Levine, G.C. (1997). Ella enchanted. New York: HarperCollins.
As a fractured fairytale, this novel is a
retelling of the ever-popular Cinderella with a few twists and
interesting revisions to bring the story into our modern world. It is a wonderful representation of person against person conflict as we
sometimes envision a “good” character such as Ella battling an “evil”
stepmother. As a modern version of Cinderella, Ella provides
a young girl who isn’t perfect as our strong central character, but she is able
to overcome adversity to win in the end. With all of the different peoples and lands
described, this story teaches clear lessons about social sensitivity and
cultural diversity.
When our protagonist was born, Eleanor of Frell
was given a very special gift by “that fool of a fairy, Lucinda”—the gift of
obedience. According to Ella, anyone
could control her with a direct command, but a wish or request had no effect.
Not obeying meant Ella would suffer nausea and other pains. Ella’s
mother dies and Ella is left with her father, Sir Peter, and the cook,
Mandy. Upon further questioning, Ella
discovers that Mandy is her fairy godmother, but Mandy cannot help Ella with
her curse although she does give Ella a wonderful magic book. Among many colorful and imaginative
characters, Ella meets Prince Char, and she falls in love with him. As the
story progresses, Ella attends a masquerade ball at the castle, and meets
Prince Char again. He doesn’t recognize
her, and he falls in love with “Lela” who leaves behind a beautiful glass
slipper. As with any fairytale, our
story travels many unexpected twists and turns before reaching “happily ever
after.”
I have always enjoyed Cinderella, in all
its many versions of the traditional fairytale, but I appreciate the extra step
that Levine has taken with this perspective.
In reality, Ella’s curse is a disability. Levine’s characterization
of Ella, showing us her unselfish actions and strong-willed personality
through colorful dialogue and familiar interactions with others, teaches us that we can overcome our
disabilities or mistakes with patience, love, and understanding. Levine took the familiar characters and went
just a little farther to create a new and fresh outlook on a “tried and true”
moral with a fairytale ending. For students, this novel could be used during a discussion about point of view in a Language Arts class. Because it is written in first person from Ella’s perspective, we are able to learn her thoughts and feelings immediately. Sometimes, it is quite obvious what Ella is about: “I wanted to make him laugh again. I pawed the ground with my right foot and tossed my head as though I had a mane.” (41) It would be interesting for students to consider what happens to a story when written from a different perspective, which is just the idea of a fractured fairytale. Moreover, this novel could be beneficial during lessons about diversity in a Social Studies class when you consider the different cultures, languages, and races of characters that Levine writes about in this fantasy world of Ella Enchanted.
Big Questions: Is there a difference between fate and destiny? If so, how do we describe that difference? Should we always accept our fate or try to change it like Ella? How can we learn to be more accepting of others?
Although I have never read the story, thanks to having a younger sister, I have seen the movie. I found your reflection to be quite strong and it sounds as if the story itself is a refreshing take on a traditional fantasy. I like you pointed out that the book is told from the first person perspective of Ella; this obviously provides a depth of character by allowing the reader to know her thoughts and make her relatable. Just a thought on Ella's "gift"-could this be used as a satire or social commentary on traditional women's roles in society?
ReplyDeleteGOOD question, Chad!
ReplyDelete