Objectives
Cinderella variants from around the world contain the same story elements. I will be focusing on just three versions in my unit: the African Cinderella, the Persian or Iranian Cinderella, and the Chinese Cinderella. Exploring the commonalities of storytelling in these three cultures (Africa, Iran, and China) will help to show how Cinderella has withstood the test of time and distance around the world. My goal is to show the "sameness" despite all the differences. One of the commonalities in all three variants is the Cinderella character's kindness, as well as her beauty. In Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters, Nyasha is kind to the little green garden snake and shares her food with a hungry boy and old woman along the path instead of having any lunch herself. In The Persian Cinderella, Settareh gives one of her precious coins to an old beggar woman in the bazaar instead of using it to buy cloth for her new dress. In Yeh-Shen, A Cinderella Story from China, Yeh-Shen shared her tiny bit of food with a fish everyday, even though she was starving. All three characters have physical beauty along with their inner beauty, which makes them endearing in the stories.
One culminating lesson of the unit will have students writing another version of the Cinderella story set in an entirely different culture (modern America), inserting different "hinge functions." I learned in the Storytelling around the Globe Seminar that hinge functions are things that are necessary for the story to proceed. In the case of Cinderella, one magic object could easily be substituted for a different one depending on the country of origin. In the version from Iran, it's a blue jug. In the African version, it's a little green snake. In the Chinese version, it's fish bones. Even though the African version does not have the Cinderella character losing an article, there is a diamond-studded anklet lost in the Persian version, and a golden slipper lost in the Chinese version.
For my unit I have chosen Cinderella stories from Africa, Persia (Iran), and China. These are three of the countries that we enjoyed films from in the storytelling seminar. Also, the state and district standards in the social sciences have third graders learning about the diversity of cultures within the United States. It is hoped that students will appreciate how each culture's unique clothing, music, and food has contributed to the wonderful diversity of our country. Besides learning about the ancient civilization of China in second grade, third graders also learn about the ancient civilization of western Africa (Mali). Iran is a place of rich history and traditions. It is also becoming a topic of discussion at many dinner tables in the United States because of the political tension.
It is my hope that examining the cultural influence on these three stories will help my students appreciate those cultures, and open up a wider view of the world. In my urban school I have students whose world is limited to the city limits. They may never have the opportunity to travel to Africa, Iran, or China, but at least their world view will be expanded. One lesson of the unit will have students using a graphic organizer to compare and contrast the three cultures as it relates to each story variant.
Cinderella is a story with a lesson or moral, that good will always triumph over evil in the end. Oddly, this concept is set in a family context. This is another benefit of using this story because it will show my students that bad things sometimes happen to good people. Bad things can happen in their world, their families, or at school. Many of my students have grown up in some difficult situations where bad things have happened to them. Hopefully, they can identify with the Cinderella character and have hope for happier days ahead.
Besides identifying with the Cinderella story on a personal level, my hope is that my students will get a glimpse of the story's social implications. In all three versions, there are people or animals mentioned who are of limited means or in need. In Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters, it's the hungry boy and an old woman. In The Persian Cinderella, it's the beggar woman in the bazaar. In Yeh-Shen, it's the fish. My students are all exposed to poverty and need on a daily basis. What will be their reaction when a neighbor has to borrow money for bus fare, or they pass homeless men resting on the sidewalk, or they see a classmate's family being evicted from their apartment? I hope my students will use the Cinderella story has their model for social decisions.
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