Cinderella Reimagined: Literary Adaptations from Traditional to ContemporaryŠkerget, Polonca (Avtor) Gadpaille, Michelle (Mentor) Cinderella ATU 510Aevolutioncomparative analysisElla EnchantedCinderella Is DeadThis thesis analyses Gail Carson Levine's novel Ella Enchanted, and Kalynn Bayron's novel Cinderella Is Dead, and compares them to the traditional sources from folklore and fairytale traditions, particularly Strabo's Rhodopis, Giambattista Basile's Cenerentola, Charles Perrault's Cendrillon, and Grimms' Aschenputtel. The analysis focuses on the structural and thematic evolution of the Cinderella archetype (ATU 510A), and how contemporary authors subvert traditional narrative frameworks to reshape the readers' perception of female agency and autonomy. The first part of the thesis focuses on the historical and generic development of the fairytale genre, examining the oral roots of the wonder tale and its transformation into literary and contemporary Young Adult (YA) fiction. The second part of the thesis focuses on the traditional baseline of passive endurance, analysing how the traditional versions historically constructed the heroine as a symbol of compliance and victimization. The third part consists of a comparative analysis divided into four subsections that explore the radical shifts between the traditional and contemporary narratives. The first subsection investigates the reclamation of identity, contrasting the static "damsel in distress" archetype with the multifaceted, subversive modern heroine. The second subsection examines behavioural agency, tracing the transition from passive endurance and silent suffering to active resistance against systemic and domestic tyranny. The third subsection explores the relocation of power, detailing the shift from absolute reliance on external, supernatural helpers, to the cultivation of internal strength, intelligence, and self-reliance. Finally, the fourth subsection analyses the mechanics of magic, demonstrating how contemporary retellings strip the fairytale of its traditional whimsy to reimagine magic as a rigid, physical system of somatic and political control.P. Škerget20262026-07-07 14:11:41Magistrsko delo/naloga98778sl