English
Publication Date
Spring 4-4-2025
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Faculty Sponsor
Lisa Kasmer
First Advisor
Meredith Neuman
Second Advisor
Beth Gale
Degree
Bachelor
Major
English
Abstract
This thesis focuses on the analysis of the relationship between the Throne of Glass series written by Sarah J Maas and its roots in fairy tales. By using three different variations of “Cinderella” including versions by Charles Perrault, the Grimm Brothers, and Angela Carter. In comparing the three foundational texts to Maas’ adaptation, it highlights the importance of fairy tales adapted to the Young Adult genre.
There are five roles within the original fairy tale that are present within the first Throne of Glass novel that introduces the series as a fairy tale adaptation. These roles include the heroine, the villain, the fairy godmother, the helper, and the prince. Each role had a particular function in the original fairy tales which was to take away the heroine’s agency; however, in Throne of Glass the dynamic is more complicated than how it is initially portrayed.
In the original “Cinderella”, the heroine is demoted within her family because the stepmother views her as a servant. In Throne of Glass, the reason why the heroine is so hated is partially because of her lineage and partially because of the danger she poses as a skilled female assassin. This is one of the most prominent distinctions between the texts and behaves as a criticism of modern society and the effects of fairy tales on adolescents developing.
An integral aspect into this project is considering how trauma affects the heroines’ development. In most “Cinderella” texts, the heroine experiences trauma, but the effects are not elaborated on and experiencing trauma acts as a rite of passage to be eligible for marriage. In Throne of Glass, trauma becomes a hindrance for the heroine as it prevents her from realizing her full potential until she learns to cope with it. In the original fairy tales, the effects of trauma on the heroine remain undefined and discourage the heroine from being able to claim independence.
Overall, my thesis explores feminine identity and agency within fairy tales and how they are adapted for a modern audience. The direct comparisons expanded on in the first chapter along with how trauma is used in the second chapter set up to explore how multiple factors apply to how different communities that are marginalized within the series come together and fight against the people who are intent on disrupting their way of life and are looking to seize control over the continent. There is an imbalance of power within the text and affects different peoples’ abilities to express their identities in society, especially when their way of life threatens the way of life imposed on by the person in power. It is important to understand this dynamic in the series in order for adolescents to have a model to look at in order to deconstruct patriarchal values in society.
Keywords
trauma in Young Adult literature, identity, feminist theory, fairy tales, modern adaptations of fairy tales
Recommended Citation
Daher, Lily, "Far Fetched Tales: How the Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas Reconstructs “Cinderella” as a Fictional Criticism on Modern Society" (2025). English. 9.
https://commons.clarku.edu/undergraduate_english/9
Worcester
No
Comments
This thesis primarily focuses on the adaptation of fairy tales within a specific fantasy series that is a Young Adult adaptation of the original tale.