Ella Enchanted vs. Cinderella (Feb 3)

Although I have watched Ella Enchanted and read “Cinderella many times”, I never really thought that Ella was a version of Cinderella. I feel kind of stupid now that I think about it, but I never really put it together. After taking another look at the movie and the stories, I now see many similarities and several significant differences.

One variation between the two stories is that Ella is “cursed” with the gift of obedience. She cannot disobey when given an order and eventually, she somewhat accepts her fate because she cannot change it on her own. Cinderella is accepting of her fate as a servant to her step-mother and sisters because she cannot do anything to change her situation either. Neither character likes to obey those around them. Ella finds ways to resist doing exactly what people tell her to do and Cinderella disobeys as soon as she is given a chance.

A significant difference between Ella Enchanted and “Cinderella” is the role of the fathers. Cinderella’s father dies before the story even begins. There is no father figure present at all in the original version of the fairy tale. Ella’s father is present throughout quite a bit of the book. Although her father does not seem to particularly care much for her, he does care about her wellbeing and future. Ella’s father sends her away to finishing school and travels a lot because of his merchant business, so he is not physically around much. Ella does bring him up or think about him quite often though.

Another difference between the two variations of the fairy tale is the role of the prince. In “Cinderella,” the prince is not mentioned until at least half way through the story. His role is not all that significant. All the prince had to do was dance with Cinderella, search for the woman whose foot fit in the shoe, and marry her. His job was not all that hard. He was not even given a real name. His name was Prince Charming. The prince in Ella Enchanted has a real name, Charmont. Prince Char is introduced early into the story and he is present through most of the story. He leads a small troupe of knights and saves Ella from ogres. This prince is more active and involved than the prince in “Cinderella.” This version is more romantic, because the audience is allowed to follow along as the prince and Ella get to know each other better and fall in love.