Once Upon a Time... discussion

Hello Fellow Fairy Tales Readers,


Welcome to our discussion about Cinderella: By Charles Perrault - Illustrated by Charles Perrault.
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Summary

A young woman, mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters, but carrying within her a good and gracious heart, wins the love of prince with the help of her fairy godmother.

And then there are the fractured retellings, and the versions from around the world. Cinder Edna is pretty good. I'm about to read Cinderella Stories Around the World.

The basic simple original is ridiculous, though, imo. I don't understand the appeal, never have, just up & marry a prince after meeting him at a ball? I mean, it's probably better than being a scullery maid, but not necessarily....

Cheryl wrote: "... I'm about to read Cinderella Stories Around the World...."

Pretty good collection, actually, though these tales also rely on magic and insta-love. One story reminded me of The Rough-Face Girl, a classic from when I was in teacher-training. The Chinese tale here is delightfully illustrated. The one about the Greek slave girl and the Egyptian pharaoh seems particularly less valuable to today's readers.

Mentioned in the bibliography are:

The Irish Cinderlad
Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella
The Orphan: A Cinderella Story from Greece

And thanks is given to Maria Tatar.

Cheryl wrote: "Mentioned in the bibliography are:

The Irish Cinderlad
Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella
The Orphan: A Cinderella Story from Greece

And thanks is giv..."

I read the first two of those. Both are good.

Cinderella has always been my least favorite fairy tale. I dislike the idea that she would just blithely accept going from a pampered daughter of a rich man to a servant of her stepmother and stepsisters. I've always thought that if she were going to have to be a servant, then she should at least get a job in another household where she would at least be provided with a bed in the servant's quarters.
In some of the original translations I have read her father has died, but in this one he was still alive. I found that appalling - what father would allow his daughter to be treated like that?!
I also can not understand the concept of not doing anything to improve your situation for yourself. She is all "woe is me", and relies on her fairy godmother and the prince to save her.
I completely agree with Cheryl - the whole meet the prince and fall in love in one evening thing is ridiculous.

The only job she could get would be scullery maid. We know because in the variants where the heroine does run away, that's what she gets. It's not a pleasant job.

Right. I think it's such an awful tale in some ways, and such a wonderful one in others, and so that's why there are so very many very different versions, fractures, etc.

Anyway, I'm not going to be reading the companion novel, friends, but I might pop in to read the group comments.

Mary, I agree that a scullery maid would not be pleasant, but she was already doing that job plus more as well as being verbally abused by her step family, which is why I personally would prefer to work elsewhere.
Agreed, Cheryl. I hate the original tale, but have enjoyed most of the retellings I have read because they usually give her some backbone.
I have started the other book and am finding it interesting so far.

Cheryl wrote: "And then there are the fractured retellings, and the versions from around the world. Cinder Edna is pretty good. I'm about to read Cinderella Stories Around the World...."

The retelling I've enjoyed the most was Bound, based on the Chinese "Cinderella" story Ye Xian. The Chinese story has the stepmother and step-sister, the ball, and the shoe that will identify the true bride, and it was written about 800 years before the Perrault and Grimm versions.

I did read the Perrault version, and I agree that it feels empty, and the Cinderella herself wishy-washy--except for those moments when she messes with her step-sisters' heads by being super-sweet and acting all curious about the mysterious beauty at the ball. And it was weird that the godmother--just a plain godmother--just shows up and starts to work magic, and it's all taken for granted by Cinderella.

So I re-read the Grimm version, just to compare. You can find it online under the title Aschenputtel. I won't spoil it by going into the comparison.

I will add that the one thing I really like in the Perrault is his last word, the snarky second "moral of the story." You can be good and beautiful and all that, but it might not get you anywhere unless you also have a godmother or godfather--that is, someone to pave (or pay?) your way to the top.

Lisa wrote: "Mary, I agree that a scullery maid would not be pleasant, but she was already doing that job plus more as well as being verbally abused by her step family, which is why I personally would prefer to..."

A lot of fairy tale scullery maids are verbally abused by the other servants, and sometimes physically as well.