Today in class, we discussed the two different forms of Cinderella. In a couple of versions, she is portrayed as a strong dependent woman who can easily fend on her own. In another version, Cinderella is categorized as weak, unopinionated, and naive. The plot usually remains the same (loses her slipper, meets a prince, overcomes every obstacle, etc.) however, it is striking how different these two versions of her are. Sometimes I wonder which Cinderella I would be if I was placed in one of those situations. I would like to think I could be headstrong, determined, and brave. However, a part of me believes I might sometimes be that naive, speechless person. I think that the modern woman is a combination of these two Cinderellas. We all have our moments where we wish we would have spoken up. However, we also have experiences where we stood up for what we believed and were proud of it. These two Cinderellas are two extremes of a common woman in today's society. I know right now I am going through an experience where I do not know if I should stand up for something, or just give up. Hopefully, I will choose the right Cinderella.

Feminism

In class, we discussed how many feminists look down on children's literature because of the fact many of the main characters are seen as weak and need to be protected. I can see their point in some of the stories, however I believe these stories should not be taken that seriously. These stories are beautiful tales that have been passed on by oral tradition because they are full of fun, adventure, and romance. This is why they have been a part of our culture for so long because children love to escape in these fairy tales. I always loved the Disney Princesses, and still do to this day. Mostly I still love them because they allow me to go back to my childhood and reminisce on when I believed I could be a princess too. My favorite princess was Belle from Beauty and the Beast. My dad always tells me I was obsessed with the movie and had everything from the Beauty and the Beast beach towel to the suitcase. She remined me of myself, and I looked up to that character in many ways. I understand woman do not want their children to learn to be dependent on a man. However, these tales helped make my childhood fun and exciting. Because of that, these stories will always be cherished by me.

Snow White

In class, we have been reading the different versions of Snow White. I have to say that my favorite version of Snow White is the one collected by Brothers Grim. This is most likely because I grew up watching Snow White as a young girl, and even played the Bashful Dwarf in a ballet. I enjoyed it because of how frightening the stepmom can be in this version of the story. It's almost shocking however how naive Snow White can be. Her character is a stark contrast compared to that of the stepmother. It's interesting because in society today many woman who are strong and independent are viewed like the evil stepmother. Martha Stewart for example made an empire out of nothing but is seen as a scary rude person. However, if a man was as successful as Martha Stewart, society would see him as smart and cunning. It is amazing how society has changed in many ways since the 1800s but still remains very similar.

Pirate Island

While working at a day care on Thursday, I had bought the kids a book entitled Pirate Island. It is a children's book about a young boy who goes on a pirate adventure with his dad and dog Scout. The four boys I babysit for really loved this book when I read it to them. I knew they would because the oldest Kyle loves to pretend he is a pirate. It probably also had to do with the fact that it came wih a sword, pirate hat, and gold coin. It had really great pictures in it as well that the kids enjoyed. For this book, I decided to write an acrostic poem spelling the word pirate.

Plank is used to cross over to the deserted island.
Islands hidden with different treasures for his Dad, Scout and himself to uncover secret pleasures.
Retrieving the gold coin secretly placed for the child to pass the family's pirate test.
Adventures galore as a dad and his son explore
Teaching his son all about pirate fun
Escaping from reality with a very imaginative family.