'Rocky' as a Modern Cinderella Story Anonymous 12th Grade

The first Cinderella story appeared in China close to 1200 years ago. Since then, the tale has been adapted countless times for a variety of markets, including today’s. The fact that the anecdote is still relevant in the modern day shows the timeless nature of its message. Jill Pellettieri and Jane Yolen are several scholars who have critiqued modern day adaptations of the Cinderella story and explored their ramifications on society. One such surprising adaptation is Rocky, the story of a down-and-out Philadelphia boxer; this popular film both embraces, and departs from, classic Cinderella conventions.

In “The Cinderella Complex,” Jill Pellettieri argues that Cinderella’s “life is only complete when she’s Mrs. Prince Charming.” She also argued that fairy tales reflect the values of a society. She used the example of Perrault’s adaption. Perrault made Cinderella “well-mannered, docile, and selfless” instead of “resourceful” to please French nobility. In “America’s Cinderella” by Jane Yolen, Yolen states that there have been many innovations to the Cinderella story, but the basic elements have remained the same. The basic elements are that Cinderella is “ill-treated though rich and worthy”, she needs a “a magical gift” to change,...