There are various similarities and differences in the French and Vietnamese versions of the Cinderella story. The artists of both stories focused on their societies, and they constructed each of the stories to fit the social and cultural setting of the two societies in a unique manner.
Both stories are targeted for young children as the characters are young children. Cinderella in the French version and Tam in the Vietnamese version are innocent children, but they are surrounded by a violent environment that mistreats them. The artists of these stories make the young girls orphans, and the reader gets the helplessness in which these girls are left (Saltman, 1985). This helps to pull the attention of the young audience that will receive these stories. This is because these stories advocate for good morals for the young children. For instance, Cinderella and Tam upheld their morals, and they were rewarded in the end. Therefore, children who read these stories are likely to uphold their morals regardless of the situations.
The stories also have some differences. First, the culture of the different places is reflected, and these cultures differ. This is meant to make the stories relevant to the audience of that place, and this makes people receive this story in the context of their culture. The people’s beliefs are also reflected differently in the two stories, and the Vietnamese version shows the belief in many gods (Saltman, 1985).
These similarities and differences can be used differently to teach the two stories. First, the teacher can teach the culture of the different places to the children, and children will note the aspects reflected in the stories. The teacher can also tell the children the evils of ill-treating others, and the children will identify with Cinderella and Tam rather than identifying with the wicked daughters and stepmothers.
