Cinderella Today
Cinderella’s Transformation
As we have seen, the story of Cinderella likely
has very ancient origins and has traveled and
be re-told in various versions across the globe.
The story of Cinderella continues to influence
our culture very heavily today…
Cinderella in Idioms
• Remember idioms?
• Idioms are expressions or phrases that cannot
be taken literally, but have a figurative
meaning known by most speakers of the
language.
• One popular idiom used today is: If the shoe
fits…
• When people say this, they mean that if
something applies to you, you should just
accept it.
Cinderella in Idioms
• For example,
Evil Queen: “My magic mirror said I was the
most jealous person he has ever met!”
Snow White: “Well, if the shoe fits…”
• This expression used to be said “If the cap
fits…” but was probably changed around the
1800s due to popular stories of Cinderella and
her shoe-filled adventures. 
More Cinderella Phrases
• Another commonly used phrase that may
have come about due to Cinderella’s story is
from rags to riches.
• We use this phrase to describe any person or
story who rises from poverty into wealth, just
like Cinderella, who once wore rags before she
became a queen.
Cinderella Adaptations
• According to researchers, the story of
Cinderella continues to be one of the most
popular and most adapted stories of all time.
• Adapting a story means that you take the
story and change it to fit the current times,
situation, or a different medium (film, play,
poem, novel, etc.)
• There are various and numerous modern
adaptations of the basic Cinderella story.
Cinderella Adaptations in Film
• Disney’s Cinderella (Animated) (1950):
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUxAlnY
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• A Cinderella Story (2004):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gt_ZXRO
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• Disney’s Cinderella (2015):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRuHM6rL
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Cinderella Adaptations in Theatre
• Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (2013
Production):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlEAHwCaS4
• Cinderella on Broadway (2014)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIlFZNLtKo
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Cinderella in TV and Books
The character or story of Cinderella has also
been adapted and featured on various TV
shows (Once Upon a Time) and the basis for
many stories and books.
Example: The Ordinary Princess by M. M. Kaye
The Ordinary Princess
• Along with Wit, Charm, Health, and Courage,
Princess Amy of Phantasmorania receives a special
fairy christening gift: Ordinariness. Unlike her six
beautiful sisters, she has brown hair and freckles,
and would rather have adventures than play the
harp, embroider tapestries . . . or become a Queen.
When her royal parents try to marry her off, Amy
runs away and, because she's so ordinary, easily
becomes the fourteenth assistant kitchen maid at a
neighboring palace. And there . . . much to
everyone's surprise . . . she meets a prince just as
ordinary (and special) as she is!
Why Cinderella?
• In your opinion, why do you think the tale of
Cinderella has been told over and over again,
across the world and throughout time? What
makes it so universal? Why do we find it
appealing?
Try your hand at Cinderella!
Pretend that a film company has asked you to
create a modern-day adaptation of the story
of Cinderella; they will take your new version
of the story and turn it into the new hit movie.
So, write a story of Cinderella in our present day
modern times. The basic story should be
similar (ordinary/mistreated girl, magic, a big
event, a handsome boy), but change it as you
need to in order to make it a modern story.
•
•
•
•
Cinderella can have a different, modern name.
Give us a modern setting (not a castle)
Give it a modern twist! Ex: Give her an iPhone
Your story should be original but should also be
recognizable as a Cinderella story, just like the
different Cinderella stories from around the
world.
• The story for your movie should be 1-2 pages
long.