Female initiation in Northern Italian versions of "Cinderella." (Perspectives on the Innocent Persecuted Heroine in Fairy Tales)
Article Abstract:
Forty-five Northern Italian versions of 'Cinderella' can be divided into two subtypes that deal with female initiation in different ways. Initiation means the heroine's progress from puberty to sexual maturity and marriage. Twenty-five versions belong to sub-type X, which uses the anthroponym 'cuzza senare' to designate the heroine, whom it depicts as passively escaping her father's incestuous desires. Fifteen versions belong to sub-type Y, which uses 'conza senare' to refer to the heroine, whom it depicts as actively resisting the cruelty of her stepmother and stepsisters.
Publication Name: Western Folklore
Subject: Regional focus/area studies
ISSN: 0043-373X
Year: 1993
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Going up in the world: class in "Cinderella." (Perspectives on the Innocent Persecuted Heroine in Fairy Tales)
Article Abstract:
A central theme of the fairy tale 'Cinderella' is the use of marriage to fulfill class ambitions. Cinderella's love for her mother, though neglected by critics, suggests that the conflict with the stepmother and stepsisters over who will marry the prince is really a social matter. Cinderella, as a genteel-bourgeois, is entitled to become a princess while her petit-bourgeois stepsisters are upstarts. Later versions, including Disney's 1949 film adaptation, reinforced the depiction of marriage as a means for women to realize their social aspirations.
Publication Name: Western Folklore
Subject: Regional focus/area studies
ISSN: 0043-373X
Year: 1993
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The innocent persecuted heroine genre: an analysis of its structure and themes
Article Abstract:
The innocent persecuted heroine genre of folktales can be identified through similarities in structure and theme. These tales feature a three-act structure in which the heroine is first imperiled, then kept from being married and finally discredited after giving birth. Thematically, semiotic analysis reveals that the tales reinforce the subordination of women but also teach strategies by which women can achieve some independence in spite of male domination. Persecution of the heroine symbolizes the problems that real women are apt to face.
Publication Name: Western Folklore
Subject: Regional focus/area studies
ISSN: 0043-373X
Year: 1993
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