well. Look Here. The name of the character changed, and the situation was specific to each culture, but this “coming of age” tale seems to be universal.
Iconic Cinderella stories include:
Walt Disney’s Cinderella
The Slipper and the Rose (Richard Chamberlain)
Cinderella (musical featuring Lesley Ann Warren)
Cinderella appears in Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods
Cinderfella starring Jerry Lewis
Cinderella—new live action version slated for 2013 by Walt Disney Productions (sorry, couldn’t find any active links yet!)
So, what do you think? Are fairy tales passé? Should we still be reading such old dusty stories to our kids? Or do they still have a place in our modern world?
Do you have a favorite version of Cinderella? Or are you a bigger fan of a different fairy tale?