Select ONE of the Cinderella students and address the questions below:
1. What lesson does your Cinderella story teach? In other words, what is the moral of the
story?
2. What did you learn about the culture in which your selected story was set? What is
valued in this culture, and how can you tell it is valued?
3. What messages does your story send about how women should act and what they
should look like?
4. Do you think your Cinderella is a good story for young girls to read? Why or why not?
5. Which Cinderella story was your least favorite story? Why?
Sample Solution
I selected the Korean Cinderella story, “The Little Peach Tree”. The moral of this story is that hard work and perseverance will pay off in the end. It teaches readers to never give up on their goals no matter how difficult they may seem.
Sample Solution
I selected the Korean Cinderella story, “The Little Peach Tree”. The moral of this story is that hard work and perseverance will pay off in the end. It teaches readers to never give up on their goals no matter how difficult they may seem.
This tale reflects the cultural values of Korea. Throughout the story, there is an emphasis on family loyalty and respect for elders and authority figures. The father’s response when his daughter requests a peach tree (even though he was aware it would be very difficult to get) showed that he trusted her judgment and wanted her to follow through with what she set out to do. There were also several instances throughout the story where characters expressed gratitude or kindness towards one another as a sign of respect, which further illustrates the cultural value placed on politeness and good manners.
The messages conveyed by this Cinderella story suggest that women should act passively and avoid speaking out too much or voicing their opinions in order to maintain respectful relationships with those around them. This particular version of Cinderella does not focus heavily on physical appearance but instead emphasizes character traits such as humility, patience, and determination as being more important than looks for a woman’s success in life.
I think this version of Cinderella can serve as a positive role model for young girls because it encourages them to have faith in themselves even when faced with opposition from others or difficult tasks ahead of them. The main character displays strength while still exhibiting qualities such as gratitude which can help make her relatable to readers who are looking for inspiration in their own journeys towards success.
My least favorite Cinderella story was “Ye Xian”, due simply to personal preference since I found its plot less interesting compared to other stories we read about during class discussions.
