This is a retelling of the old Romany version of Cinderella. In this one the young woman has a magical mossy coat instead of a fairy godmother. She also has a mother who has strange ideas about parenting and how to deal with men. But at its heart it’s still the same old sexist nonsense.
Let’s write more stuff where we’re not telling the same old story where women need a man to gain wealth and status, and to live happily ever after! Because, damn, that’s toxic relationships in the making, right there!
When these tales were written there was not much hope for women to be powerful and independent. (Yep, yep, yep, check out the politics and property theft behind the centuries of witch trials. Yes, centuries, that went on for around 300 years. And if you think it was about ‘witches’ you really need to sort that out!)
Feminism (and using this term I mean the fight for equality between people) really and truly has done a lot. But this nonsense is still happening. Here, now and everywhere. Check out herstory. Read the real news. Actually think about those shows and movies you watch. Be truthful to yourself.
There’s still lots of rethinking to be done. Stories resonate with the deepest of our beliefs. So, we need new stories to tell ourselves. So let’s start imagining, writing, and telling new tales.
Book image: Illustration by Peter Bailey. Mossycoat retold by Philip Pullman. 1998
Dane Divine: Storyteller 