Ella Evolving: Cinderella Stories and the Construction of Gender-Appropriate Behavior

This article considers the cultural messages embedded in the patriarchal canon of fairy tales and their implications for the construction of gender-appropriate behavior. The characteristics of feminist re-visions of fairy tales are discussed, and studies that explore the importance of access to alternative discourses in order for children to challenge dominant ideology are reviewed. Finally, four versions of Cinderella are analyzed, considering if and how they provide children with alternative positions to occupy.