Angelina Lui, Period 2, 10/12/22

 Modern Mythology 2023

○ Literacy & Learning

■ Write about your thoughts regarding any of the fiction or nonfiction

covered in class.

■ Reflect on any new information you have learned in English class by

considering how that learning influences your critical perception.

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

around you?

It was interesting to read the many different versions of Cinderella. Something that I

noticed while reading the different versions was how culture and the time period it was

written could affect aspects of how the story is told. Our morals and values today are

obviously going to be different from the morals and values in the past. This is because

society is never stagnant; it changes and develops. Modern retellings of fairy tales are

less dark because we believe that children should not be exposed to disturbing content.

For example, past versions of Cinderella had the cruel step sisters get punished terribly

(ex: being cooked alive in a pot of boiling oil) but modern stories may emphasize the

importance of forgiveness. In Lin Lan, a Chinese version of Cinderella, the heroine

marries a scholar instead of a prince. This may be because intelligence and education is

valued in Chinese culture. However, in all versions of Cinderella, Cinderella achieves her

happiness in the end.

Something new that I learned in English class was how fairytales were used to mold the

intended audience, which were children. For example, fairy tales illustrate the battle

between good and evil and teaches us how good always triumphs. A child’s brain isn’t

fully developed so it's easier to influence to our liking. Parents want to start teaching the

morals and values written in fairytales at a young age so when they grow up, they

maintain these ideals. These fairy tales can also teach children what not to be like

because the villains always meet a terrible end. It’s kind of like threatening/warning

your child. If you are like this, you will end up just like them. It makes me wonder how

modern media, such as children’s TV shows or family movies influence how children

grow up to be like.

Learning about fairytales can help us learn about what other cultures and societies in

past time periods valued. Analyzing fairy tales and reading them critically can help us

understand how other people think and feel. Critical lens theory doesn’t apply to just

fairy tales either; it can be used with any form of literature. Using critical lens theory

with any texts I read in the future will allow me to come up with meaningful

interpretations.