Just Ella

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Just Ella is a book written by Margaret Peterson Haddix and published in 1999. This story is a retelling of Cinderella with a feminist twist and is a different version of happily-ever-after.

[edit] Plot

When the reader first meet Ella Brown (or Princess Cynthiana Eleanora as those in the palace call her, Cinders-Ella as her step-sisters call her) she is engaged to the prince and waiting for the wedding at only fifteen. Although she is very intelligent, she still has much to learn about being a princess, as she was once a commoner. Ella already finds life in the castle dull and confusing. She also learns that even though she is a princess in the world of power, she holds very little power herself, simply because she is a women. She has very little say of what goes on in her daily life. She cannot go outside, and must attend what she considers boring and useless lessons. Sewing and posture lessons don’t satisfy Ella’s liveliness, spirit and wit. Madame Bisset (her least favorite tutor) is constantly reprimanding her. She suffers through all of this only because she loves Prince Charming (and although she is to be his wife, they are only allowed one hour together each day).

The dull routine of her life is changed when one of her tutors, Lord Reston, nearly dies in her history lesson. After this incident she makes her first friend in the palace, a servant girl called Mary. Lord Reston’s son Jed (whom she later falls in love with) takes over the history lessons, and he and Ella soon become friends. Jed is the first to treat her like an actual human being. They share the same views on the castle - dull and full of useless politics - and Jed reveals his dream of setting up a refugee camp for victims in the Sualan War, instead of becoming a bishop like his father. Ella finds his lessons to be the only bright spot in her tedious days. After several lessons Jed asks her how she had come to be a princess, so she recounts the story:

After Ella’s father died, she became a servant girl for her step-mother Lucille and step-sisters Corimunde and Griselda. Ella endured years of abuse, and almost always went to bed on an empty stomach. She decided that she wanted to escape her horrible life, so after hearing about the ball, she decided to attend and see if any opportunities for marriage would open up for her. All she really wanted was freedom. While most in the kingdom believe her to have gone crying to her fairy godmother for help, instead she took the initiative herself of wearing her mother's wedding dress. For the glass slippers, she went to the boastful glass blower who bet he could make anything out of glass that will stay put. After a bit of arguing she got shoes made out of glass. On the night of the ball, Lucille casually ordered Ella to scrub the cellar by midnight. Instead, Ella dressed up and went to the ball. She was immediately approached by the prince, who danced with her the entire night. When she realized that she must go home, she left her glass slipper behind. The next day Ella was whisked to the palace.

So Ella finishes her story to Jed. Her only happiness in the day is soon ended when history lessons are canceled due to dress-fitting for an outdoors tournament. Although Ella is disappointed that lessons will be delayed, she is happy that she will spend some time outdoors, something she hasn’t done in quite a while. However she is soon disappointed. It turns out that Ella must stay in a tent with Madame Bisset and her silly ladies-in-waiting until the tournament is over. Madam Bisset explains that she is only a beautiful decoration for the tournament to get a glimpse at. Furious, she makes a move to rip open the tent cover over her head. Madam Bisset warns her that if she does, she will not marry the prince. Before she has time to make a decision, she passes out due to her extremely tight corset.

After this incident, she falls out of love with the prince. She realizes that he is dull, slow-witted, and cares nothing for her personality - only her looks. Mary confirms this by saying, “He wouldn’t know how to get out of bed each morning if his advisors didn’t tell him which foot to put first.” Ella then learns that she was chosen to dance with the prince at the ball solely because she was beautiful, and the prince had no say in his future wife at all. She contemplates over several days how to break off the engagement, while wondering if he could have turned out differently if he had not been pampered and spoiler. Finally, one day in their hour alone, she tells him that she no longer wants to marry him. Prince Charming throws a fit not unlike a two-year-old's. As she is walking out of the hall, her dress is ripped, and the Prince uses this to tie her up. The next morning, Ella finds herself in the dungeon.

Madam Bisset (who is no longer pretending to be nice to Ella) tells Ella that she can come up to her room if she agrees to marry the prince. Ella tells her that she will not. She is fed gruel and guarded by Quog, a man who has raped many women. She is visited by Mary who brings her food and tells her Jed was dismissed from the castle and given money to start his refugee camp. Ella hides the bag of food in the hole used for going to the bathroom. She is then struck by a brilliant idea: to dig her way out through the hole. Mary brings her a shovel and she digs at night and sleeps during the day. Her plan is almost thwarted when the prince comes down to “rescue” her. The Prince tells her (in obvious bad acting) to come with him and blames his advisors for his not coming sooner. He then kills Quog, and starts to open the dungeon door. To make him go away, she lies and tells him to come back in 3 days, when she is worthy of his love. Soon, she has dug her way out, and decides to go to Jed’s camp.

First she visits Lucille’s house where she steals some clothing and books in the night. Lucille catches her, but she escapes. She journeys to Jed’s camp, sleeping during the day and walking at night. One morning, she hears a bunch of soldiers talking about Prince Charming’s wedding. She wonders how this could have happened. She finally makes it to Jed’s camp, where at first she is mistaken for a refugee herself. She finally meets Jed, who immediately gives her a job as a doctor at the camp. He then proposes to her, which she turns down, not because she doesn’t love him, but because she doesn’t want to rush into anything. Ella tells Jed that in six months he should ask again, and that she will answer. She soon settles into life at the camp, and enjoys taking care of people immensely. She and Jed grow even closer, and her memories of the castle become blurred and faded.

Her happiness fades slightly when Jed receives a letter telling him that his father has died, and that he must become the head bishop. He appoints Ella the leader of the camp and journeys to the castle. Ella soon receives a letter Jed sends her. He writes that after she disappeared, the prince's people went straight to Lucille’s house and took one of Ella's step-sisters to be the prince’s wife. Jed also says that he may escape like she did to be with her. The book ends with Ella wondering about her future with Jed, and what true beauty in the world is.

[edit] Major Characters

Ella Brown (also called Princess Cynthiana Eleanora or Cinders-Ella) is the protagonist in this story. Besides being very beautiful, Ella is free-spirited, witty, and very smart. She is 15 when the book begins. She suffers from torment and abuse in her family and eventually finds her way to royalty though an engagment to Prince Charming. After realizing that it isn't the life for her she escapes to live with Jed.

Jed Reston He is the son of Lord Reston, and next in line to become the official castle priest. Ella first meets him when he takes over his father's lessons, and he becomes one of her only friends in the castle. Jed is very philosophical and often ponders life. Jed wants to run a refugee camp for the war victims and is eventually given money to do so. Jed and Ella fall in love with each other by the end of the book. Like the Prince, he finds Ella very beautiful, but he can also see her humor, courage, intelligence, and perseverance.

Mary Mary is a young servant in the castle who isn’t very pretty. It was Mary who ran for help when Lord Reston fell ill during Ella’s history lesson. She and Ella become good friends, and she often tells Ella gossip from around the castle. She helps Ella escape from the castle.

Prince Charming A stupid, dull, vain and ignorant man, Prince Charming is good-looking, but has nothing else going for him. He cannot think for himself. Chaming doesn’t understand the suffering of others; he cares nothing if peasants starve. Ella is chosen as his wife at a ball throw for him. When Ella falls out of love with him, he acts violently toward her. He can swordfight to some degree, which he uses to kill Quog. At the end of the book he is married to Ella’s stepsister.

Madame Bisset Ella’s least favorite tutor. She is a snobby, good-looking older woman who has worked very hard for her place in society. Like Ella, she was not born into royalty, but unlike Ella, she enjoys it. She secretly despises Ella, and her feelings about Ella are made known at the end of the book. She desperately tries to change Ella to fit the palace standards. It was Madame Bisset who thought of going back to Ella’s house to find the Prince a wife.

Lucille Ella’s horrible step mother. After Ella’s father died, she immediately became hostile toward Ella and made Ella her personal slave. Lucille is selfish, cruel and demeaning. Lucille used to manipulate her father by “a kiss and a breathy whisper.” Lucille doesn’t have any appreciation for books, and laughs at how Ella’s father died (crossing the war border for rare books). After Ella becomes a princess, Lucille tries unsuccessfully to "suck up" to her. She has two daughters -- Corimunde (who later marries the Prince) and Griselda. Both girls are exact versions of Lucille.