Author Archives: Linh Ngo

 “Cinderella” Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

I have read the “Cinderella” (Aschenputtel) from Germany, written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. The familiar aspect of this story, is that the beginning it started out that Cinderella mother die, and she had to live and deal with her father new wife, which is her step mother, and the step mother had two daughter. It was similar to the original version, because the step mother and both of the step sister are evil , jealous, greedy, and they would mistreat Cinderella.  The unfamiliar part of this “Cinderella” story is that instead of the fairy god mother helping Cinderella making her wishes come true, it was a white bird/pigeon that grant her all the wishes. Something I’ve notice at the beginning was before her mother die she told Cinderella that ” I will look down on you from heaven and be near you”, and from there  on she was always watch by the bird/pigeon on the tree that she planted on her mother grave, and the bird/pigeon was helping, and granting her wishes. Therefore I believe that the bird/pigeon is her mother who’s looking over her. The most surprising and shocking part about this “Cinderella” story was the step mother telling the two step sister to cut off their toes, and heels in order to fit their feet into the gold shoes. Another shocking part was at the end of the story the two step sister had their eyes pecked out by the pigeon. It was surprising to me that in a “Cinderella” story there would be horror. This is different from the original “Cinderella” because the step sister were punish for their jealousy, greediness, and wickedness. The values, and cultural concept of “Cinderella” came from the Ancient Egypt, and the night-teen century China. The story was told and pass from generation to generation, and the moral/lesson that it’s trying to teach is social and political. The story taught me about karma, due to the fact that the step sister were wicked, greedy, and full of falsehood, and in the end they were punish for it, so I truly think karma plays a huge part in the story. I do favor this version of “Cinderella” over the original, because it is more interesting, and the fact that the step sister gets their eyes peck out as a punishment makes it seem fair for how they were treating Cinderella.

“Deity”

Deity (plural)

Deity – A god or goddess.

Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deity

I’ve encountered the word “Deity” on the reading called “I Always Write About My Mother When I Started to Write” written by author Bia Lowe. In the reading it is part of the sentences, “She was in every way my female deity.” This was found on the second paragraph, and on page 1 of the reading. After understanding what the word “Deity” means and refer to, I learn that the word was used in the reading to describe how much the author Bia Lowe respect, and loves her mother. “Deity” is a word to describe someone who is beautiful, strong, and powerful, resembling to a god or a goddess. Bia Lowe, believes that her mother beauty is beyond this world, and she emphasize that by describing her in details of how perfect, and beautiful her mother is. BY knowing that Bia Lowe describe her mother as a female “Deity”, this shows Bia obsession for her mother. Bia Lowe claiming “She was in every way my female deity.”, tells us that she is admiring her mother, as the perfect female figure upon all females. This is “Aphrodite” the goddess of “love” and “beauty”, this is what Bia would describe her mother to be.

Image result for goddess venus cartoon