Ella enchanted: the modern cinderella
Many people are familiar with the classic story of Cinderella, but most are only familiar with the remakes in existence today rather than the original tale. Charles Perrault’s Cinderella is credited as being the original tale as it serves as the basis for most of the re-tellings and revisions of Cinderella today. Among these revisions is Gail Carlson Levine’s Ella Enchanted. This story serves as the perfect example of a modern revision of Cinderella due to it featuring a more complex and relatable heroine who serves as a positive role model for young girls.
Ella is recognized by many scholars as being a revision of the Cinderella story because it contains many of the necessary elements that a story needs in order to qualify as a Cinderella story. According to Carrie Hintz and Eric L. Tribunella, a revision is when “an author or teller introduces fresh elements to the plot, setting, or characters of a story but retains enough similarity to the original to make it recognizable as essentially the same tale” (128). This is true for Ella since it maintains the same overall plot of Cinderella, but also adds in other aspects that are not in the original story. Linda Parsons states that “fairytales are culturally specific and evolve according to the shifting values of a society” (3). Ella Enchanted is just one example of how a fairytale, like Cinderella, has undergone revision, becoming a new and different type of fairytale story that is more relevant to society today.
Despite the fact that this story has been revised by Levine, it still contains all of the necessary elements for a story to be considered a Cinderella story. All Cinderella stories must have: “[an] abused child, [a] rescue through some reincarnation of the dead mother, recognition, and marriage” (Cullen 58). Patricia Kite, a professor at Yale University, also adds that the heroine is mistreated by her step-family, that there must be “extreme sibling rivalry”, and that it must have a “daughter fleeing an unnatural or misunderstanding father”. When examining the various versions of Cinderella from different cultures, it also becomes apparent that most of these stories also include a lost shoe (usually made of glass), an absent or oblivious father and is a rags-to-riches story. All of these elements are incorporated into Ella even though most of them differ from the original versions of the elements that are present in Perrault’s Cinderella.
After reading Ella, one will soon agree that the most apparent element is that Ella is constantly abused throughout the story, especially once her step-family discovers that she must obey everything that she is commanded to do. Since birth, Ella was “gifted” with obedience and the reader later discovers that this is truly a curse due to the fact that it eliminates her ability to have free-will. After the discovery of Ella’s gift, the step-mother, Olga, commands Ella to become one of the servants and Ella is later forced to scrub the floors with lye. She later states that “the task took three hours, but my knuckles were bleeding in a quarter of the time. Occasionally other servants passed by. Some gawked, some seemed sympathetic” (Levine 169). This element of the protagonist becoming and being viewed as an outcast is not a necessary element, but it does appear in many versions of Cinderella.
Ella finds comfort in the locket that her mother gave her and is assisted by her fairy godmother, Mandy. Both of them serve as a reincarnation of her mother who died during Ella’s childhood. Due to the death of her mother, Ella’s father also distances himself from her throughout the story and is often nowhere to be found when she needs him most. Even when he is present, he chooses to be oblivious and joins the step-family in mistreating Ella. This becomes most evident when Ella states that “father wouldn’t concern himself with my happiness, only with his own” (Levine 132). It is her father’s absence that caused Ella to become a servant in the first place because her becoming a servant occurred right after he told Olga about his financial situation and after he left on a business trip. Ella states that “as soon as Father’s carriage disappeared from view, Mum Olga swallowed her tears and directed a manservant to transfer my belongings to a room in the servant’s wing” (Levine 165). With regards to Ella's father mistreating her, Parsons states that he objectifies her since he tries to marry her off to gain money. Elizabeth Reimer adds that her father is not only a seller of goods, but also of people since he sells Ella among many of their other belongings to gain money and save himself from financial ruin. Thus, he is not only absent for the majority of the story, but he also chooses to be oblivious to Ella’s circumstances which is a constant element throughout Cinderella stories.
Finally, Ella receives recognition when she refuses to obey Olga, Hattie, or anyone else for that matter. Towards the end of the story, she reaches her breaking point and commands recognition from others: “’I won’t! Stop ordering me to!’…I wanted to march, waving banners. Char would not die because of me, Char would live. Live and prosper” (Levine 227). Here, she breaks her curse to save the man she loves, Prince Charmont or Char. Ella had not chosen to become a servant and always had to obey whatever she was commanded to do despite her heart wanting to do the opposite. Once she discovers that this curse no longer has a hold of her she states that she is “made anew” (Levin 228). She also marries Char, the handsome prince, at the end of the story and states that “with laughter and love, [we] lived happily ever after” (Levine 232).
While there are many similarities between Ella and the original Cinderella, there are even more differences, particularly with regards to the protagonists’ characteristics and personalities. The original Cinderella is a flat character and is passive while Ella is a complex and well-rounded, more proactive character. Cinderella constantly proves herself to be submissive as she obeys every command her cruel step-family gives her despite the fact that she does not have to do so. It appears as if she feels she has no other choice but to obey while Ella obeys because she has no other choice. In the original tale of Cinderella, she is a static character. She does not learn from her mistakes or show any sort of change within. Instead, she remains the same throughout the story. She is also a passive character since she waits for Prince Charming to come and rescue her from her circumstances rather than rise above them herself.
Ella on the other hand is more rounded and complex as a character, causing her to be more relatable to the reader. Throughout the story, Ella voices the struggles that go on within her heart, including the struggle to obey the commands she is given and the struggle to protect the ones she loves even when it seems impossible. Ella also makes mistakes throughout the story, but unlike Cinderella she learns from them. She is more complex because she displays emotions. Ella cries when she hurts the one she loves and is angry with herself for obeying others’ commands no matter what, though it seems as if she has no choice.
As a result, the reader will find that Ella is more relatable as she displays feelings that most people have also experienced at some point in their life. First, she is clumsy. Cinderella classically is a shown as being graceful while Ella is the exact opposite. She constantly trips and spills things and is even called “clumsy, bumbling, and gawky” (Levine 34) by giants, her father and her teachers. She is also stubborn, spunky and determined, all of which adds a sense of humor to the story. Even though she must obey every command she is given, she only obeys as much as she has to and often gets revenge on others as much as she can. For example, when Hattie, one of her step-sisters, informs Olga of Ella’s curse and tells Ella to tell her the truth, Ella does tell the truth, but she also stomps on Hattie’s foot with her high-heeled shoe as she does so. Lastly, Ella is stated as not being the most beautiful on the outside but as having a charming and beautiful heart whereas Cinderella is merely beautiful on the outside, an aspect that proves to be a standard characteristic in fairytales. Parsons states that all of these differences, both inside and out, are what makes Ella a “more complete character” (9). They help her break the stereotypical Cinderella character as she stands up for what she views as right and fights for the one she loves, Prince Charmont (Parsons 13).
Finally, Ella serves as a positive role model for young girls because she stands up for what she believes in and displays true love for others. She does so in her friendship with her Ayorthian friend, Areida. Ella conveys the idea that most of the Frell community looks down upon this ethnicity, but instead of following how everyone else treats them she chooses to stand up for Arieda when her classmates are teasing her. Ella’s classmates as a result look down on her as well, but Ella does not let that get to her and becomes best friends with Arieda. However, later in the story Hattie commands Ella to stop being friends with her. Ella does obey, but avoids Arieda so she would not have to tell her why she has chosen to do so. This shows that even though she is commanded to no longer be friends with Arieda, she still cares and loves her as a best friend. Ella’s love for her dear friend is displayed throughout the story as she invites Arieda to her wedding once the curse is broken. Ella also proves herself to be honest and virtuous as she protects Char from herself. She makes it clear that she loves Char with all that she has. She chooses to distance herself from him because she feels that her curse would allow people to take advantage of her and put the kingdom in danger. She no longer has to do so once the curse is broken and she marries Char. In doing so, she remains true to herself as she denies the luxuries of being royalty and even denies the title of princess because she does not want to be viewed as higher than anyone else.
Overall, Ella Enchanted is a revision of the classic tale of Cinderella that shows how society has changed over the years. The protagonist is no longer a passive young girl, but is instead a girl who takes action and develops throughout the course of the story. She does not merely rely on her outside beauty but shows her inner beauty as she stands up for what she believes in and protects those she loves. She teaches girls that one does not have to be passive and accept their bad circumstances, but that they can mold and shape their own future as they take a stand for what they know is right.
Ella is recognized by many scholars as being a revision of the Cinderella story because it contains many of the necessary elements that a story needs in order to qualify as a Cinderella story. According to Carrie Hintz and Eric L. Tribunella, a revision is when “an author or teller introduces fresh elements to the plot, setting, or characters of a story but retains enough similarity to the original to make it recognizable as essentially the same tale” (128). This is true for Ella since it maintains the same overall plot of Cinderella, but also adds in other aspects that are not in the original story. Linda Parsons states that “fairytales are culturally specific and evolve according to the shifting values of a society” (3). Ella Enchanted is just one example of how a fairytale, like Cinderella, has undergone revision, becoming a new and different type of fairytale story that is more relevant to society today.
Despite the fact that this story has been revised by Levine, it still contains all of the necessary elements for a story to be considered a Cinderella story. All Cinderella stories must have: “[an] abused child, [a] rescue through some reincarnation of the dead mother, recognition, and marriage” (Cullen 58). Patricia Kite, a professor at Yale University, also adds that the heroine is mistreated by her step-family, that there must be “extreme sibling rivalry”, and that it must have a “daughter fleeing an unnatural or misunderstanding father”. When examining the various versions of Cinderella from different cultures, it also becomes apparent that most of these stories also include a lost shoe (usually made of glass), an absent or oblivious father and is a rags-to-riches story. All of these elements are incorporated into Ella even though most of them differ from the original versions of the elements that are present in Perrault’s Cinderella.
After reading Ella, one will soon agree that the most apparent element is that Ella is constantly abused throughout the story, especially once her step-family discovers that she must obey everything that she is commanded to do. Since birth, Ella was “gifted” with obedience and the reader later discovers that this is truly a curse due to the fact that it eliminates her ability to have free-will. After the discovery of Ella’s gift, the step-mother, Olga, commands Ella to become one of the servants and Ella is later forced to scrub the floors with lye. She later states that “the task took three hours, but my knuckles were bleeding in a quarter of the time. Occasionally other servants passed by. Some gawked, some seemed sympathetic” (Levine 169). This element of the protagonist becoming and being viewed as an outcast is not a necessary element, but it does appear in many versions of Cinderella.
Ella finds comfort in the locket that her mother gave her and is assisted by her fairy godmother, Mandy. Both of them serve as a reincarnation of her mother who died during Ella’s childhood. Due to the death of her mother, Ella’s father also distances himself from her throughout the story and is often nowhere to be found when she needs him most. Even when he is present, he chooses to be oblivious and joins the step-family in mistreating Ella. This becomes most evident when Ella states that “father wouldn’t concern himself with my happiness, only with his own” (Levine 132). It is her father’s absence that caused Ella to become a servant in the first place because her becoming a servant occurred right after he told Olga about his financial situation and after he left on a business trip. Ella states that “as soon as Father’s carriage disappeared from view, Mum Olga swallowed her tears and directed a manservant to transfer my belongings to a room in the servant’s wing” (Levine 165). With regards to Ella's father mistreating her, Parsons states that he objectifies her since he tries to marry her off to gain money. Elizabeth Reimer adds that her father is not only a seller of goods, but also of people since he sells Ella among many of their other belongings to gain money and save himself from financial ruin. Thus, he is not only absent for the majority of the story, but he also chooses to be oblivious to Ella’s circumstances which is a constant element throughout Cinderella stories.
Finally, Ella receives recognition when she refuses to obey Olga, Hattie, or anyone else for that matter. Towards the end of the story, she reaches her breaking point and commands recognition from others: “’I won’t! Stop ordering me to!’…I wanted to march, waving banners. Char would not die because of me, Char would live. Live and prosper” (Levine 227). Here, she breaks her curse to save the man she loves, Prince Charmont or Char. Ella had not chosen to become a servant and always had to obey whatever she was commanded to do despite her heart wanting to do the opposite. Once she discovers that this curse no longer has a hold of her she states that she is “made anew” (Levin 228). She also marries Char, the handsome prince, at the end of the story and states that “with laughter and love, [we] lived happily ever after” (Levine 232).
While there are many similarities between Ella and the original Cinderella, there are even more differences, particularly with regards to the protagonists’ characteristics and personalities. The original Cinderella is a flat character and is passive while Ella is a complex and well-rounded, more proactive character. Cinderella constantly proves herself to be submissive as she obeys every command her cruel step-family gives her despite the fact that she does not have to do so. It appears as if she feels she has no other choice but to obey while Ella obeys because she has no other choice. In the original tale of Cinderella, she is a static character. She does not learn from her mistakes or show any sort of change within. Instead, she remains the same throughout the story. She is also a passive character since she waits for Prince Charming to come and rescue her from her circumstances rather than rise above them herself.
Ella on the other hand is more rounded and complex as a character, causing her to be more relatable to the reader. Throughout the story, Ella voices the struggles that go on within her heart, including the struggle to obey the commands she is given and the struggle to protect the ones she loves even when it seems impossible. Ella also makes mistakes throughout the story, but unlike Cinderella she learns from them. She is more complex because she displays emotions. Ella cries when she hurts the one she loves and is angry with herself for obeying others’ commands no matter what, though it seems as if she has no choice.
As a result, the reader will find that Ella is more relatable as she displays feelings that most people have also experienced at some point in their life. First, she is clumsy. Cinderella classically is a shown as being graceful while Ella is the exact opposite. She constantly trips and spills things and is even called “clumsy, bumbling, and gawky” (Levine 34) by giants, her father and her teachers. She is also stubborn, spunky and determined, all of which adds a sense of humor to the story. Even though she must obey every command she is given, she only obeys as much as she has to and often gets revenge on others as much as she can. For example, when Hattie, one of her step-sisters, informs Olga of Ella’s curse and tells Ella to tell her the truth, Ella does tell the truth, but she also stomps on Hattie’s foot with her high-heeled shoe as she does so. Lastly, Ella is stated as not being the most beautiful on the outside but as having a charming and beautiful heart whereas Cinderella is merely beautiful on the outside, an aspect that proves to be a standard characteristic in fairytales. Parsons states that all of these differences, both inside and out, are what makes Ella a “more complete character” (9). They help her break the stereotypical Cinderella character as she stands up for what she views as right and fights for the one she loves, Prince Charmont (Parsons 13).
Finally, Ella serves as a positive role model for young girls because she stands up for what she believes in and displays true love for others. She does so in her friendship with her Ayorthian friend, Areida. Ella conveys the idea that most of the Frell community looks down upon this ethnicity, but instead of following how everyone else treats them she chooses to stand up for Arieda when her classmates are teasing her. Ella’s classmates as a result look down on her as well, but Ella does not let that get to her and becomes best friends with Arieda. However, later in the story Hattie commands Ella to stop being friends with her. Ella does obey, but avoids Arieda so she would not have to tell her why she has chosen to do so. This shows that even though she is commanded to no longer be friends with Arieda, she still cares and loves her as a best friend. Ella’s love for her dear friend is displayed throughout the story as she invites Arieda to her wedding once the curse is broken. Ella also proves herself to be honest and virtuous as she protects Char from herself. She makes it clear that she loves Char with all that she has. She chooses to distance herself from him because she feels that her curse would allow people to take advantage of her and put the kingdom in danger. She no longer has to do so once the curse is broken and she marries Char. In doing so, she remains true to herself as she denies the luxuries of being royalty and even denies the title of princess because she does not want to be viewed as higher than anyone else.
Overall, Ella Enchanted is a revision of the classic tale of Cinderella that shows how society has changed over the years. The protagonist is no longer a passive young girl, but is instead a girl who takes action and develops throughout the course of the story. She does not merely rely on her outside beauty but shows her inner beauty as she stands up for what she believes in and protects those she loves. She teaches girls that one does not have to be passive and accept their bad circumstances, but that they can mold and shape their own future as they take a stand for what they know is right.
Works Cited
Cullen, Bonnie. “For Whom The Shoe Fits: Cinderella in the Hands of Victorian Writers and Illustrators.” The Lion and the Unicorn27.1 (2003): 57-82. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 23 Sept. 2014.
Hintz, Carrie, and Eric L. Tribunella. Reading Children’s Literature: A Critical Introduction. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013. Print.
Levine, Gail Carson. Ella Enchanted. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1997. Print.
Parsons, Linda T. “Ella Evolving: Cinderella Stories and the Construction of Gender-Appropriate Behavior.” Children’s Literature in Education 35.2 (2004): 135-154. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 November 2014.
Reimer, Elizabeth. “Consumption, Femininity, and Girl Power in Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted.” Lion and the Unicorn: A Critical Journal of Children’s Literature 36.1 (2012). Web.
Cullen, Bonnie. “For Whom The Shoe Fits: Cinderella in the Hands of Victorian Writers and Illustrators.” The Lion and the Unicorn27.1 (2003): 57-82. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 23 Sept. 2014.
Hintz, Carrie, and Eric L. Tribunella. Reading Children’s Literature: A Critical Introduction. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013. Print.
Levine, Gail Carson. Ella Enchanted. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1997. Print.
Parsons, Linda T. “Ella Evolving: Cinderella Stories and the Construction of Gender-Appropriate Behavior.” Children’s Literature in Education 35.2 (2004): 135-154. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 November 2014.
Reimer, Elizabeth. “Consumption, Femininity, and Girl Power in Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted.” Lion and the Unicorn: A Critical Journal of Children’s Literature 36.1 (2012). Web.