Readings in Folklore and Culture – Cinderella Comparison

One of the best-known fairy tales in the world is Cinderella. It has appeared in the folklore of many cultures, with over 500 versions alone in Europe. In order to evaluate how cultural values are reflected in literature, you will read and compare two versions of Cinderella with the American “Disney” version. As you read through the different versions, think about what behaviors reveal the characters’ values, how the geography and natural resources are worked into the story, as well as the traditional values of the times and societies in which they originated.

DETAILS:

• Comparison of two Cinderella stories with the Disney version (using instructor-supplied graphic organizer) – the 2 stories are:

1) Katie Woodencloak is sometimes referred to as Katie Woodengown. It’s a Norwegian Cinderella tale gathered by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in Norske Folkeeventyr, also known as Popular Tales from the Norse.

2) Rashin-Coatie. Collected and published by author George Scott Douglas, Rashin-Coatie is a Scottish fairy tale sometimes referred to as Rushen-Coatie.

• Research on the culture of the countries involved

• Archetypical model comparison relating to:
  • Setting
  • Characters
  • Story details
  • Symbolism

• Bibliography of sources (Works Cited) in MLA format

The final product will be a PowerPoint presentation & the graphic organizer synthesizing the information outlined above.

ATTACHED – TEMPLATE FOR GRAPHIC ORGANIZER, EXAMPLE ORGANIZER & EXAMPLE PRESENTATION