Over the years, the romance genre has expanded to include a wide variety of stories. And with that expansion has come new types of heroines. Now, in addition to being nurses or teachers or waitresses, heroines can be corporate CEOs, attorneys, military pilots, you name it. I've loved romances with a great many different types of heroines, but I still find myself drawn to the Cinderella character type. I don't mean only Cinderella herself, but also all those wonderful heroines who start out as life's underdog, the poor girl whom no one loves but who in the end finds happiness with the hero everyone would have thought beyond her reach.I don't believe a woman should define herself by the man in her life, but who among us didn't dream when we were young of a prince falling in love with us and sweeping us off our feet? Cinderella has inspired countless book heroines, and movies like The Prince and Me, Maid in Manhattan, and Pretty Woman star a girl who is either normal or one of the forgotten who gets the guy way above her station in life. It's a powerful fantasy that even shows up in classic novels like Jane Eyre.
I have Jane Eyre on the brain because I watched the Masterpiece Theatre production starring Ruth Wilson and Toby Stevens today. I'd read Jane Eyre way back in high school, so it'd been a long time since I'd been immersed in the story. But when Jane was abandoned by her family, left alone in the world and unloved, it broke my heart. Watching her fall in love with Mr. Rochester, a man she knew she couldn't have, was equally hard to see. Not to mention the revelation of mad Bertha's existence and thus the crushing of Jane's hope. But because Jane has gone through so much in her life, it's so much more thrilling when she inherits money, earning her independence, and then finally finds enduring love with Edward Rochester.What about you? Do you like the Cinderella type story? If so, which ones do you like most?
21 comments:
Oh, yeah.
Trish this is a great article. It doesn't matter how independent I get, these stories still give me the best happily ever after.
I have only one Cinderella story manuscript in those I've written, and it's not a straight up Cinderella, but a bit of a spin off.
I don't know why I haven't written more of them. I don't know anyone who reads the genre who doesn't love the Cinderella story. I'm not entirely certain what makes it so universal. Maybe it's the underdog part of it? Seeing Cinderella mistreated? Do you suppose that's what makes it so universally appealing--she gets what's "owed" her by the universe after enduring that hardship?
Whatever it is, it never fails to nail me in the heart. Now I wanna see this adaptation you mentioned!
I think it is the triumph of the underdog, Cassondra. I'm a big fan of the underdog in most things -- stories, sports, whatever.
Hey did you get the adaptation on video or did you see it on tv?
I got it on DVD from the library.
Excellent article, Trish. Despite all rational thought and the cold logic of my brain, I LOVE a Cinderella story. I wonder if it's because when each of us finds her "prince" in real life, it's our own Cinderella story and part of us believes we were so lucky to find him.
I have to admit my favorite is PRETTY WOMAN. I've watched that movie dozens of times, unrealistic as it is, and I never fail to get that HEA tingle when Richard Gene climbs that fire escape ladder.
That is a good scene, Jo. I still want that red dress Julia Roberts wore in that movie.
Me too Trish. I want the hat Julia Roberts wore to the races(not the polka dot dress though--not into polka dots), and I want that little black dress she had on in the bar...oh and her legs...I want her figure too...hmmm....her personal shopper from that fancy store...her whole wardrobe--Richard Gere's platinum visa...hmmm.
As far as hunky guys goes, Richard Gere doesn't do it for me, but he's great in that film.
Jo, I agree Pretty Woman is one of the best Cinderella stories ever.
Cassondra, I agree with you on Richard Gere.
Trish, what a great article. Actually I think one of the reasons people respond to Cinderella (and believe me, I do!) is that she's gutsy. She takes all that yucky stuff and she still keeps her heart and her hope and her ability to love. I think it's wrong to see her as a sugary sweet weakling. I like strength in a heroine and the underdog story makes me aware of just how strong that gal is to survive what she's been through.
The new Jane Eyre is great, isn't it? I must say it's one of my favorite stories - again because Jane is so strong when it would be so much easier not to be in a lot of the events in her life. You're cheering for her by the end when she gets everything she deserves, including life with the man she loves. JE is on my mind at the moment too as I've been watching the old (early 80s) version with Timothy Dalton. Great stuff!
Anna Campbell said:
she's gutsy. She takes all that yucky stuff and she still keeps her heart and her hope and her ability to love.
Anna, I can see exactly this in your heroine from Untouched! And I admired that about her in your book, BTW. It's obvious you've given this Cinderella thing a good amount of thought!
I loved the Cinderella story and continue to love stories along that line.It makes you feel good. I am not a Jane Eyre fan but then again I've never seen a movie of the story and hated reading the book. I've also never seen "Pretty Woman".
I love a Cinderella story.
Anna, I think you're totally right about Cinderella and Jane being gutsy gals who don't give up despite all the bad things that happen to them.
Hey Trish! Love, love the Cinderella story. I used to watch the Leslie Ann Warren version every year. And yes I can sing all the verses to "In My Own Little Corner"!
I love the PRETTY WOMAN story, because she does discover herself long before he comes to sweep her off her feet at the end. Jude Devereaux had a group of four books with Velevet in the title, years ago. The first one is about a man who marries a plain woman for her dowery. His clan desperately needs the funds. But she not only brings the money, but digs herself a place in the clan's hearts and finally the husband recognizes how valuable she is as a person and how much he loves and depends on her. AWWWWW. Love that book...hmmm...gotta dig through the Keeper chests.
That sounds like a great Jude Devereaux book, Suz. Must check that out. FYI -- Jude is an alum of the same college I went to.
Trish, what a lovely post. That production of Jane Eyre was superb, wasn't it? Actually, it's so apposite that you write about Cinderella because on the Disney channel here they've been advertising Cinderella III. Didn't even know there was a Cinderella II but then I'm a bit out of touch.LOL
There's a snatch of song where she says, "I'm a princess and a wife/all because I fit a shoe." That's not really the reason the prince wanted her, is it? He fell in love with her at that ball.
I think Cinderella stories are very satisfying but only when I see the two of them connecting at a level that goes beyond her beauty and his wealth and power. There has to be something deeper, or I'm not really interested. Pretty Woman is a romance that probably wouldn't survive a stock market crash.
Trish, I'm a sucker for a Cinderella story. I loved Georgette Heyer's Fredericka, definitely a Cinderella tale.
I agree with Christine about needing a deeper connection than her beauty and his status for a Cinderella tale to connect with me. I saw it in Pretty Woman in the way Vivian affected the business deals and in the way the Gere character (blanking here) faced down his friend for her, but everyone has different standards for that.
Cassondra, he's not my idea of a hunk either, but I can see why some people think he is. He was good in First Knight, an Arthurian I thought was, in many ways, disappointing.
It's like a beauty-and-beast tale. The deeper connection in the Disney film and in most such stories made the heroine's ascent to wealth and prestige acceptable. I think we Americans tend to prefer true love over the marriage of convenience, even where the marriage is a reward.
Anna C., I'd watch ANYthing with Timothy Dalton. I loved him as Bond. After Roger Moore's sort of humorous, laid-back take on the character, I liked having a Bond who looked lethal.
Great post, Trish! I love a Cinderella story because I do love rooting for the underdog. And as it's been mentioned, Cinderella is a fighter. She may need help going after what she wants, but she takes opportunities when they come her way and makes the most of them *g*
Trish, I definitely root for the underdog. I think most of us can identify with her. My favorite Cinderella movies: I like the movie, Ever After with Drew Barrymore and I absolutely LOVE the movie, Happily N'Ever After.
I recently read Ella Enchanted and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Rae Ann, I haven't read Ella Enchanted but I love the movie.
I love that lots of modern writers have added twists to the Cinderella story. Like Hector Elizondo as the hotel concierge/fairy godmother in Pretty Woman. Fun!
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