The Truth about Happily Ever After

The Truth about Happily Ever After

by, Diana B. Thompson

And they lived, ‘happily ever after,’ is a typical fairytale ending.  As parents, teachers and storytellers, we think nothing of wrapping a story with this nice little bow.  But, think about it, ‘Happily ever afters,’ in stories are a product of ‘true love’;  as if  finding the perfect companion means marriage will solve every problem.  WRONG!  After the honeymoon, the real work begins.  Marriage is an opportunity to continually develop relationship skills and mutual problem solving techniques.

‘Happily ever after,’ suggests that if your marriage has problems, there is something fundamentally wrong with the relationship.  As if to say, ‘if this is the right person, there will be no problems.’ That’s where the fantasy begins, and gives an unrealistic understanding to listeners.

CinderSilly doesn’t live happily after.  She lives ‘happier ever after.’  Once she discovers her own creative capacity for solving problems, happiness is always within her reach. It does not rely on magic. It doesn’t rely on romance.  CinderSilly’s happiness is dependent on her ability to manage the challenges at hand.  Her happiness is always within her control.  Whether she marries her prince…or not.

The Stepmother Stereotype

The Stepmother Stereotype

by, Diana B. Thompson

In fairytales, stepparents are evil!  In olden days, when resources were few, a stepmother paid her allegiance to her children by denying resources to the stepchild. Stepmothers were unattractive, or beautiful with a sinister side.

CinderSilly's stepmother is different.  We see in the 1st illustration that life is good. CinderSilly is a playful part of the family.  When the family runs out of money, the conflict begins. CinderSilly and her stepmother have opposing world views. The stepmother believes that life is a chore, while CinderSilly believes life is just what you make it. Her search for power is reflected through the illustrations with point of her finger. This stepmother doesn't fit the typical stereotype. She isn't evil. She is fundamentally unhappy.  Money had insulated her for a time. When the money runs out, she is unable to see the opportunity beyond the crisis. Misery loves company, so the stepmother gives CinderSilly a series of difficult tasks to prove her point. CinderSilly overcomes each obstacle.  Her positive point of view wins is the day, and points the way.

The Magical Stroke of Midnight

The Magical Stroke of Midnight

by, Diana B. Thompson

In the traditional story of Cinderella, the heroine is transformed through magic.  There are rules to magic, and consequences to breaking them. Cinderella is faced with the humiliating threat of being transformed back into rags.

CinderSilly is not a story of magical transformation.  Instead, her clothes are on loan from a dear old friend. Her carriage is a bicycle. So, why would CinderSilly possibly leave the party at a reasonable hour?

Her friend offers CinderSilly some sage old advice:  "The sparkle wears off of every good party at midnight.".  Leave.  In the end, she sees this is true.  CinderSilly remembers her promise to leave on time and she does.  Perhaps you remember your own mom saying, ‘nothing good happens after midnight?’. Well, it’s the same thing. It’s never too early to teach children to be responsible and get home at a reasonable hour.  No magical rules, no ominous threats, just good common sense.

Saving Cinderella from the Ball

Saving Cinderella from the Ball

by, Diana B. Thomspon

The fairytale ball is a place where girls are chosen or rejected.  Opportunities for marriage can make the difference in social status and lifestyle.

Today, extravagant balls have been replaced by nightclubs and college parties. They are still a place where partners are chosen for a single dance or a lifetime. Girls who grow up with princess stories may feel an unrealistic need to be the belle of the ball. To be the chosen one.  And so, they may buy into the ‘dance’ of expectations to be beautiful, to wear the latest fashions, to fit in while standing out in a crowd.

CinderSilly helps to paint a new picture of the dance and a girl’s role in it. CinderSilly is a child, not a young woman hoping to be a bride. But, she still wants to join the fun. After trying on glass slippers, she wears her own favorite shoes instead. She gets herself to the ball on a bicycle. Her dress is simple but pretty.  She is offered glass slippers, but chooses to wear h her own momentum.

At the dance, all the girls are wearing glass slippers except CinderSilly.  At the end of the evening, we see glass slippers scattered about the floor. (After all, dancing in glass slippers is a painful a chore). CinderSilly brings a wholesome sense of play to a stuffy room, and leaves when she is ready. In the end, she joins the prince in a ball. But in this case, it's a dance of their own making; A lively game of soccer.

CinderSilly Battles the Bullies

Copyright Dramatic Adventures, Inc. 2011

CinderSilly Battles the Bullies

by, Diana B. Thompson

Every Cinderella character is a victim of bullying.  Stepmothers and stepsisters are abusive and unkind. Cinderella is at the mercy of their control. She is forced to accept injustice and passively wait for rescue. Cinderella's escape comes through outside forces. The traditional story suggests there is no internal resource for escape.

CinderSilly also battles bullies. Instead of harsh physical or emotional abuse, she faces teasing from her stepsisters. It's much more typical of the behaviors seen on playgrounds. Instead of crying in a corner, CinderSilly joins in play.  Instead of rejecting her sisters, she embraces them. Instead of despising her CinderSilly nickname, she owns it. Teasing motivates CinderSilly to find her power and she does. No hero can succeed as passive in the face of abuse. CinderSilly battles her bullies, and wins.

The Silence in Cinderella’s House

The Silence that Lives in Houses by Henri Matisse

The Silence in Cinderella’s House

by, Diana B. Thompson

I had the pleasure of attending the Matisse exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC some years ago.  The line wrapped around a city block to see the mass collection of a lifetime of work. Canvasses filled one room after another.  The painting, Dancers was enormous and filled a single room. Around the corner, a small print was nearly overshadowed by its counterparts.  The Silence that Lives in Houses (http://www.henri-matisse.net/paintings/ei.html).  It shows the shadowy outlines of an adult and child in a dark room.  In contrast, the window to the world outside reflects a bright and sunny day. There is a stale ‘silence’ in the room, a sense of stillness and entrapment.

While designing the illustrations for CinderSilly, we turned to this little known Matisse painting for inspiration.  As CinderSilly’s family is facing the reality of a life after the money runs out, they are trapped in a room filled with fear.  Cinderella stands in the light of the window as a beacon of hope.  But, her bright perspective is rejected again and again.  In the end, the silence that lives in Cinderella’s house, is alive and well.  But it is the Stepmother who keeps it company. She sits alone in the darkness of her own making.  While CinderSilly goes out to play, the stepmother’s life is a chore, a very hard chore.

The Power of Silly

The Power of Silly

by, Diana B. Thompson

Don’t be fooled by the title.  CinderSilly is quite CinderSerious, (pun intended). The word silly is usually defined as foolish or ridiculous.  But, according to the British Library Board, the word silly "derives from the old English word seely, meaning happy, blissful, lucky or blessed. From there it came to mean innocent, or deserving of compassion,"* and later evolved into the definition we know today.  But, CinderSilly is more reflective of an older definition of the word silly.  In our story, Cinderella looks for happiness and finds it.  Through her own positive attitude, she creates a self-fulfilling prophecy of a happier ever after.

It just goes to show how a girl’s good luck can come straight from a happy heart and resourceful mind.

There is a pile of wisdom wrapped up in this playful little story.  From learning to "think for yourself", to "not waiting for magic".  CinderSilly is filled with empowering messages through silly fun.

*(http://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/dic/oed/silly/silly.html)