Ella Enchanted

by Gail Carson Levine. It was published in 1997 by HarperCollins Publishers. The book tells the story of Ella of Frell, a teenage girl who struggles to gain control of her own life as she navigates friendship, danger, and love while trying to break the curse of obedience that was placed on her at birth. The story is a retelling of "Cinderella" that features various mythical creatures, highlights modern themes relating to gender and autonomy, and draws a traditional fairytale into the modern era.

The book won a Newbery Honor in 1998. It was also the basis for a popular 2004 film adaptation and an award-winning stage musical.

In 2006, Levine went on to write Fairest, a retelling of the story of "Snow White" that is set in the same world as Ella Enchanted. Levine later published Ogre Enchanted, a prequel to Ella Enchanted, in 2018.

Plot summary

At birth, Ella of Frell receives the "gift" of obedience from the fairy Lucinda. The gift turns out to be a terrible curse that forces Ella to obey even the simplest commands from others. Throughout her childhood, Ella is guided and protected by her mother, Eleanor, and her family cook, Mandy. Eleanor passes away when Ella is fifteen, and at her funeral, Ella meets and befriends Prince Char.

Ella's father, Sir Peter, sends Ella to finishing school alongside Hattie and Olive, daughters of the wealthy Dame Olga. At school, Hattie discovers and takes advantage of Ella's obedience. She uses it to bully Ella and force her to end her friendship with her best friend, Aredia. Devestated, Ella runs away to find Lucinda and reverse the spell.

Using her mother's magic book, Ella tracks Lucinda to a giant's wedding. On her journey, Ella is trapped by ogres, who command her not to run away, intending to eat her. She stays up all night practicing their language to talk them to sleep and successfully escapes. She then encounters Char and a group of soldiers, who apprehend the ogres. One of Char's men is sent to escort Ella to the wedding.

Upon finding Lucinda, Ella learns that she turns ungrateful recipients of her gifts into squirrels. Using an alias, Ella confronts Lucinda, who dismisses her and orders Ella to be happy with her gift. Ella returns home and Mandy reverses the order upon her.

Ella's father tells her he's financially ruined and must marry Dame Olga. At their wedding, Lucinda gifts the bride and groom eternal love. Later, Sir Peter reveals his financial circumstances to Olga, which makes her livid. However, due to Lucinda's gift, she is unable to stay angry at him, and she instead transfers her hatred towards Ella. When Sir Peter leaves on a business trip, Hattie tells Olga about Ella's obedience, and Olga makes Ella a servant in their home.

Ella and Char, who rekindled their friendship at the wedding, secretly write to each other while he travels abroad. They begin to fall in love, but Ella soon realizes her curse could endanger him and the kingdom once he takes the throne. To spare him and the kingdom of Kyrria, she makes Char believe she has run off with a rich earl, leaving him heartbroken.

Mandy calls upon Lucinda and confronts her about the disastrous consequences of her gifts. She successfully convinces Lucinda to live out Ella's curse for herself. Six months later, Lucinda returns disheveled and remorseful about all the suffering she has caused. Meanwhile, Ella, who has continued to endure her step-family's torment, learns that Char is set to return to Kyrria. Ella begs Lucinda to remove the curse, but she insists that Ella will have to find a way to do it herself.

With Mandy and Lucinda's help, Ella attends Char's homecoming balls in disguise. On the ball's third night, Hattie jealously unmasks Ella, forcing her to flee and lose one of her glass slippers. Char discovers the slipper and confronts Ella at her home. He asks Ella if she loves him, to which she says yes. Char then unknowingly orders Ella to marry him. After an internal struggle, Ella successfully defies the order to protect him and the kingdom, and her unselfish love and desire for Char breaks Lucinda's spell. She explains everything to him and happily accepts his marriage proposal.

Ella is welcomed warmly into the royal family. Mandy becomes the castle cook and fairy godmother to Char and Ella's future children.

Characters

Ella of Frell

The novel’s protagonist. She is cursed with the gift of obedience at birth and must follow every order she is given. She goes on a series of misadventures throughout the novel and faces torment from her step-family, but eventually falls in love with Prince Charmont and lives happily ever after.

Prince Charmont of Kyrria

Ella’s friend, love interest, and eventual romantic partner. He is a loyal friend to Ella and the future king of Kyrria, eventually helping free Ella of her curse when he proposes to her.

Mandy

A house cook of Ella’s childhood home, later revealed to be Ella's fairy godmother. She supports Ella through her misadventures and treats her with love and respect throughout the book.

Sir Peter

Ella’s father. Marries Olga to save himself from financial ruin. At the end of the book, he does not visit Ella in the castle.

Olga

The novel’s main antagonist. She forces her step-daughter Ella into servitude after discovering her curse of obedience.

Hattie and Olive

Ella’s step-sisters. At finishing school, they bully and torment Ella upon discovering her curse of obedience. Olive tends to blindly follow in Hattie’s footsteps.

Lucinda

A stubborn but well-meaning fairy who bestowed the gift of obedience upon Ella. She stands behind her choice until the novel, when she repents for her actions and apologizes to Ella.

Lady Eleanor

Ella’s mother. She maintains a close relationship with her daughter until her passing.

Analysis and themes

Critics have expressed that Ella Enchanted blends key aspects of the Cinderella tale while greatly extending them. Cited alongside novels like Meg Cabot’s The Princess Diaries, Levine's novel fits into a category of contemporary fiction that has “taken traditional princess stories and altered them in unexpected ways." In Horn Book, Anne Deifendeifer observed that Levine's “expert characterization and original ideas enliven this novelization of Cinderella."

Gender roles and power

The story of Ella Enchanted has been described as having a “girl power twist” in comparison to the original source material. The nature of Ella and Char’s romance “attempt[s] to reimagine Cinderella’s happily ever after in ways that accommodate both a relationship with Prince Charming and a life outside of that relationship," which decenters the heterosexual romance present in many Cinderella narratives.

Development and reception

Ella Enchanted was Gail Carson Levine’s first novel. She got the idea to write a Cinderella retelling while taking a writing class on children’s books.

Ella Enchanted was initially rejected by many major children’s book publishers in America. It took nine years for the book to be published, which happened in 1996. Critics have described it as “superbly plotted and thoroughly enjoyable." School Library Journal also called it “A thoroughly enchanting novel that deepens and enriches the original tale." Similarly, ALA Booklist said it’s “As finely designed as a tapestry, with a heroine so spirited that she wins readers’ hearts." The book had been printed over 150,000 times by October of 1998. The film was directed by Tommy O'Haver and starred Anne Hathaway as Ella and Hugh Dancy as Prince Charmont. The film received mostly mixed reviews, and was criticized for its changes to the source material and addition of new characters.

Levine views the film positively and remained in the process of making and promoting the film. She maintained consulting rights on the film’s script, noting that the producers accepted her notes on the logistics of Ella’s obedience, but not on the film’s plot. Levine has suggested that fans “regard the movie as a separate creative act." It won a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Musical Adaptation in 2018.

References

External links

Gail Carson Levine's official website