Felicia Chan, Period 2, 9/21/20, Day A

Felicia Chan
9/21/20
Period 2
Modern Mythology 2021


Truth holds in the words of Maria Tatar when she says, “Fairy tales are always more interesting when something is added to them. Each new telling recharges the narrative, making it crackle and hiss with cultural energy.”

Through reading the versions of Cinderella in her 1st and 2nd Editions of, “The Classic Fairy Tales,” I began to become tired of reading them as most told the same traditional, classic storyline where Cinderella’s beauty, grace, and fairness awards her a happy ending with her Prince Charming. Though there were details that were added that made each story a bit different from one another, I was seeking for more flavor, perhaps suspense. I found myself coming across Cinderella being portrayed as a fragile woman who flees when distress comes her way. Her appearance is only of importance as it saves her from the crisis she is facing. I wasn’t fond of how Cinderella was depicted as a petite figure and where her beauty exceeds all standards. But as long as the shoe fits, she is granted happily ever after filled with royalty and wealth.

The reason I was finding myself to be so disturbed by these details of the storyline is that it relates to the continuation of these stereotypes of women that are still relevant today. Through the billboards we see as we drive by the highways, ads we pass in the subway stations, and social media posts we scroll upon, they are always surrounded by this pressure to be this ideal person the public makes them desire to become. Many women, especially teen girls, are becoming sub-conscious about themselves because of the expectations portrayed though these high beauty standards. With these stereotypes prevalent, many look down upon them and believe they aren’t fit to be granted a certain position or be involved in situations that are too “challenging” for them to handle.

However, I was excited to come across the version called, “The Story of the Black Cow.” Finally, I have come upon a story with a change to the characters from the typical Cinderella stories. The traditional female-gender Cinderella is now represented as a boy, who at the end marries a princess. Through the discussion I had with my group during our Zoom breakout rooms, my groupmate, Theresa Luo, brought up how this addition to the plot shows the cultural background of the Himalayas, where this version was written. She stated how the people of the Himalayas believed in gender equality which explains why the main character was depicted as a guy rather than a girl.

This huge change in the classical storyline of Cinderella brings back to the point of what Maria Tatar says about how twists in fairytales can “recharge the narrative and make it crackle with cultural energy.” I learned that people have the power to change and create their own story that doesn’t follow the traditional guidelines of the fairytale. This can be seen in modern Disney princess movies where they are moving away from the traditional female stereotypes. They are creating female protagonists who look and portray the realistic modern independent woman who comes in all shapes and sizes.