Sophia Feng, Period 7, 9/29/22

Sophia Feng

Period 7

9/29/22

Modern Mythology 2023

Literacy & Learning

Write about your thoughts regarding any of the fiction or nonfiction covered in class.

    Recently in class, we have been discussing the different versions of Cinderella, including Donkeyskin, Lin Lan, The Three Gowns, etc. Originally, I have only read the Brothers Grimm version where Cinderella is able to complete her stepmother’s tasks with the help of her animal friends. Her stepsisters also try to fit into Cinderella’s shoe by cutting off a toe and part of a heel. As a child, I loved reading different versions of fairytales because of the different cruel punishments for the villains of the story. For example, in Brothers Grimms Snow White, the stepmother ends up dancing away in hot, red iron shoes until she fell dead. Some other versions were more disturbing, but it was interesting because of how people thought of different punishments worthy of their evil actions. Thus, reading the versions of Cinderella allowed me to see even more perspectives due to cultural and storytelling differences. 

Reflect on any new information you have learned in English class by considering how that learning influences your critical perception.

    It was interesting to read and search for critical theories in fairytales, specifically in Cinderella. Despite already looking at certain stories, such as Goldilocks with these theories, it was refreshing to see how we could apply thoughts and perspectives that we already had to an academic curriculum. Growing up, I interpreted Goldilocks as the actual villain in the story because she was the one intruding on another family’s home and stealing their things. However, by listening to different interpretations allowed me to understand Goldilocks in a Marxist Criticism theory. It was different and new because it changed how I viewed Goldilocks originally. 

How is what you’re learning applied to any other classes/the world around you?

Critical theory is not only seen in stories, it’s also found in movies, films, moments in history, etc. It’s in the world around us because it has to do with how people interpret something with their own bias or knowledge about a certain subject. For example, I was watching a TikTok where someone explained Ratatouille from a Marxist perspective. With the knowledge that they knew about class structures and racism, they were able to provide a theory where the rats symbolize colored people and the humans symbolize white people. Remy stood out because he had the resources to expand his talent for cooking, while the other rats didn’t have that opportunity.