Storytelling around the Globe

Introduction

What is a story? According to Bill Johnson in Understanding What a Story Is it seems to be "a vehicle that carries us on an engaging, dramatic journey to a destination of resolution we find satisfying and fulfilling. When we find a particular story or journey to be dramatically potent and pleasing (more "true" than life or life as we would like it to be) we can desire to re-experience the same story or journey over and over."¹

I have chosen Cinderella for my unit because it is an exceptional story that we want to experience over and over. The fact that over 900 versions have been written is a testament to the "potent" power of this story. Almost every culture seems to have its own version. Anna Rooth discovered the wide dissemination of the story, beyond the European realm. She published her research in The Cinderella Cycle.² Cinderella stories date back as early as 850 A.D. with the first written version of the Chinese tale Yeh-Shen. The most popular, modern version was written and published by Charles Perrault of France in 1697.³ The Disney version is based on Perrault's story. Even though each version differs in characters, plot, use of magic, and other details, a common theme binds them all. They each tell the story of a young girl or boy who is mistreated by family or community but is eventually recognized and rewarded for goodness and virtue. Most versions include an ineffective father, the absence of a mother figure, some sort of gathering such as a ball or festival, mutual attraction with a person of high status, a lost article, and a search that ends with success.⁴ What makes the Cinderella story so popular after all these years? I believe that people enjoy reading about the "underdog" having a chance to win. We all want to believe that this "rags to riches" idea could really happen to us. Another testament to Cinderella's universal popularity is the fact that the story is told in films, ballet, and opera, as well as print form. In fact, the word Cinderella has come to mean one who achieves recognition after a period of bad fortune and neglect. This is evident in the boxing film The Cinderella Story. The story of Cinderella transcends time and cultures. In other words, it is a story that is enjoyed today as much as it was with the original story.