fracturingfairytales

Welcome to the land of the good and bad fairytales.

[fairytalesxoxo]

Hinderella

Once upon a time in a humble town, there was a small family of four women. Now, all four women were as beautiful ranging from the mother down to the youngest of her three children. The mother made sure she raised her children well; to not hurt, harm, and hate. Although, that was hard for her youngest who was so far more beautiful than her sisters that her sisters felt inferior to her. The older sisters did not dare speak of her name and compared their beauty to hers. The youngest was named Shella, a gorgeous fair-skinned lady with blonde thick hair and a smile so charming and pearly white that she could tell a lie, and not a single soul would notice. Her voice was smooth like butter and the way she presented herself always outshined her others. While they wore jeans and a casual shirt to a family gathering, she would dress in pearls that matched her teeth and designer from head to toe. While the rest of her family ordered Sprite, Shella would specifically ask for wine.  

Therefore, her mother knew Shella would grow up to be out of control, not learning her limits. Scared that her youngest would grow up to be full of herself in this humble town, she became stricter on Shella. Though, the mother’s choice led to Shella’s own fate. 

The harder the mother would prevent Shella from going out, she would sneak out. The less she told Shella to spend, Shella would go on a shopping spree that cost more than their house. The nicer the mother told her to be kind to her sisters, she would spit out mean names to angry them all. One day, the mother could take no more and she took away all of Shella’s money and credit cards leaving nothing. 

At that time, the town was planning a marvelous dance and invited people from other towns to visit. It was the biggest event of the year and Shella had a plan up her sleeve. She persuaded her sisters and mother to go to the dance so she can retain her money and spend as much as she liked. The mother and sisters without the slightest clue agreed and prepared for the dance that was only a week away.

When the day came, the three happily left for the dance and said their goodbyes telling Shella they’d be back before midnight. Shella without care about when they’d be back could only think about all the money she’d spend after they were gone. Shella rushed into her house and searched all her mother’s drawers to see if she could possibly find her card. Oh, the things she would buy! New clothes, designer belts, handbags…

Shella searched every single drawer, and still, there was no sign of her valuable belongings anywhere. Frustrated, she screamed, 

“Where on earth could this old hag hide my stuff??”

As she was about to give up, she looked at the bed, “Could it possibly be under the mattress?”

Shella lifted up the mattress. What she saw was not her card, but something else that was far more valuable. Shella’s eyes lit up like burning flames, and she could not believe what she was saw. There, lay, a card with the words “Platinum” on the top. It was the one and the only card Shella dreamed of having,

 “THE PLATINUM CARD! I can’t believe this old hag was hiding this treasure from me.” 

Shella, looked at it once again and noticed the card was under someone else’s name. It was possibly the old owner’s card, or maybe her mother’s company card. It was definitely not her mother’s. Though, she did not care. Her greediness became something more. Shella couldn’t resist the temptation. She wanted to spend everything, she didn’t care what the consequences would be, 

“They won’t be able to catch me anyway.” Shella snickered and opened up her laptop. She then started buying everything she ever wanted, 

“A diamond ring? Purchase! A Gucci bag? I deserve this after all the nagging I’ve heard from this woman, purchased! A new LV purse? I NEED it, now! Purchased!” 

Thus, the purchases were made. There were so many, Shella lost count. She laughed and couldn’t wait until her packages came. It was like the card was a gift sent from heaven! A godmother, almost. Now, all she could ever ask for was a prince. As Shella’s mind ran full of wild thoughts of what other purchases she could make with the card, her family came home. 

When her family arrived, the mother was ecstatic bragging about a handsome young man she met at the dance,

 “He was so handsome, every woman wanted him! He mentioned that he was a CEO or something like that, but anyways I showed him a picture of us! He seemed quite interested in you. I arranged a date for you two to meet!”

Shella’s eyes were already lit up after she heard the word “CEO”. She already had created the perfect plan. If I could get his card, I could spend as much as I would like again. Thus, she replied so gently, “Oh, why yes, mother. I would love to meet him, he seems like a very nice young man.”

The mother had hopes that this young man could change Shella for the better, but it was already too late. During the date, Shella had stolen his card, and the poor young man did not even notice. He was too distracted by her beauty. After, Shella used up all the money on his card and began planning her next victim. As she was scheming her marvelous plan, she bumped into a man. She looked up to yell, 

“Watch where you’re going!”, when she saw a beautiful man in front of her. 

“I’m sorry, madam. I was distracted by your beauty. I couldn’t help but notice the LV bag you have!” 

Shocked that a man finally noticed how valuable her purse was, she was instantly attracted to him. It was a man that actually knew value when he saw it. Somebody that actually noticed how she put her outfit together. From then on, the two exchanged numbers and continued talking. Shella actually began falling in love with him and decided to stop her schemes. To her, they were nothing but a part of her past. She would change for him. 

As weeks went by, Shella began opening up to him more and more. She introduced him to her family and became a humble woman her mother always wanted her to be. There was nothing she could tell him that would affect their relationship. Shella decided I have to tell him I stole others’ money, but that isn’t the person I am anymore. At least, that was what she thought. 

During dinner one day, she confessed to the handsome man, and right after that, police stormed in from all the openings of the restaurant. The “kind-hearted” young man she thought she was in love with, stood up, wiped his mouth, and pulled out a badge,

“Shella, you are under arrest for identity theft and for using more than a million dollars worth of valuables. You have the right to remain silent…”

The handcuffs were already on Shella as she came to realize who he was. 

Newspapers were already out an hour later. She was the front page to every single one of them. The titles ranged from worse to worse,

“Hinderella Screws Up Her Beautiful Future!” “A Princess On the Outside, A Thief On the Inside”

“Hinderella Hinders Her Bright Future”

Shella became known as Hinderella as she served 5 years of jail. The end. 

[fairytalesxoxo]

As each person surely had a fairytale that has a special place in their heart, I remember having a deep connection with “Mulan.” I grew up watching that movie and admired how strong and independent of a woman Fa Mulan was. Every time it aired on Disney Channel, there would be no doubt that I’d choose this movie to watch. “Mulan” provided me many connections in my own life and it also played a huge part in the person I am today.

It was the first movie where I saw an Asian heroine or “princess”; thus, I already felt connected to her due to the resemblance in the Asian culture that we grew up in. At the beginning of the movie, it touched on the traditional family Mulan grew up in where Mulan had to learn how to become a “real woman”. I remember relating this moment to my situation when Fa Mulan said that a woman should be “graceful” and “polite”. I was around 12 or 13 years old when my family told me to “sit properly”, made sure I looked presentable for guests, and that I should “act more like a girl”. It was during that time where I really questioned how I’m not a “girl” if I’m not proper or if I don’t act like it. Mulan and I were similar and we wanted to break free from the cultural responsibilities Asian households grew up with. While Mulan was struggling to find herself amid her matchmaking future, I was struggling to find myself or making my own decisions under my strict parents’ rules.  

As time went by in my reality, my family had a traditional ideal and restricted many things I wanted to do such as going out or hanging out with friends because they cared for me; it was just like how Mulan’s family only wanted to do what they thought was best for her. Although, due to the pushes of her family’s wishes, Mulan decided to make her own decision and join the army. Personally, the most powerful moment in the movie for me is the moment where Mulan split secondly decided to cut her hair short and take her father’s place in the army. In Asia, cutting your hair off symbolized the ending of an “era” and the start of a new journey. It was Mulan’s beginning to a life she wanted to live. I recall reaching an age around the middle of high school where I decided that I didn’t want my family or frankly anyone to make a choice for me. I started doing what I wanted to do and going against my family’s wishes on what I should do to do well in school. Because I wanted to so desperately be free of their constant strictness, I went out more against their wishes. It wasn’t the best way to go about the situation which resulted in them constantly worrying about me whereas I chose a path I didn’t even want to be on just to displease them.

As I grew older reaching into the end of my high school years, I realized what I did wrong and my family and I decided to have a talk. I remember that we finally understood each others’ reasons and were more open-minded to ideas. My family began giving me the freedom I wanted because they trusted me to make decisions I thought were best for me and I respected them by understanding why they didn’t want me to do certain things that would eventually harm me in the future. It was like a parallel in Mulan because her father ended up being very proud of his brave daughter. They realized that Mulan didn’t need to be a proper woman to find a man that would love her for her as well as she didn’t need to try to be a woman because she already was one. Fa Mulan was already graceful and strong in her own way. I felt like after receiving the freedom I’ve gained, I learned so much more from my mistakes because I was bound to make them and correct them. The mistakes my parents feared of me making resulted in me becoming stronger and more independent each day. I still idolize Mulan’s braveness that also kickstarted not only me, but many young girls to choose what was best for them.

[fairytalesxoxo]

Beauty & The Beast In today’s world, every kid knows the story of  Beauty and the Beast. What started off as a story published in 1740 by Madame Leprince de Beaumont, more than two hundred years ago, is still widely known today. In fact, it has produced even more adaptations to this romanticized fairytale. For example, there is even a live-action film based on Beauty and the Beast created in 2017. While many versions of movies, shows, advertisements, and even books are out there, a modern adaptation similar to “Beauty and the Beast” is a movie called “Beastly”. “Beastly” was created in 2011 set in the present age and time instead of an old background like in the original story. Although it is set in different times of history, the plot has strikingly similar characteristics and morals. In Beaumont’s version, the beast is cursed by “a wicked fairy [who] condemned [him] to retain that form until some beautiful girl should consent” to marry him (Beaumont, 181). Otherwise, he would stay a beast forever and die alone. In Beastly, a teenage boy named Hunter mocks a girl’s looks who happens to be a witch. Hunter believes looks are the key to succeeding in life. Thus, this witch curses Hunter to become as physically ugly as he is on the inside until a girl can love him for what he is. One moral to both stories that are similar is that a person will love you not only for looks, but his kindness, respectfulness, and virtue. Another connection between the two stories that connect the tale is that Belle in “Beauty and the Beast” and Linda in “Beastly” both loves roses. Not the fact that they both just like the looks of roses, but the rose has a deeper meaning behind it. The rose seems symbolic in a way representing the Beast himself. In Beaumont’s version, the Beast gets incredibly mad at Beauty’s father for stealing a rose. It shows that the Beast really values his roses and has a strong attachment to them. On the other hand, after Hunter realizes he is in love with Linda, he builds her a greenhouse filled with roses, all while handing her a rose. It’s almost symbolic in a way that in Beaumont’s version, the Beast is the rose, protecting himself from getting hurt from others whereas, in “Beastly”, Hunter is the rose, giving Linda his “love”. Hunter is giving a part of himself to her. These two stories both have romantic elements that not only give readers and watchers expectations of love but the outcomes of their actions as well.