Fairytales that Stood the Test of Time

Little did he know that when he published "Cendrillon" in 1697, Charles Perrault's remarkable French fairytale would be remixed into a plethora of films, novels, television shows, songs, and much more for hundreds of years to come. Perrault's tale, a fantasy that intertwined a variety of elements into one story, from the underlying messages about social class structure at the time, to the position and status of women in society, among other things.

Walt Disney, an American entrepreneur, animator, voice actor, and film producer, developed "Cinderella" as a film remix of "Cendrillon" which quickly became an American and worldwide classic. Through his remix of Perrault's original fairytale, Disney was able to recapture the essence of the story, adding his own twists here and there and a touch of Disney magic in order to keep the memory of “Cendrillon” alive for the enjoyment of generations to come.

Disney’s remix can potentially be classified as an example of “imperial plagiarism,” as defined by Jonathan Lethem in “The Ecstasy of Influence” since he had “free use of Third World or ‘primitive’ artworks and styles” as a privileged artist (Lethem, 68). Living in the 1900’s, Disney had access to a wide variety of resources in the United States which did not exist to Perrault in the 1600’s, although Perrault technically was not from what would be defined as a “Third World Country” in modern times, per se.

Another example of an instance where Perrault’s story was remixed is the German version by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, or the Brothers Grimm. This version borrowed similar aspects from “Cendrillon” such as the glass slipper and the fact that Cinderella (or Aschenputtel as she is known in this version) was basically a maid. However, this version is not as family-friendly as Walt Disney’s film. For instance, one twist was that one of the stepsisters cuts off a toe and the other cuts off a chunk of her heel because they were desperate to be the prince’s match.

Thanks to remixes, the essence and core of Perrault’s “Cendrillon” will live on in the hearts of millions for as long as his fairytale continues to be remixed, from shows such as “Once Upon a Time,” songs such as “White Horse” by Taylor Swift, movies such as “A Cinderella Story,” to novels such as “Cinder” by Marissa Meyer and “Ella Enchanted” by Gail Carson Levine. As long as remixes keep occurring, “Cendrillon” will prosper forever.

(405 words)