Once Upon a Fu u e:
Cinde ella Rede ined in Ma issa Meye ’s
The Luna Ch onicles se ies
Ame ican Young Adul Li e a u e (21s cen u y)
Amaiu Puen e O e o
Deg ee in English S udies
Academic Yea 2023/2024
Supe iso : I aide Tala e a Bu gos
Depa men o English and Ge man Philology and T ansla ion and In e p e a ion
2
Abs ac
Once upon a ime, ai y ales we e w i en. Since hen, hey ha e ma ked he childhood o
many. Fo gene a ions, hey ha e po ayed and se ed as ehicles o social no ms o all
kinds, pa icula ly ega ding eminini y. A no able example is ha o he F ench nobleman
Cha les Pe aul and his amous “Cinde ella”, whose p o agonis is he quin essen ial
example o beau y, passi i y, and o e all no ma i i y. To his day, mo e and mo e
adap a ions a e being made o his imeless ale. Among hese s ands The Luna
Ch onicles, Ma issa Meye ’s young adul science ic ion saga: he main cha ac e , Cinde ,
is a u u is ic e sion o Cinde ella. This pape aims o demons a e ha Meye ’s mode n
he oine sub e s he adi ional coun e pa on an absolu e le el, being ha she is h ee
imes non-no ma i e as a woman, a cybo g, and a Luna . D awing om he heo ies o
se e al eminis li e a y c i ics such as Simone de Beau oi o Judi h Bu le , he i s pa
o he analysis deals wi h how Cinde b eaks wi h he s anda ds o eminini y ep esen ed
by Cinde ella. Thei appea ance and ole in he s o y a e jux aposed o obse e hei
di e ences. The second and hi d sec ions ollow he same connec ing h ead, as bo h a e
based on An onio G amsci’s and E ing Go man’s concep s o cul u al hegemony,
hegemonic iden i y, and s igma. Cinde ’s cybo g iden i y is explo ed i s . The analysis
ollows he ma ginaliza ion o no being en i ely human, he s uggle wi h ha s igma,
he e en ual sel -accep ance, and he ole in changing he social o de . Simila ly, he
belonging o he Luna ace places he as an ou cas , bu in he end, empowe s he o s a
a e olu ion and o e h ow he sys em. To inish, as u he esea ch, he pape sugges s
analyzing Ma issa Meye ’s o he emale he oines o explo ing mode n non-Wes e n
ein e p e a ions o ai y ales.
Keywo ds: Cinde , Cinde ella, ai y ale, non-no ma i i y, eminini y, hegemony, s igma
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Table o con en s
1. In oduc ion .............................................................................................................4
2. Theo e ical backg ound ..........................................................................................5
2.1 Feminis li e a y c i icism ....................................................................................5
2.2 Cul u al hegemony and iden i y ............................................................................6
3. Analysis o he no els ...............................................................................................7
3.1 Cinde , he woman: “Don’ call me p incess, I’m a mechanic” .............................8
3.2 Cinde , he cybo g: De ying he limi s o humani y ............................................ 13
3.3 Cinde , he Luna : An alien o socie y................................................................. 18
4. Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 23
Wo ks ci ed ................................................................................................................ 25
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1. In oduc ion
Rega dless o age, one is likely amilia wi h ales o damsels in dis ess, e il queens,
ai y godmo he s, and cha ming p inces. Fai y ales a e deeply oo ed in he collec i e
imagina ion o many socie ies and ha e long impa ed eachings and alues gene a ion
a e gene a ion. Ini ially ansmi ed o ally be ween adul s, olk ales s emmed om
ma ia chal adi ion un il hey we e “pa ia chalized” in he Middle Ages, no es Zipes
(7). This i s change pa ed he way o he w i en adap a ion o he gen e in he 17 h and
18 h cen u ies wi h a new a ge audience in mind. The ea e , ai y ales sough o educa e
all child en on uppe -class no ms o beha io , ocusing on gende ideals (Zipes 9, 31). A
p ominen igu e in his en u e was Cha les Pe aul . As a dis inguished membe o he
F ench a is oc acy, he was de o ed o sp eading his noble discou se h oughou Eu ope
(36). Zipes main ains ha His oi es ou con es du emps passé (1697),
1
his g ea es wo k,
has in luenced Wes e n Ci iliza ion p o oundly as o oday (29-32). This collec ion
includes ales as iconic as “Sleeping Beau y”, “Li le Red Riding Hood”, o , mos no ably,
“Cinde ella” (Zipes 39).
2
Since hen, Pe aul ’s “Cinde ella” has unde gone coun less adap a ions, anging om
ilms like Disney’s classic anima ed e sion (1950) o he oman ic comedy A Cinde ella
S o y (2004), o he sa i ical an asy no el Ella Enchan ed (1997). As hese di e se
endi ions un old, con empo a y ein e p e a ions o he ale eme ge, inc easingly
challenging he adi ional na a i e – especially conce ning gende oles. Howe e , in
Ma issa Meye ’s book se ies The Luna Ch onicles (2012-2015), he ans o ma ion o
he cha ac e o Cinde ella eaches a new dimension. Fea u ing ou s ong emale
p o agonis s and add essing hemes such as disc imina ion and sel -accep ance, Meye ’s
young adul science ic ion no els ha e cha med eenage eade s wo ldwide. Cinde
(2012), he i s book in he e alogy, became a New Yo k Times bes -selle in he i s
week o i s elease and now awai s a mo ie adap a ion by Wa ne B os. Pic u es (B odeu ;
D’Alessand o). E en i he nods o he classic “Cinde ella” a e no iceable, Cinde and he
whole se ies depa om he adi ional ai y ale na a i e by being se in a u u is ic,
dys opian uni e se. In such a dis an se ing, Cinde , he p o agonis o he saga, di e s
signi ican ly om he adi ional coun e pa .
1
T ansla ed as S o ies o Tales o Pas Times.
2
The ull i le o “Cinde ella” is “Cinde ella, o The Li le Glass Slippe ”. The sho ened e sion will be
used in his pape .
5
This pape de ends he idea ha Ma issa Meye ’s Cinde sub e s he cha ac e o
Cinde ella no only by challenging adi ional concep ions o eminini y, as could be
expec ed, bu on mul iple le els. While Pe aul ’s Cinde ella embodies no ma i i y and
upholds he s a us quo, Cinde de ies socie al no ms as a woman, a cybo g, and a Luna .
On his basis, I will p esen he heo e ical backg ound ha explains Cinde ’s non-
no ma i i y. Then, he analysis o he no els will ollow, p eceded by a b ie in oduc ion
o Ma issa Meye and he wo k. This analysis will in eg a e concep s o eminini y,
agency, hegemony, and s igma, in addi ion o occasional compa isons o Pe aul ’s
“Cinde ella”. Las ly, I will p o ide he conclusions o his analysis and sugges ions o
u he esea ch. The s yle guide I will ollow in he pape is he nin h edi ion o he
Mode n Language Associa ion (MLA).
2. Theo e ical backg ound
This sec ion p esen s he heo e ical amewo k o he analysis o The Luna Ch onicles.
Fi s , i explo es some eminis no ions necessa y o unde s and Cinde ’s de ia ion om
adi ional eminini y. Second, i discusses he concep s o cul u al hegemony and s igma
o s udy Cinde ’s b oade non-no ma i i y and social impac .
2.1 Feminis li e a y c i icism
As desc ibed by C anny-F ancis e al., eminis li e a y c i icism aims o challenge he
male-es ablished li e a y canon and, in doing so, disman le gende con en ions (112-15).
By adop ing he ole o “ esis an eade s”, eminis c i ics ac i ely ejec he pa ia chal
and passi e concep ions o eminini y (118-22). Simone de Beau oi labeled such
concep ions as my hs, which, she a gued, shape women’s bodies and beha io s o i he
desi es o men (183). These ideals o womanhood elega e women o being objec s (283).
Mo eo e , as hey a e cons uc ed and es ablished in socie y, gi ls a e aised o con o m
o hem (Beau oi 305; Wi ig 244). Fo hese easons, Beau oi a i med ha women a e
p oduc s o socie y, p oclaiming ha “one is no bo n, bu a he becomes, woman” (293).
In his line o hough , Bu le claims ha gende iden i y is pe o ma i e and luid,
“ enuously cons i u ed in ime … h ough a s ylized epe i ion o ac s” (“Pe o ma i e
Ac s” 419). Howe e , acco ding o his au ho , hese ac s a e con en ionally ea ed as
“exp essi e” o a ce ain gende , unmo able and de e mined by a pe son’s sex (Bu le ,
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“Pe o ma i e Ac s” 426-27; Bu le , Gende T ouble 4). Thus women, due o hei emale
sex, a e expec ed o look and beha e in a pa icula way. Women na u alize hese
p esc ip ions and deem hem desi able, o de ia ion om hem, ac ing one’s gende
inco ec ly, leads o he indi idual being conside ed cul u ally unin elligible o
“incohe en ” (Bu le , “Pe o ma i e Ac s” 421-22, 427; Bu le , Gende T ouble 23). In
he wo ds o o he c i ics, he non-con o ming woman is b anded as a “ ebel”, “no
eminine” (Beau oi 740, 275), “no a eal woman” (Wi ig 245), o “de ec i e” (Meye s
8). In essence, ailu e o mee no ma i e ideals o eminini y esul s in he ma ginaliza ion
and shaming o he woman.
Ne e heless, by acknowledging gende as a pe o mance – an ongoing, non- ixed
p ocess –, he possibili y o ans o ma ion eme ges (Bu le , “Pe o ma i e Ac s” 419-20;
Bu le , Gende T ouble 23). This is whe e he concep o agency comes in o play. The
eminis philosophe Diana T. Meye s unde s ands agency as he capaci y o be
au onomous, o de e mine and ac i ely enac onesel ins ead o con o ming o ex e nal
imposi ions (4-5). Since Beau oi a gued ha womanhood en ails a lack o so e eign y,
eclaiming ha los au onomy and agency is essen ial (283, 739). To achie e his, women
mus emb ace and asse hei ue iden i y acco ding o hei desi es (Meye s 20; Wi ig
247). The eby, h ough he ei e a ion o an al e na i e pe o mance o iden i y, dominan
concep ions o gende and eminini y will be e ec i ely con es ed (Bu le , Gende
T ouble 185-88; Meye s 27).
2.2 Cul u al hegemony and iden i y
Hegemony is unde s ood as he dominance ha a pa icula class asse s o e in e io
social g oups (Ramos; Lea s 568). This con ol, as Ramos explains, goes beyond me e
economic supe io i y and comp ises he cul u al domain as well. In P ison No ebooks,
An onio G amsci in oduced he concep o cul u al hegemony o explain how he
dominan class sus ains and ein o ces i s sup emacy by imposing i s alues and iews as
he no m (Ramos; Lea s 569). This no m cons i u es wha G amsci called he “o ganic
ideology” and is dissemina ed h ough se e al ins i u ions, such as he amily and he
legal sys em (Ramos). As a esul , i becomes collec i ely app o ed and na u alized –
hence he “o ganic” – e en by hose who migh no ully subsc ibe o i , hus pe pe ua ing
he s a us quo (Ramos; Lea s 573-74; D ay on and P ins 113-15).
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G amsci’s concep o cul u al hegemony in e sec s wi h he sociologis E ing Go man’s
wo k. Go man explo ed how de ia ion om socie al no ms and expec a ions leads o a
p ocess o s igma iza ion ha a ec s how indi iduals enac and pe cei e hemsel es.
3
He
alks abou a “hegemonic iden i y” ep esen ed by he dominan g oup, whe eby hose
who di e a e ega ded as “undesi able”, “no qui e human”, o “de ian ” (D ay on and
P ins 114-16; Go man 5, 140). This labeling esul s in a “no mal [ s.] de ian … Us [ s.]
Them” dicho omy, as iden i ied by he sociologis S ua Hall (q d. in C anny-F ancis
141). In his con ex , he de ian , who is subjec o hegemonic iews on iden i y,
expe iences shame and sel -dep eca ion o whiche e aspec makes hem di e en ,
whe he i be a physical a ibu e o hei ace (Go man 4-7). The indi idual will hus y
o co e hese “s igma symbols” and blend in as no mal (92-94). Fu he mo e, i he
disco e y o his s igma ized condi ion is made la e in li e, he de ian ’s s uggle wi h
hei iden i y will in ensi y due o hei deeply in e nalized no ions o no ma i i y and
accep abili y (34-37).
E en ually, Go man no es, he s igma ized indi idual may come o na u alize hei
s igma and accep hei ue sel (122-23). This is in acco dance wi h G amsci’s heo y
and his belie ha a g oup's hegemonic s a us and alues a e no ixed and can be
con es ed (Ramos; Lea s 571). To do so, he subo dina e g oups – he p ole a ia in
G amsci’s Ma xis amewo k – mus de elop class consciousness, ha is, acknowledge
hei class iden i y (Ramos). This acknowledgmen empowe s hem o c a a “new
collec i e will” ha esona es wi h he ma ginalized (Ramos; Lea s 578). Th ough his
p ocess, G amsci concludes, a g oup can achie e hegemonic s a us, eshape social no ms,
and e ec i ely ans o m he exis ing social o de (Ramos).
3. Analysis o he no els
Be o e del ing in o he analysis o Cinde , i is ele an o in oduce Ma issa Meye and
he wo k. Meye is a bes selling Ame ican w i e wi h a Bachelo o A s in C ea i e
W i ing and a Mas e o A s in Publishing. She began w i ing online an ic ion and is
now enowned o he ein e p e a ions o classic ales. Among hese s and Hea less
(2016), a no el ha explo es he o igins o Lewis Ca oll’s Queen o Hea s, o Gilded
3
See mo e in S igma: No es on he Managemen o Spoiled Iden i y (1963) and The P esen a ion o Sel in
E e yday Li e (1956).
8
(2021), a da ke e sion o Rumpels inskin’s s o y. The Luna Ch onicles, Meye ’s
magnum opus, comp ises ou main books, each named a e he emale p o agonis and
each eimagining a classic ai y ale: “Cinde ella” in Cinde (2012), “Li le Red Riding
Hood” in Sca le (2013), “Rapunzel” in C ess (2014), and “Snow Whi e” in Win e
(2015) (“Abou Ma issa”).
Cinde , Meye ’s ede ined Cinde ella, is he main cha ac e in Cinde (2012) and emains
he cen al he oine and he connec ing h ead h oughou he es o he se ies. She is
in oduced as a cybo g mechanic li ing in a u u is ic, cybe punk-inspi ed New Beijing.
In addi ion o cybo gs, he s o y includes humans o Ea hens,
4
and oids, and Luna s. The
la e a e inhabi an s o Luna, a o me Ea hen colony on he moon, and mos ha e
powe s o mind manipula ion. This di e se uni e se un olds in a pos -Wo ld Wa IV e a
ma ked by he le hal le umosis plague,
5
cybo g disc imina ion, and ensions be ween he
Ea h and Luna. The in e plane a y con lic escala es as he powe ul Luna queen Le ana
seeks o ex end he y anny by ma ying Kai, empe o o he Eas e n Commonweal h on
Ea h. Howe e , Cinde eme ges as a majo h ea o Le ana’s en e p ise when i is
e ealed ha she is he niece, he long-los Luna p incess Selene. A e ha e ela ion,
Cinde emba ks on a jou ney o ad en u e, iendship, omance, and sel -disco e y.
Adop ing he ole o a e olu iona y, she e en ually o e h ows Le ana and ans o ms
socie al dynamics, building a be e wo ld o Ea hens, cybo gs, and Luna s alike.
3.1 Cinde , he woman: “Don’ call me p incess, I’m a mechanic”
E e since he i s chap e o he i s book, Cinde de ies gende expec a ions. This is
e iden du ing he encoun e wi h Empe o Kai, as he is su p ised o disco e ha “ he
bes mechanic in New Beijing” is no he man he an icipa ed bu a six een-yea -old gi l
(Meye , Cinde 10). Cinde admi s o being accus omed o hese eac ions. This inciden
eminds o Bu le ’s no ion o “incohe ence”, whe e a woman engages in ac s
con en ionally linked wi h masculine iden i ies (Gende T ouble 23; “Pe o ma i e Ac s”
426-27). Th oughou he se ies, Cinde in e nalizes he being a mechanic as pa o he
iden i y. When Empe o Kai ques ions he dancing skills, Cinde eplies, “I’m a
mechanic” (Meye , Cinde 341). She also gi es his answe u he in he se ies o he
and oid iend Iko, who scolds he o he dishe eled appea ance: “You hai is a mess,
4
“Ea hen” is he e m Meye uses ins ead o “ea hling”.
5
Le umosis is a i us, simila o he bubonic plague, ha has de as a ed he Ea h o yea s. Luna s a e
immune o i because hey a e he ones ha c ea ed i as a biological weapon (Meye , C ess 471-72).
9
by he way. Hones ly, Cinde , can’ you look p esen able o mo e han i e
minu es?” (Meye , C ess 441).
Cinde ’s appea ance as a mechanic is omboyish and unkemp . E en when she a ends
he Annual Ball, a oyal e en ha equi es o mali y, she appea s impe ec and chao ic,
“a walking disas e ” (Meye , Cinde 325). He imp o ised a i e includes a w inkled,
muddy d ess and silk glo es, once beau i ul, now uined by g ease s ains. As a
consequence, she aces e ulsion, gossip, and mocke y, which con ibu e o he anxie y
(336-37). Mo eo e , she mus wea he old p os he ic oo , which is uncom o able and
oo small, jus so she can i in o he shoes and, by ex ension, i in. O he wise, he cables
and cybo g na u e would be exposed o all he human a endan s (324). In ac , Cinde ’s
iden i y as a cybo g is wha mos p o oundly impac s he eminini y and, consequen ly,
he desi abili y and alue as a woman:
… a ou een, Peony had al eady de eloped cu es ha Cinde couldn’ begin o
hope o . I Cinde ’s body had e e been p edisposed o eminini y, i had been
uined by wha e e he su geons had done o he ,
6
lea ing he wi h a s ick-s aigh
igu e. Too angula . Too boyish. Too awkwa d wi h he hea y a i icial leg.
(Meye , Cinde 33-34)
In his exce p , Cinde compa es he sel un a o ably o he sis e and engages in sel -
dep eca ion. Ha ing a desi able body, Peony seems o con o m o socie al s anda ds o
eminini y, while Cinde does no . This idea is ein o ced when Pea l, Cinde ’s o he
sis e , makes he ollowing commen : “‘Is ha i ? Did you hink he p ince—no— he
empe o would ind i in his hea o o e look all you …’—she wi led he hand—
‘sho comings?’” (300). Fu he mo e, she no es: “Fi s , I’m going o ell him all abou
you ugly me al ex emi ies and how much o an emba assmen you a e … And I’m
going o make su e he also ealizes how much mo e desi able I am” (304). Pea l’s ema ks
show ha she bases bo h he and Cinde ’s wo h and desi abili y on Kai’s po en ial
app o al. The eason why Kai’s opinion is impo an is ha he is a young, handsome
oyal. Thus, many, i no mos , gi ls in he Commonweal h wo ship him and seek his
alida ion (39-41). Pea l’s de oga o y commen s co obo a e Beau oi ’s asse ion ha
women a e adi ionally de ined in ela ion o men and ha hei bodies mus con o m o
6
A he age o h ee, Cinde was nea ly killed by Queen Le ana in a i e. She was escued and b ough o
Ea h, whe e she unde wen cybe ne ic su ge y due o he se e e inju ies (Meye , Sca le 313).
16
c ea u e” unwo hy o a ec ion (Meye , Cinde 304), and Ad i once calls he “li le
abe a ion”, claiming ha such a nickname is e en “ oo kind” o Cinde (Meye , Sca le
289). Fu he mo e, as Cinde ecalls, he me al limbs a e usually deemed “g o esque,
unna u al, disgus ing” (Meye , Win e 753), “eccen ici ies” ha she is p essu ed o hide
i she wan s o mingle wi h humans (Meye , Cinde 25). This labeling phenomenon s ems
om he ac ha humans cons i u e wha Go man de ines as “hegemonic iden i y” and
hus eel en i led o s igma ize and abuse he indi iduals who de ia e om i (D ay on
and P ins 114-16). Th oughou he se ies, Cinde hus s uggles no only wi h social
no ms o eminini y bu wi h he hegemonic ideal o humani y i sel . Following
G amsci’s heo y, since his ideal and he bias agains cybo gs a e deeply ing ained in
socie y, she ine i ably in e nalizes hem (Lea s 573).
Consequen ly, he sel -pe cep ion is deeply a ec ed, as Go man sugges s occu s in hese
cases. Fi s , he e is shame and sel -dep eca ion (Go man 7). Cinde ’s in e naliza ion o
he s igma su ounding cybo gs esul s in he insul ing he sel , jus as o he s do. She
ega ds he limbs as “mons osi ies” (Meye , Cinde 32) and calls he sel a “ eak” (126).
When Empe o Kai, unawa e ha she is a cybo g, in i es he o he i s ime o he
Annual Ball, she is immedia ely o e come wi h anxie y: “he [Kai] didn’ know who,
wha , he was asking. I he knew he u h…how mo i ied would he be i anyone ound
ou ?” (164; emphasis added). He ea is e en mo e pa en when, in ha same in e ac ion,
he ies o g ab he me allic hand: “She men ally u ged he obo ic limb o go so , o be
plian , o be human” (163). This las ins ance connec s wi h Go man’s second s age in
he p ocess o s igma managemen : he desi e o hide one’s s igma and pass as no mal
(92-94). In his case, h oughou he i s wo books, Cinde is commi ed o concealing
he mos p ominen symbol o he cybo g sel , he le hand, by wea ing glo es.
Rega dless o he discom o , she ne e emo es hem, always making su e hey co e
he hand as a p o ec i e shield (Meye , Cinde 5-8, 223). Addi ionally, she once
con empla es unde going skin g a ing o pe manen ly modi y he hand and make i look
human and no mal (31), al hough in he end she decides agains ha idea.
All hese ac ions e lec Cinde ’s ejec ion o he cybo g sel . He pe spec i e, howe e ,
changes signi ican ly in he second hal o The Luna Ch onicles. Be o e consolida ing
he sel as a e olu iona y a he end o C ess, she spends ime in a colony o Luna
mig an s in A ica. The people he e ecognize he as he igh ul hei o he Luna h one
and see he as a symbol o hope o o e h ow Queen Le ana (Meye , C ess 220-21).
17
The e o e, o he i s ime, Cinde is su ounded by people who no only do no epudia e
he cybo g iden i y bu e en admi e he o i . Wha once was a sou ce o s igma becomes
a sou ce o hono o Cinde , as she sees people wea ing cybo g-looking clo hes,
accesso ies, and e en a oos. This inspi es in Cinde an unp eceden ed sense o belonging
and alida ion: “She wasn’ used o being accep ed by s ange s, e en app ecia ed. She
wasn’ used o being admi ed” (258). As she becomes a isible cybo g ep esen a i e, she
slowly begins o ins ill change in people. Fo ins ance, Empe o Kai is p omp ed o e lec
on he ea men o cybo gs in socie y, knowing ha Cinde – whom he has eelings o –
is one o hem: “Why cybo gs? … How did ou socie y decide ha hei li es a e wo h
less? … Is i possible he laws a e w ong?” (305-7). E en ually, he decides o in e up
he p e iously men ioned cybo g d a s as a i s s ep owa d ecognizing cybo g igh s.
This decision ills Cinde wi h g a i ude and p ide (311-13).
As socie al a i udes owa ds cybo gs shi , so does Cinde ’s sel -pe cep ion. She
g adually no malizes he non-no ma i e cybo g iden i y, s ops ha ing i and emb aces i
wi h new ound con idence. Acco ding o Go man (122-23), he accep ance o hei
iden i y is pa o he p ocess s igma ized indi iduals go h ough. This ans o ma ion is
pa icula ly e iden in Cinde ’s a i ude owa ds he cybo g hand. Al hough she cons an ly
co e ed i wi h glo es, now she disca ds hem, admi ing ha hey “ el like a lie” (Meye ,
Win e 167). She also holds Kai’s hand wi h he cybo g hand wi hou hesi a ion, when
be o e she panicked abou ha – a eac ion she admi s was “silly and ain” (768-72).
Fu he mo e, while p esen ing he sel na u ally and no allowing hegemonic iews on
iden i y o in luence he ac ions anymo e, Cinde inds alue in being a cybo g. A e
Empe o Kai and Queen Le ana’s wedding, Cinde is cap u ed and unde goes ial du ing
hei co ona ion ce emony. Du ing his ime, he cybe ne ic enhancemen s p o e
in aluable as hey p o ec he om Le ana’s powe s o mind-con ol: “[Le ana] couldn’
ool Cinde . O , a he , she couldn’ ool Cinde ’s in e nal compu e … he wo pa s o
he b ain wen o wa , ying o igu e ou which side should be dominan . This ime, she
le he cybo g side win” (447-48). Accep ing he cybo g na u e, Cinde b a ely igh s
Le ana’s soldie s by he sel and eme ges ic o ious agains all odds, using he cybo g
b ain and limbs as weapons (449-51). Howe e , she acciden ally alls in o a lake, which
esul s in empo a y damage and loss o he cybe ne ic enhancemen s. The lack o hose
p ac ical enhancemen s b ings Cinde o a meaning ul ealiza ion: “A e i e yea s o
wishing she was like e e yone else, now she missed all hose con eniences ha had come
18
wi h being cybo g” (667). This e lec ion is o g ea signi icance, as i demons a es once
and o all Cinde ’s e olu ion ega ding he cybo g iden i y, which she now emb aces
ully.
Las ly, one could compa e Cinde ’s accep ance o he cybo g iden i y o he de elopmen
o wha G amsci de ines as class consciousness among he p ole a ians (Ramos).
Acknowledging he class iden i y empowe s Cinde o challenge he social o de ha has
legi imized he bias agains cybo gs. Thus, when a e o e h owing Le ana she euni es
wi h he Ea hen leade s o in oduce he sel as he new queen o Luna, she akes
ad an age o he eunion o ad oca e o he igh s o cybo gs. This decision aligns wi h
G amsci’s no ion ha in eg a ing s igma ized g oups is essen ial in he way o social
change (Ramos; Lea s 578):
Fo yea s, cybo gs ha e been ea ed as seconda y ci izens … The e’s a p ejudice
su ounding us, ha because we’ e been gi en unna u al abili ies—man-made
abili ies—we’ e a dange o socie y. Bu i isn’ ue. We jus wan accep ance, like
anybody else. And so, my eques is ha all laws ega ding cybo gs be
eexamined, and we be gi en he same equali y and basic igh s as e e ybody else.
(Meye , Win e 787)
The Ea hen leade s consen o Cinde ’s p oposi ions, which signi ies a majo
ans o ma ion o he es ablished social no ms and o de . Whe eas “Cinde ella” ends wi h
he p o agonis ma ying he p ince and no making any signi ican s uc u al change
(Pe aul 77), Cinde ’s jou ney is one o accep ance and ans o ma ion. F om being a
ma ginalized, non-no ma i e cybo g, she e ol es in o a powe ul agen o social change
who de ies and success ully ans o ms he hegemony o he human species in a way he
ai y ale coun e pa could no .
3.3 Cinde , he Luna : An alien o socie y
In he i s book, Cinde disco e s ha , in addi ion o being a cybo g, she is also Luna –
ha is, she is na i e o he o me Ea hen colony. Tha makes he pa o ye ano he
mino i y on Ea h, as Ea hens mis us and ea he inhabi an s o Luna. This nega i e
pe cep ion is illus a ed pa icula ly in he i s wo books o he se ies. Fo example, To in
– Empe o Kai’s ad iso – says abou Luna s ha “e e y las one o hem has been g eedy,
iolen , co up ed by hei own powe . I ’s in hei blood” (Meye , Cinde 114). This
s a emen e eals ha Luna s a e seen as inhe en ly c uel and immo al, a belie oiced by
19
he es o Ea hens. In he ace o a possible union be ween he Ea h and Luna, and as
he Luna queen Le ana isi s hei egion, he ci izen y o he Eas e n Commonweal h
shows hei disdain wi h he slogan “No alliance wi h e il!” (202). The s igma is also
e iden wi h Iko, Cinde ’s bes iend, au oma ically likening Luna s o c iminals pu ely
because o hei o igin. She s a es ha “Luna s and con ic s [a e] un us wo hy and
un edeemable as a gene al ule” (Meye , Sca le 189).
These ew examples a e p oo o he p ejudice ha Ea hens hold agains Luna s, iewing
all o hem as un eliable, dange ous, and igh ening. The eason behind such bias is
simila o he bias ha Ea hens eel owa ds cybo gs, ye somewha mo e complex due
o he in ica e na u e o Luna s. Cinde in oduces hem o he eade as ollows:
Luna s we e a socie y ha had e ol ed om an Ea hen moon colony cen u ies
ago, bu hey we en’ human anymo e. People said Luna s could al e a pe son’s
b ain—make you see hings you shouldn’ see, eel hings you shouldn’ eel, do
hings you didn’ wan o do. Thei unna u al powe had made hem a g eedy and
iolen ace. (Meye , Cinde 43)
In his passage, Cinde , unawa e o he Luna iden i y, pe pe ua es some nega i e
s e eo ypes associa ed wi h Luna s. Rema kably, she desc ibes hem as “g eedy” and
“ iolen ”, he exac wo ds To in, he ad iso o Empe o Kai, employs. This epe i ion
con i ms ha hese opinions abou Luna s a e widely held in socie y. D awing om
G amsci’s heo y o cul u al hegemony, i can be concluded ha hese iews a e
hegemonic, imposed by he dominan g oup and accep ed as he no m (Ramos; Lea s 568-
69). In he p e ious sec ion, i has been s a ed ha humans cons i u e he dominan g oup
in ques ion, and wi h ha , hey es ablish wha Go man e e s o as “hegemonic iden i y”
(D ay on and P ins 114), ha is, he iden i y conside ed p e e able. This emains he same
in he case o Luna s; he p eceding passage e eals ha hey a e conside ed non-human
due o hei supe na u al abili ies. Like cybo gs, Luna s a e enhanced beings, supe io o
humans in a way, and hus e oke he pos human anxie ies discussed by Insenga (56).
Howe e , unlike cybo gs, Luna s a e simul aneously e e ed o as a ace because hey
descend om an Ea hen colony ha decided o se le on he moon. Consequen ly,
“Luna ” could be ead as an e hnici y dis inc om “Ea hen”. In his ega d, he schola
Jill Cos e sugges s ha “Ea hen” could al oge he symbolize whi eness. He heo y s ems
20
om he p i ilege and supe io i y o Ea hens compa ed o Luna s, who a e es ablished
as “ he O he ” (Cos e 65-66).
In summa y, i can be said ha he non-no ma i i y o Luna s is mo e p o ound han ha
o cybo gs due o hem being bo h non-human and non-Ea hen, while cybo gs a e jus
non-human. This double de ia ion om he no m explains he disdain wi h which Luna s
a e ea ed, as illus a ed in ea lie examples. The mis ea men o Luna s is consis en
wi h Go man’s heo y o s igma, acco ding o which he hegemonic g oup ma ginalizes
hose who a e di e en (D ay on and P ins 116). Thus, as a Luna , Cinde is exposed o
u he disc imina ion. She de ies social no ms o eminini y, humani y, and now ace, a
si ua ion adically di e en om ha o Pe aul ’s p o agonis : despi e being
dehumanized by he amily (Insenga 62; Pe aul 68), Cinde ella is no seen as non-human
in he way Cinde is. Fu he mo e, in e ms o ace, Cinde ella is equally no ma i e and
no a ic im o any o m o acial p ejudice. Indeed, Cos e poin s ou ha Cinde ella is
widely accep ed and po ayed as Caucasian (64). Gi en ha Pe aul w o e he as an
embodimen o F ench and, hence, Wes e n ideals (Zipes 36), Cinde ella is essen ially a
whi e, Eu opean cha ac e . The e o e, by depic ing Cinde as non-Ea hen and non-
human, Meye di e ges again om Pe aul ’s ale.
When Cinde ’s Luna iden i y is e ealed, he nega i e pe cep ions owa ds Luna s begin
o be di ec ed a he as well. She ecei es dea h h ea s om a ious people: “Tha gi l’s
a Luna ! … She should be execu ed!” (Meye , Sca le 17), “I wouldn’ blink wice be o e
sending you o o o . I ’s he bes you kind dese e” (92). These lines show ha Luna s,
like cybo gs, a e no ea ed humanely, as hei li es – Cinde ’s li e, in his case – a e
deemed wo hless. Mo eo e , he wo ds “you kind”, which a e also used owa ds Cinde
when she is despised o being a cybo g, ein o ce he di ide be ween humans and Luna s.
Those wo ds demons a e ha Luna s a e ega ded as di e en and in e io , a endency
ha aligns wi h Hall’s “Us [ s.] Them” heo y (q d. in C anny-F ancis 141). Apa om
his, a eac ion owa ds Cinde ’s ace ha is pa icula ly ema kable is ha o Empe o
Kai. The oman ic connec ion hey build du ing he i s book is es ed when he lea ns
abou Cinde being Luna . He wonde s, “Was i all in my head? A Luna ick?” (Meye ,
Cinde 367). He canno us Cinde , no he au hen ici y o hei ela ionship, and o a
while, he con inues o dismiss his eelings as jus he p oduc o he mind-manipula ion
powe s o Luna s. He o e comes his skep icism once he euni es wi h Cinde a he end
o C ess. Ne e heless, be o e hei econcilia ion, Kai goes as a as o bols e policies
21
agains Luna immig a ion o Ea h, wan ing o comply wi h he “In e plane a y
Ag eemen o 54 T.E.” (Meye , C ess 252). This ea y, his se o ules, es ablishes legally
he basis o he disc imina ion and ejec ion o Luna s, as i os e s he no ion o Luna s
as dange ous beings ha mus be kep away. The c ea ion o such legisla ion alida es
G amsci’s poin , which s a es ha he dominan g oup eso s o he legal sys em, among
o he ins i u ions, o ing ain hei socie al belie s (Ramos; Lea s 569).
As G amsci’s heo y concludes (Ramos; Lea s 573), such nega i e s e eo ypes a e usually
assimila ed and pe pe ua ed; in he case o Cinde , he p ejudices o he Ea hen
popula ion owa ds Luna s a e es ablished and consolida ed. To in, Iko, Kai, a ious
anonymous ci izens, and Cinde he sel a e p oo o his consolida ion. O cou se,
ollowing Go man’s ideas on he handling o s igma (34-37), Cinde ’s la e disco e y o
he being a Luna causes he o s uggle wi h he Luna iden i y e en mo e in ensely han
she s uggles wi h he cybo g iden i y. The eason o his s uggle is ha , as she has
g own up unawa e o he Luna na u e, she has adop ed p econcei ed ideas abou Luna s
ha a e accen ua ed when she disco e s he ue o igins:
To be cybo g and Luna . One was enough o make he a mu an , an ou cas , bu o
be bo h? She shudde ed. Luna s we e a c uel, sa age people. They mu de ed hei
shell child en. They lied and scammed and b ainwashed each o he because hey
could. They didn’ ca e who hey hu , so long as i bene i ed hemsel es. She
was no one o hem. (Meye , Cinde 178)
Following his e ela ion, she equen ly dis ances he sel om he Luna s, e using o
acknowledge she is one hem: he e e ing o Luna s as a “ hem” and no an “us”, e lec s
again he seg ega ion o Luna s. Unlike in he case o cybo gs, who ha e isible
mechanical pa s, he e is no angible “s igma symbol”, as Go man de ines i (92), linked
wi h being Luna . None heless, Cinde s ill expe iences shame and sel -ha e, eelings ha
a e cong uen wi h Go man’s heo y o s igma (7). She s uggles pa icula ly wi h he
Luna powe s, as she is in luenced by he same anxie ies and p ejudices as e e yone else
in Ea hen socie y. A e he inal e en s o he i s book, when Cinde a acked Le ana,
she becomes a wan ed c iminal. To a oid cap u e, she s eals a mili a y spaceship o lee
o space, o which she uses he powe s o lea e a man unconscious. When she does his,
she wo ies abou becoming e il, “ he e o o socie y ha e e yone belie ed he o be”
(Meye , Sca le 92). As he s o y p og esses and he con lic escala es, hese ea s inc ease
22
and consume Cinde . She a i es a he poin o decla ing ha he Luna abili ies a e
u ning he in o a “mons e ” (367).
Simila ly o how he pe cep ion o he cybo g sel changes, Cinde ’s inne con lic wi h
he Luna iden i y ends in he hi d and ou h books o he se ies. In C ess, Cinde s ays
wi h a communi y o Luna e ugees in he Saha a. They know who she is and admi e he
o challenging Le ana. Thus, hey welcome he , which in u n helps Cinde accep
he sel . When she mee s his communi y, she inds i mo ing ha hey ecei e he wi h
some ood: “I was a gi … om Luna s. F om he own people” (Meye , C ess 187). I is
he i s ime ha Cinde e e s o hem as such ins ead o dis ancing he sel om hem,
which is a big s ep in he sel -accep ance jou ney. La e , he same g oup o Luna s uses
hei Luna powe s o de end Cinde when an Ea hen a my comes o a es he due o he
ac ions a he Annual Ball. Besides, du ing ha inciden , hey p o ess hei ai h in Cinde
o o e h ow Queen Le ana (368-69). In e enge, Le ana kills hem. The news
de as a es Cinde bu , a he same ime, encou ages he o emb ace he Luna iden i y and
de end he Luna popula ion by beginning a e olu ion (546-550).
Then, in Win e – he ou h book o he se ies –, Cinde a i es in Luna and wi nesses
he ha sh eali y o he Luna people. Mos a e wo ke s who li e in po e y, depend on
ood a ions, and endu e unheal hy li ing and wo king condi ions ha expose hem o
sickness. Fu he mo e, Le ana con ols he media and he anspo a ion be ween he
sec o s in o which he popula ion is di ided, lea ing Luna s isola ed om one ano he
and, he e o e, unable o uni e agains he (Meye , Win e 204-207). This si ua ion ma ks
Cinde ’s ull accep ance o he Luna na u e since she is able o empa hize wi h Luna s
and disman le he misconcep ions she had in e nalized abou hem on Ea h. Fo ins ance,
she begins o see he Luna powe s no as e i ying o mons ous bu as an asse (310).
Fu he mo e, she iden i ies he sel as pa o he Luna people h ough he use o
language. When she in oduces he sel o hem o call o a e olu ion, she deli e s a
powe ul speech: “I will no s and aside while my aun [Le ana] ensla es and abuses my
people he e on Luna, and wages a wa ac oss Ea h … No longe will we obey he cu ews
o o go ou igh s o mee and alk and be hea d … i we join oge he , we can be
in incible” (314-15; emphasis added). Thus, she ad oca es o Luna igh s,
consolida ing he posi ion wi h he ollowing decla a ion: “I ’s he people’s e olu ion
now, no mine” (355).
23
While she ini ially ejec ed Luna s, now Cinde has become one wi h hem, o he poin
o igh ing ehemen ly o hei cause. Essen ially, she econciles wi h he Luna na u e
and emb aces i wholehea edly. The e o e, she con i ms Go man’s es ima ion ha sel -
accep ance is a possible inal s ep in he expe ience o s igma ized people (122-23). In
G amscian e ms (Ramos), like he p ole a ia , Cinde demons a es ha ing de eloped
class consciousness as she acknowledges he sel as pa o he Luna mino i y. In doing
so – ollowing G amsci’s line o hough (Ramos; Lea s 578) – she can de y powe
s uc u es success ully. He iumph o e Le ana libe a es Luna s om opp ession, bu ,
mos impo an ly, enables a change in he dynamics be ween he Ea h and Luna. When
Cinde and o he Ea hen leade s euni e once he wa in Luna is o e , Cinde pleads o
he aboli ion o an i-immig a ion laws. He goal is o Luna s o be ea ed humanely and
o build us and espec be ween he wo na ions (785-88). The Ea hen ep esen a i es
a e ecep i e o such sugges ions, which is a new a i ude ha en ails a signi ican social
change. Thei i s s ep is o emo e he policies ha jus i ied he bias agains Luna s.
This emo al ep esen s a i s s ep owa ds disman ling he p ejudiced belie s he Ea hen
popula ion had his o ically in e nalized.
Thus, Cinde comple es he ede ini ion o Pe aul ’s “Cinde ella”. By challenging and
eshaping he s a us quo, which, as p e iously discussed, Cinde ella does no do (Pe aul
77), Cinde consolida es he sel as he an i hesis o he classic p incess in e e y possible
aspec .
4. Conclusion
The analysis o Cinde h oughou The Luna Ch onicles (2012-2015) has shown ha
Ma issa Meye ’s ede ined Cinde ella sub e s Pe aul ’s cha ac e and ale ho oughly.
This di e gence has i s been obse ed in Cinde ’s non-no ma i i y as a woman. He
appea ance and ole in he no els challenge he adi ional ideals o eminini y ha
ai y ales like “Cinde ella” es ablish and endo se. While Cinde ella is he epi ome o
beau y, Cinde is no con en ionally a ac i e o eminine. Mo eo e , Cinde ella is
passi e and submissi e, whe eas Cinde is an ac i e and au onomous cha ac e who
adop s a ole o en associa ed wi h men. Tha enables he o de ine he sel on he own
e ms, b eaking ee om he cons ain s o gende con en ions.
24
Cinde ’s de iance o he no m goes u he : she is a cybo g in a human-domina ed socie y.
He na u e goes agains he hegemonic human iden i y; hus, she is s igma ized and
dehumanized in a much mo e ins i u ionalized way han he cha ac e o Cinde ella.
Besides, while he classic p incess complies wi h social no ms and pe pe ua es he s a us
quo, Cinde ’s non-no ma i e cybo g iden i y – which she s uggles wi h bu in ime
emb aces – allows he o challenge human hegemony. Likewise, Cinde ’s being a Luna
iola es ideals o bo h humani y and ace. Unlike Cinde ella, who does no su e acial
disc imina ion, Cinde is ejec ed and disc imina ed agains by Ea hens, who hold many
nega i e assump ions abou Luna s. Cinde in e nalizes hese p ejudices and has
p oblems accep ing he na u e. Howe e , she e en ually acknowledges he Luna iden i y
as she leads a e olu ion in Luna. Th ough his e olu ion, Cinde o e h ows he olde
social o de and cons uc s a new, inclusi e one.
In conclusion, Meye ’s young adul no els es ablish hemsel es as he an i hesis o
adi ional ai y ales. Th ough a mold-b eaking cha ac e such as Cinde , who is unique,
au hen ic, and e olu iona y, Meye o e s young eade s a ole model dis inc om he
classic ai y ale p incesses. Indeed, u u e esea ch could ocus on Sca le , C ess, and
Win e , Meye ’s o he p o agonis s, o see how hey mode nize he cha ac e s o Li le
Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Snow Whi e, espec i ely. Fu he mo e, i would be
in e es ing o conside ein e p e a ions o ai y ales w i en in o he languages o c ea ed
by au ho s om a di e en cul u al backg ound. Ma issa Meye is Ame ican, and mos
known ai y ale au ho s – Pe aul , he G imm b o he s, o Hans Ch is ian Ande sen – a e
Eu opean. The e o e, explo ing non-Wes e n wo ks could p o ide a new and aluable
pe spec i e o he analysis o con empo a y ai y ale adap a ions.
25
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