 Look for symbolic, or some other, significance for the specific items and animals chosen (for the coach and staff) and/or the numbers of each chosen.  Compare the speech patterns of Cinderella and the stepmother and stepsisters. Are there noticeable differences in cadence? Do any use more (or less) figurative or poetic language than the others? Do any speak noticeably more (or less) than the others?

 Examine the stepmother and stepsisters as archetypal villains. Examine the chores Cinderella must complete (especially involving the beans in the fireplace in Grimm version) as the archetypal catalogue of difficult tasks.

 What can we infer about the society in which this story—considering, especially, the violence and vengeance in the Grimm version—would evolve and be told to young children?  What can we infer about property and inheritance laws in the society in which “Cinderella” evolved? What can we infer about the society’s view of royalty and monarchic power?

 Became a dominant force in Western literary studies in the late 1970’s, but has developed in a number of ways since the early 1980’s  Began by analyzing literary texts via close reading and historical scholarship  This meant exploring how women were portrayed in the texts  Exposing patriarchal ideology implicit in the so-called classics  Demonstrating attitudes and traditions reinforcing systematic masculine dominance

 Consider the potentially misogynist theme of abused-girl-waiting-to-be-rescued-by- prince.  Consider the values conveyed in the portrayal of the “good girl” as physically beautiful and the “wicked girls” as physically ugly.

 Sleeping Beauty: Princess Aurora  She does nothing except fall asleep and cry over being a princess  She barely speaks in the movie, maybe 100 words  Her beauty and singing voice were not given to her naturally, only by fairies  Thus portraying the two most important things for a princess/woman: beauty and a great singing voice

 Ariel is 16 and portrayed as knowing what is best for her  She made a deal with the evil Ursula, who is the only other woman in the story, and who is also powerful. But being a powerful woman she portrayed as being evil, and overweight  The only time Ariel is attractive is when she has no voice

 Began with 19 th century German Philosopher Karl Marx and Frederich Engels  Best known for Das Kapital (1867), the seminal work of the communist movement  Marx was the first Marxist literary critic  Discussed art, politics, and basic economic reality in terms of a general social theory  Economics, they argue, provides the base, or infrastructure of society, from which a bigger structure consisting of law, politics, philosophy, religion, and art emerges

 Defined as a type of criticism in which literary works are viewed as the product of work  Emphasizes the role of class and ideology they reflect, propagate, and even challenge the prevailing social order  Assumes that each society is made up of a set of concepts, beliefs, values, and ways of thinking influenced by economic and class structures  Consider: Who has the money/power? Who doesn’t?, What happens as a result in differences in power and money? Relate context of work to social class of author and/or time period al_define/crit)marx.html

 Consider Cinderella as a representative of the proletariat: oppressed by her bourgeoisie stepmother and stepsisters, who have stolen her rightful inheritance and turned her into a servant in her own home; - desiring to join the ranks of the bourgeoisie by marrying the prince.

 Viewed as upper class (lions) trying to maintain power over an unhappy lower class (hyenas)  The lower class resents the privileges of better food and hunting grounds that the upper class maintains  This conflict causes a rebellion, which disrupts the normal social order causing chaos and destruction

 Originated in the work of psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, who pioneered psychoanalysis  Literary works were read sometimes as fantasies that allowed authors to indulge repressed wishes, to protect themselves from deep-seated anxieties or both  Views texts as an expression of personality, state of mind, feelings and desires of the author  Looks for the distinction between conscious and unconscious motives of character and author

 Questions/Ideas to consider  Consider the authors personality to explain and interpret the text  What psychological theories are present in the characters (Oedipal complex, obsessive compulsive, sexual repression, denial, guilt)  What repressed material is expressed in imagery or symbols?

- Consider Cinderella as a representative of the id —expressing desire. Consider the stepmother and stepsisters as representatives of the superego—preventing the id from fulfilling its desire.  Consider the fairy godmother and the prince as representatives of the ego—negotiating between the id and the superego and allowing the desires of the id to be fulfilled in a socially acceptable manner.

 Can be viewed as classic case of sibling rivalry  Scar is savagely jealous of his much stronger. Powerful, older brother Mufasa  Can be viewed as classic struggle to overcome feelings of guilt or inadequacy which Simba feels after the death of his father