Tag Archives: Cinderella’s Secret Dream

11/4/21

No More Ingénue

The most impactful and memorable scene in Portela’s “Cinderella’s Secret Dream” is the part where Cleis “turns and knees [the billionaire] in the crotch”(4). This scene stands out because it flashes intense imagery for the audience who has experienced the same event. An immense blunt force applied to the genital area is universally hated by all— not only does it inflict pain for the initial impact, but it also lingers exponentially based on the strength of said force. Before the 21st century, objectified women were normal — people treated — no — handled women like junk. Easily expendable and replaceable, even if they were their own sweat and blood. For women, this scene can symbolize a shift against patriarchy — a non-male fighting back against the oppression of the other genders — publicized in a male dominated porn mag. Cleis, the character, careens away from some main gender stereotypes. For example, women are often expected to be accommodating and emotional, while men are usually expected to be self-confident and aggressive. By asserting dominance over the wealthy businessman, Cleis established herself to be less accommodative and more self-assured and confrontative.  Furthermore, it is important to note that Cleis is only doing housework because the story, or society as a whole, wedged her into it. She wanted to become an actress — she eventually does become an actress (5), but gender norms and her stepfamily obligated her out of it. Not convinced yet? Cleis, herself, confirmed her own aggressive personality traits by opting to play the “villainess” in the soap operas.

11/2/21

Regan: A Night Predator (“Cinderella’s Secret Dream” )

Is it obvious that “Cinderella’s Secret Dream” is a story about four women, each in pain, and each trying to cope with this pain. However, the way in which each woman is referred to reflects the perceptions of the narrator herself. Regan, the narrator, often demonstrates her opinions and thoughts with her keen observations. But since she is narrating the story, one cannot trust the accuracy of her words. For example, she portrays Cleis in a beautiful light, often praising her beauty and attributing her behaviours as virtues. Meanwhile, she compares her own family members with the worst vices and attributes. Her hatred for her family could be a projection of the hatred she feels for herself. Throughout the story, she barely refers to herself, and when she does, she often does it in a dark light. I believe she uses her family as a means to outwardly express her own self-hatred instead of directly hating herself. Her low self-esteem is softly noted by the audience when it is revealed that it was her that used the worst description to portray herself. Interestingly, Regan compares herself to an owl multiple times, however, it is important to note that owls are predators. Similarly, Regan is a predator; she uses negative mental thoughts to “harm” her family and herself. In addition, Regan is similar to an owl because owls use the dark to prey. Likewise, the reason for Regan’s hatred is because she keeps her thoughts in the dark by not letting anyone know them. Thus, not letting anyone return feedback on the correctness of her thoughts. She is only able to prey on herself and her family because it is located in the dark (a place where no one knows; her mind).