Ella Enchanted
Themes
Feminism
The theme of feminism is pretty emanate throughout the book. Ella is constantly battling the curse that was placed upon her, and she remains strong. The character must deal with the loss of her mother, receive acceptance from her peers, and stand up to her stepmother and stepsisters. She is able to remain strong and smart, to which helps her break the curse that was placed upon her by Lucinda. "In that moment I found a power beyond any I'd had before, a will and a determination I would never have needed if not for Lucinda, a fortitude I hadn't been able to find for a lesser cause. And I found my voice" (232).
Friendship
The theme of friendship in the novel begins when Ella loses her mother at the age 16. Her mother passes away, and Ella does not feel a closeness to her father like she did her mother. Mandy can be seen as Ella’s friend, however, after the passing of Lady Eleanor she begins to take on a mother figure role. While at her mother’s funeral, Ella meets Prince Char. They begin to develop a friendship by going on adventures and corresponding through letters. Also,Ella meets Areida at finishing school, and her friendship is so important to her. Hattie even orders Ella to stop hanging out with her. In order to preserve this friendship, Ella escapes from the school. “And by leaving, I’d never have to take another order from Hattie. Areida would still think I was her friend” (86). To which is what happened for the remainder of the story.
Consumerism
In terms of the theme consumerism, there are a few characters who are willing to do anything to get what they want. Sir Peter marries Lady Eleanor and Dame Olga to live a wealthy lifestyle. He even sacrifices his own daughter, so that he can remain rich. “I shall have to sell the manor, our furniture, the carriage. And I shall have to sell you, in a manner of speaking. You must marry so we can be rich again” (129). Dame Olga has the same attitude even when it comes to introducing her daughters as “my treasures” (18). The Ogres in the story are consumed by greed that they even term living objects as “it”. There is an instance when Ella is ordered to hand over a toddler gnome to an Ogre because he wants to get the child for breakfast. Due to their need to of consumption, these characters eventually get what is coming to them in the end.
Acceptance
Like every fairy tale, the female character is trying to seek acceptance in a world where she is considered an outcast. Ella is an outcast because she acts different than her peers. She tends to obey orders when given to her. Prince Char, Areida, and Mandy are those who accept Ella for the person she has become. When she makes Prince Char laugh for the first time, Ella says, "I wanted to make him laugh again" (45). She realizes that being herself will allow for people to like her as a person, and can easily be accepted by her peers.