I am currently taking a free and fabulous course offered by Dr. Kevin Yee called Fairy Tales: The Origins and Evolution of Princess Stories. I have been enamored of princess stories since I was a little girl and my mother bequeathed to me a volume of Fifty Famous Fairy Tales that was hers growing up. I loved reading the tales, and of course, that evolved into a love (passion, obsession) for the Disney versions of the stories, too.
In the first module of this course, we focused on the Cinderella story, examining the Basile, Perrault, Grimm, and Disney versions of the tale. Here's what I had to say about the three versions of the story I explored for the purpose of the course:
The prompt was: Before we get into the professor's analysis of the Cinderella text, we want to hear from you. What did you think of the story? Did it match your memory of the narrative, or your expectations? What does the name "Cinderella" usually make you think of?
Here's my response: I was already very familiar with both the Grimms' version and the Perrault version of the tale. I love the traditional versions of the tale that include the three trips to the ball and the three dresses; they remind me of one of my favorite fairy tales growing up: Allerleirauh (also known as Donkeyskin, Cat Skin, or All Kinds of Fur).
The Basile version of the Cinderella story was new to me, but there were clear parallels between the three versions of the tale presented here (wicked step-mother and step-sisters, fairy godmother/divine intervention of sorts, handsome prince/king searching for the one who can wear the lost shoe, etc.). I have to admit that I was surprised at the murder involved in the Basile tale; in most versions of the Cinderella story, Cinderella is a noble and virtuous girl, not someone who could be easily convinced to commit such a horrible act (even if the stepmother did seem to deserve it).
One other difference between familiar versions of the Cinderella story (like the Disney version) is the actual presence of the father figure. Often, the Cinderella character is left a vulnerable orphan in the clutches of her evil step-mother; however, in some of the early/traditional versions of the tale, the father is still alive, but under the spell of the wicked step-mother. This seems to lend a whole new dimension to the story, leaving Cinderella in an even more desperate situation as the one who used to/was supposed to love her has abandoned her (more by choice, which seems worse, than by death, which is unavoidable).
I think it's interesting, too, how Disney adapted the birds and forest animals from the Grimms' tale into friendly helpers who are not interested in wreaking vengeance (i.e., pecking out anyone's eyes). Also, the Perrault version mentions that one of the step-sisters is kinder than the others, and it seems as though Disney may have played on this little detail in the animated sequels to Cinderella, especially since Disney's Anastasia seems to have a few more redeemable qualities than Drizella does.
In the first module of this course, we focused on the Cinderella story, examining the Basile, Perrault, Grimm, and Disney versions of the tale. Here's what I had to say about the three versions of the story I explored for the purpose of the course:
The prompt was: Before we get into the professor's analysis of the Cinderella text, we want to hear from you. What did you think of the story? Did it match your memory of the narrative, or your expectations? What does the name "Cinderella" usually make you think of?
Here's my response: I was already very familiar with both the Grimms' version and the Perrault version of the tale. I love the traditional versions of the tale that include the three trips to the ball and the three dresses; they remind me of one of my favorite fairy tales growing up: Allerleirauh (also known as Donkeyskin, Cat Skin, or All Kinds of Fur).
The Basile version of the Cinderella story was new to me, but there were clear parallels between the three versions of the tale presented here (wicked step-mother and step-sisters, fairy godmother/divine intervention of sorts, handsome prince/king searching for the one who can wear the lost shoe, etc.). I have to admit that I was surprised at the murder involved in the Basile tale; in most versions of the Cinderella story, Cinderella is a noble and virtuous girl, not someone who could be easily convinced to commit such a horrible act (even if the stepmother did seem to deserve it).
One other difference between familiar versions of the Cinderella story (like the Disney version) is the actual presence of the father figure. Often, the Cinderella character is left a vulnerable orphan in the clutches of her evil step-mother; however, in some of the early/traditional versions of the tale, the father is still alive, but under the spell of the wicked step-mother. This seems to lend a whole new dimension to the story, leaving Cinderella in an even more desperate situation as the one who used to/was supposed to love her has abandoned her (more by choice, which seems worse, than by death, which is unavoidable).
I think it's interesting, too, how Disney adapted the birds and forest animals from the Grimms' tale into friendly helpers who are not interested in wreaking vengeance (i.e., pecking out anyone's eyes). Also, the Perrault version mentions that one of the step-sisters is kinder than the others, and it seems as though Disney may have played on this little detail in the animated sequels to Cinderella, especially since Disney's Anastasia seems to have a few more redeemable qualities than Drizella does.
Image courtesy of disneyandmore.blogspot.com