“Cinderella’s Secret Dream” by Ena Lucia Portela is based on the famous fairy tale, “Cinderella.” There are many twists and differences from the original fairy tale. Where the original fairy tale is set in the medieval period, this version is set in more modern times (maybe the 1990’s). Cleis (Cinderella) does not want to marry that multimillionaire (Prince Charming) due to him being more abusive. Cleis also dreams of being an actress in a soap opera instead. As a result of that and her taking one of her step-sisters’, Lotta’s shoes, Lotta gets the prince. Cleis’ step-sister, Lotta, is murdered by the multimillionaire. The step-mother then goes insane after the loss of her daughter. The prince dies in a helicopter crash after getting away with murder, thanks to his many lawyers. The overall story is more shocking than the original.
How do the twists affect the story? Everyone and their moms have already heard some form of the classic fairy tale many times before, so Portela had to try and make this version more original. Most of these twists don’t happen until the end of the story, when the multimillionaire hosts the party. With these twists, Portela makes the story more engaging and provocative. These changes to the story makes Cleis seem more independent and relatable than Cinderella. They also make the ending quite bittersweet. Cleis gets her dream job, but Lotta and the prince die, while the step-mother is in an insane asylum.
Hi Vanessa, I think the way Portela portrays a modern and realistic Cinderella in the form of Cleis is very interesting as well. Instead of the stereotypical damsel in distress, Portela paints a really different character that defies many of the gender norms today. Until recently, strong and independent woman were not a prominent feature in many works, especially not ones in porn magazines tailored at the male audience. Portela demonstrates the shift in the portrayal of women in this era.