19-09-2017, 04:07 PM
Cinderella or the little glass slipper, is a popular tale that embodies a myth element of unjust oppression and triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known all over the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances, who are suddenly switched to remarkable fortune. The story of Rhodopis, related by the Greek geographer Strabo around the year 7 a. C., on a Greek slave that marries the king of Egypt, is usually considered like the first known variant of the history of "Cinderella". The first European literary version of the story was published in Italy by Giambattista Basile in his Pentamerone in 1634; the most popular version was first published by Charles Perrault in Histoires ou contes du temps passé in 1697, and later by Brothers Grimm in his popular short story Grimms Fairy Tales in 1812.
Although the title of the story and the name of the main character change in different languages, in English folklore "Cinderella" is the archetypal name. By analogy, the word "Cinderella" has come to mean one whose attributes were not recognized, or which unexpectedly achieves recognition or success after a period of darkness and neglect. The still popular story of "Cinderella" continues to influence popular culture internationally, lending elements of the plot, allusions and tropes to a wide variety of media. The Aarne-Thompson system classifies Cinderella as "the persecuted heroine."
Although the title of the story and the name of the main character change in different languages, in English folklore "Cinderella" is the archetypal name. By analogy, the word "Cinderella" has come to mean one whose attributes were not recognized, or which unexpectedly achieves recognition or success after a period of darkness and neglect. The still popular story of "Cinderella" continues to influence popular culture internationally, lending elements of the plot, allusions and tropes to a wide variety of media. The Aarne-Thompson system classifies Cinderella as "the persecuted heroine."