Reframing the Cinderella Gender Pattern through Space and Time

Abstract

In fairy tales, the “from-rags-to-riches” formula is perhaps the most well known. Among the countless variants, scholars have identified two different, but equally long-lasting, tale types: AT510A (“Cinderella”) and AT510B (“Cap o’ Rushes”). Present in almost every culture’s folkloric repertoire, every variation appears to be unique, shaped by the different cultural contexts and historical periods. In the initial part of my study, I concentrate on the literary versions of the Cinderella tale. I first compare and contrast the variants of the tale type AT510B belonging to different cultures, and I then proceed by comparing Basile, Perrault’s and the Grimms’ versions of tale type AT510A. In the second part of the thesis, I consider the different visual and ethnic representations of the Cinderella tale by taking a number of picturebooks as example. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the substantial “eternity” and adaptability of the different Cinderella tale types and how they can be and have been, “exploited” in order to transmit specific messages and ideologies.