When the Shoe Doesn't Fit: Reading Cinderella as Colonial Children's Literature in the Philippines

Abstract

Abstract: This essay explores how non-Anglophone versions of the Cinderella story are used to affirm or challenge certain colonial or imperial ideals that were carried by canonical Eurocentric children's texts circulated during the Golden Age of children's literature. Examining two specific Philippine versions of Cinderella that were initially produced during the American colonial period (1898-1946) in the Philippines demonstrates that children's literature—particularly texts imported by colonial educators as well as texts produced by local writers—was a site of contestation and creation. This analysis focuses on how these adaptations were used as a tool for colonial expansion and education, but at the same time, were adapted to suit the search for a Philippine national identity.