Key Elements of the Cinderella Story

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|Activity 1 |
|Key elements of the Cinderella story |
|We are going to explore the history of Cinderella stories in order to develop an understanding of the elements of the story |
|that are appropriated in the film Cinderella Man. |
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|The Cinderella Story |
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|Cinderella is one of the most recognized stories around the world. The themes from the story appear in the folklore of many |
|cultures. Sources disagree about how many versions of the tale exist, with numbers ranging from 340 to over 1,500 if all of |
|the picture book and musical interpretations are included. The tale has its own Aarne Thompson classification which is 510A. |
|The tale always centres around a kind, but persecuted heroine who suffers at the hands of her step-family after the death of |
|her mother. Her father is either absent or neglectful, depending on the version. The heroine has a magical guardian who helps |
|her triumph over her persecuters and receive her fondest wish by the end of the tale. The guardian is sometimes a |
|representative of the heroine's dead mother. Most of the tales include an epiphany sparked by an article of clothing (usually |
|a shoe) that causes the heroine to be recognised for her true worth. |