Texts Are Transformed by Modern Culture so They Maintain Their Relevance - Cinderella
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Cinderella Assessment
The statement, “Texts are transformed by modern culture so they maintain their relevance”, can be proven true through the many appropriations of past texts. One example of this is the everlasting tale of Cinderella. There are arguably thousands of versions of Cinderella, one for just about every culture. There are at least 500 versions in Europe alone, all featuring a young woman that is rescued from a life of labour by a handsome prince. The first written account of Cinderella dates back to the 1st century BC where the Greek historian Strabo wrote about a girl called Rhodopis who was ‘rescued’ from her life of servitude by the Pharaoh. Author Jack Zipes stated in a book published in 1983 that in Cinderella, over time the motifs, characters and themes were rearranged or eliminated to reflect the changing values of society. Three examples of the story of Cinderella are Charles Perrault’s Cinderella or The Little Glass Slipper, Gary Marshall’s Pretty Woman, and Andy Tennant’s Ever After.
Charles Perrault’s Cinderella is one of the most well known versions of the tale, and is the basis for many of the appropriations. Elements of this story have appeared in a Walt Disney cartoon, shorter cartoon videos, musicals, the Grimm brothers’ account, and dozens of Hollywood films. It was Perrault who first came up with the fairy godmother, pumpkin, and glass slippers. It was originally written in French, but later translated into English. The story first appeared in print in 1697, called Cindrillon, ou la petite pantoule de verre. Translated literally, this means Cinderella, or the small slipper of glass. It was widely believed at first that Cinderella was supposed to have worn fur boots – which is vair instead of verre – but this theory has since been disproved.
Charles Perrault was born at the start of 1628 into a wealthy Parisian family. He was very morally upright, and this was reflected in his many works like Tales and Stories of the Past with...
The statement, “Texts are transformed by modern culture so they maintain their relevance”, can be proven true through the many appropriations of past texts. One example of this is the everlasting tale of Cinderella. There are arguably thousands of versions of Cinderella, one for just about every culture. There are at least 500 versions in Europe alone, all featuring a young woman that is rescued from a life of labour by a handsome prince. The first written account of Cinderella dates back to the 1st century BC where the Greek historian Strabo wrote about a girl called Rhodopis who was ‘rescued’ from her life of servitude by the Pharaoh. Author Jack Zipes stated in a book published in 1983 that in Cinderella, over time the motifs, characters and themes were rearranged or eliminated to reflect the changing values of society. Three examples of the story of Cinderella are Charles Perrault’s Cinderella or The Little Glass Slipper, Gary Marshall’s Pretty Woman, and Andy Tennant’s Ever After.
Charles Perrault’s Cinderella is one of the most well known versions of the tale, and is the basis for many of the appropriations. Elements of this story have appeared in a Walt Disney cartoon, shorter cartoon videos, musicals, the Grimm brothers’ account, and dozens of Hollywood films. It was Perrault who first came up with the fairy godmother, pumpkin, and glass slippers. It was originally written in French, but later translated into English. The story first appeared in print in 1697, called Cindrillon, ou la petite pantoule de verre. Translated literally, this means Cinderella, or the small slipper of glass. It was widely believed at first that Cinderella was supposed to have worn fur boots – which is vair instead of verre – but this theory has since been disproved.
Charles Perrault was born at the start of 1628 into a wealthy Parisian family. He was very morally upright, and this was reflected in his many works like Tales and Stories of the Past with...