Overview
Both our state and district standards have third graders learning about the basic plots of fairy tales, as well as identifying the elements of a story. However, I want to extend that expectation further in my unit. I have three main goals in producing a unit on the cross-cultural aspect of Cinderella. First, I want to show how the concept of storytelling, whether it is in literature or films, is an art composed of basic elements. Second, I want students to be able to recognize the common attributes of a fairy tale. We will be using the Cinderella story as a means of accomplishing that. This will be a literature-based unit.
Third, and most importantly, I want to explore the influence of the particular country's culture on the story itself. I want students to appreciate the specific objects or mores that make each variant unique to that culture, while preserving the basic theme of the story.
I believe that my third graders will enjoy this unit. They love to read "sequels" to the books I read aloud in class like Bunnicula and the Chronicles of Narnia. They usually ask the school librarian if there is a "next book." So, they will have lots of different versions of Cinderella to read on their own. They also like to extend the same story with writing and skills development. Our basal reader stories are designed to last one week. Since I will be using only one story for the entire week, this will provide that continuity.
Another benefit of using the Cinderella stories in my unit is that the stories and language of fairy tales are often easier to read than the required basal reader stories. This makes students more enthusiastic about reading, which increases comprehension. Because I am using picture books with such wonderful illustrations, children are allowed to inspect illustrations and make meaning or connections with the text.5
Concept of Story
Identifying story elements help kids monitor comprehension. The main elements of a good story are setting, characters, sequence, exposition, conflict, climax, and resolution. Generally, the background information and setting are explained (exposition) at the beginning of the story. The particular conflict in the story is resolved during the climax. After the climax is resolved, you learn what happens to the characters during the resolution. Bill Johnson states, "The purpose of a story's elements is to move toward a meaningful resolution."6 Because of state standards for third graders, I will be focusing on setting, plot, characters, problem, and solution.
Elements of a Fairy Tale
The Cinderella story is actually a fairy tale, which is part of a larger group of stories called folktales. A folktale is a story that was told again and again and was eventually written down. Originally, these folktales were just entertaining, but then they became vehicles in which natural phenomena were explained, relationships were explored, or morals were taught. However, fairy tales were simply used to delve into human behavior through fantasy, and offer hope that justice will prevail in the end.7
Linda Degh, a folklorist at the University of Indiana, says that a fairy tale is "a magic story which cannot be true."8 It does have certain attributes that are relatively consistent from story to story. First, there is usually an undefined time and place. That is to say that times are given in vague language, such as Once upon a time, or long ago in a far away place. Next, the characters are amazingly simple and do not develop as the story proceeds. For example, Cinderella never stands up to her evil stepsisters; she just goes to a party and marries a prince! Next, some sort of transformation occurs. Cinderella is transformed from a person of lowly means into a princess. Finally, some kind of magic takes place in a fairy tale. In The Persian Cinderella it is the pari in the blue jug. In Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters it is the little green snake. In Yeh-Shen, it is the fish bones. Of course the Perrault version has a fairy godmother. Ironically, the term "fairy" tales is misleading because there are very few fairies mentioned in these stories.
Fairy tales were originally passed down through the generations orally until the 17th century. Then, Charles Perrault published his book of tales, which included "Cinderella," as the Tales of Mother Goose. As fairy tales evolved, they were sometimes grisly, sometimes clearly for adults and others for children.9
According to M. Jo Worthy and Janet W. Bloodgood, Cinderella versions can be categorized in three universal ways. The first category shows the heroine being mistreated by a stepmother or stepsisters. This is evident in The Persian Cinderella and Yeh-Shen. The second category shows extreme sibling rivalry. This is represented vividly in Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters. The third category has a daughter fleeing an unnatural or misunderstanding father, as in Princess Furball. 10 Obviously, this is not an appropriate theme for third graders to deal with, so I will not be referring to that category.
Cultural Influence
How much does the culture of a place influence a story from that place? The storyteller, or author, gives us a snapshot of the food, festivals, clothing, and traditions of the area. Because there are so many different versions of Cinderella from around the world, we are privy to those cultures through the story. For example, in The Persian Cinderella we find that the women and girls are confined to a certain section of the house. They also have to cover their faces when they go out to shop so strangers cannot look at them. In Yeh-Shen we learn that some people of southern China used to live in caves. Also, there was a spring festival during the T'ang dynasty where young people socialized in preparation for marrying. In Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters we are told that a king in southern Africa would send word to villages for girls to appear before him so he could choose a wife. We also learn that yams were eaten in that part of Africa.
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