Fairytale Re-Telling

The Fairytale Re-Telling assignment was the first of our three major projects this semester. We were instructed to choose any fairytale and reframe it from a new perspective, using ChatGPT to conduct an interview with our characters of choice and write it as a report in AP style. I chose to interview Anastasia and Drizella Tremaine, Cinderella's evil stepsisters, with a specific intent to investigate family dynamics and their lives after Cinderella's happily ever after. A PDF version will be linked at the bottom of this page.

Mother Knows Best: Catching up With Anastasia and Drizella Tremaine

Uncovering the mystery of the stepsisters’ fates after Cinderella’s “happily ever after.”

Cinderella’s stepsisters. The ugly stepsisters. The evil stepsisters. Anastasia and Drizella Tremaine never seemed to be cut any slack, whether during the events of Cinderella’s fairytale or after, being reduced to harsh caricatures of the girls they truly were. It almost came as a bitter shock when I chose to interview them that someone was genuinely interested in them as people, not as the villains the storybook painted them as.

“Well, if it isn’t someone curious about our fabulous lives post-ball disaster,” Anastasia, now 24, quipped. “Honestly, things haven’t been all bad. People tend to forget that being Cinderella’s stepsisters wasn’t exactly a walk in the park—though, I’ll admit, we weren’t the nicest. But since the whole ‘glass slipper’ episode, life’s been... interesting, to say the least.”

Drizella, also now 24, added, “Interesting? Anastasia, that’s putting it lightly. It’s been downright exhausting! Suddenly, everyone expects us to be humble and repentant. But between you and me, it’s hard to forget the way Cinderella just waltzed in and stole all the attention. Still, I’m trying to make the best of it.”

Those who aren’t familiar with Cinderella's tale are few and far between. Her mother passed away at a young age, her father remarried, and after his own passing, she was taken under the uncaring wing of her stepmother, Lady Madonna Tremaine, and her daughters, Anastasia and Drizella.

After being forced into becoming a housemaid for the Tremaines, Cinderella was visited by her Fairy Godmother and was able to attend Prince Charming’s royal ball. That is, until midnight struck, and all the magic wore off. Cinderella left behind one glass slipper; the prince used it to find her after searching the kingdom, and the rest was happily ever after. For Cinderella, anyway. Meanwhile, Anastasia and Drizella were left in the dust.

Having grown up under the sometimes too overbearing eye of their mother, Anastasia and Drizella were quickly thrust into a lifestyle of high pressure, societal expectations, and emphasis on upholding reputation. Drizella elaborated on the household dynamics while the sisters were growing up, saying that living with their mother “was like living in a fortress where affection was rationed. We had to be tough just to survive.”

To this, Anastasia pointed out, “We weren’t born mean; we became... well, more pragmatic, shall we say. Being under Lady Tremaine’s control shaped us in ways that weren’t always healthy. If we’d broken free sooner, maybe we wouldn’t have spent so much time trying to compete with Cinderella or prove ourselves through her. Instead, we could’ve built our own identities, independent from all that family drama. I think we’d both be more confident and less... well, bitter.”

It was no shocker to learn that Tremaine’s authoritarian parenting style had extreme effects on the girls’ childhoods. Anastasia and Drizella touched on feelings of self-doubt, insecurity, constant pressures to please their mother, and feeling trapped. Anastasia mused that it was definitely attributed to generational patterns passed down from Tremaine’s own parentage. “I think she carried that burden [of upholding status and appearance] and bitterness right into her relationship with us,” she remarked. “She wanted us to be perfect, not for our own sake, but to bolster her own standing. And yeah, it probably came from how she was raised—her own mother, or even her grandmother, might have been just as strict, or worse.”

Looking back on the events of Cinderella’s story had never been an easy task for Anastasia and Drizella. I was curious to know if, had Tremaine not been in the picture, the sisters’ dynamic with Cinderella would have been at all different. This question felt like it would be loaded, and I was right in assuming so.

“Honestly, sometimes I wonder about that myself,” Drizella admitted. “Without Lady Tremaine’s influence constantly pitting us against each other, maybe we could’ve had a chance to be more... I don’t know, genuine with each other. Even friends.”

To this, Anastasia chimed in, “I’ve thought about it too. Cinderella was always kind, even when we weren’t. Without our mother’s harsh expectations and the way she constantly made everything about power and status, maybe we wouldn’t have felt so threatened by her. We might’ve seen her as a sister instead of a rival. I think we all wanted some kind of family bond, deep down. But fear and jealousy made it hard to reach that. Without our mother driving wedges between us, maybe we could’ve found a way to connect—at least as honorary sisters, if not close friends.”

“We lost a lot to those years of rivalry, but maybe now, with time and distance, we can start to heal,” Drizella concluded. “Who knows? Maybe the future holds something unexpected.” In saying this, she brought up an interesting segue into another curiosity I held. If they could say anything to Cinderella right now, what would they want to say? What, after all these years of harboring countless unspoken feelings, would they tell her if given the chance?

The consensus was something candid, but not hostile. From Drizella, “I hope you know it wasn’t always easy for us, and maybe we didn’t handle things well. But I don’t hate you. I just wish we all could’ve had a family without all the bitterness. And maybe... maybe someday we can find some kind of peace between us. Not necessarily friends, but not enemies either. Just... something better.”

And from Anastasia, something like, “Cinderella, I hope you’re happy. Despite everything, I always admired your kindness and resilience. I wish we could’ve seen each other as more than just rivals. Because, at the end of the day, we were all caught in a story bigger than ourselves. And maybe it’s time to write a new chapter.”

Speaking of new chapters, the sisters were more than excited to fill me in on what they’d been occupying themselves with since moving away from the kingdom and fleeing Tremaine’s clutches. Anastasia currently immerses herself in fashion design, and Drizella in singing.

I started pressing Anastasia for details first. Alleged villain turned designer is naturally a curious topic to pursue. She was drawn to fashion after the events of Prince Charming’s ball, realizing that fashion was, to her, more of a means of expressing her identity than searching to appease others. Additional empowerment came from constant comparison to Cinderella’s seemingly natural charm, which she channeled into her designs, creating things that made people feel confident and strong, the way she wished she could’ve felt during that period of her life.

As for Drizella, music has been a part of her identity since a very young age. “Growing up, I didn’t get a lot of chances to just be myself, so I guess I kept my voice mostly to myself. I’d hum or sing quietly when no one was around, dreaming of a stage where I could finally let loose,” she confessed. “It wasn’t until after all the Cinderella chaos that I decided, 'Why not give it a real shot?’ I figured, if everyone’s talking about me, might as well be for something positive.”

Since then, Drizella has been striving to release music of her own. Her dream is to perform for live audiences, stating that fame is not at the forefront of her goals. Rather, it’s about sharing something meaningful through a medium she loves. “I want people to feel what I feel when I sing, to connect. If I can do that, I’ll consider it a success.”

Drizella has also been actively taking vocal lessons to strengthen her voice, to which Anastasia had nothing but (teasing) praise to hail her sister. “She’s surprisingly dedicated! I think the singing helps her let go of some of the frustration we both carry. Plus, it’s kind of fun having a little musical drama in the family, even if I’m still waiting for her to hit that perfect note.”

Excitingly, the sisters both hinted at the thought of a potential multimedia collaboration between the pair. The dream collaboration, Anastasia detailed to me, is a runway show featuring Anastasia’s designs and Drizella’s music as backing. “Imagine a runway show where Drizella’s music sets the entire mood—her voice weaving through the room as models strut down the catwalk in my designs. The music would be dramatic, maybe a bit haunting, with powerful crescendos that highlight key moments in the collection.” Her ideal vision is for it to feel like a story unfolding, with every piece of clothing telling a part of that narrative.

Drizella also dreams of performing while adorned in Anastasia’s designs. “Instead of the usual stage costumes, I’d wear her designs—pieces that change with the music, maybe flowing gowns or edgy, bold outfits that reflect the emotions in each song. The visuals would amplify the feelings I’m trying to express, making the whole experience more immersive for the audience,” she described.

Whatever collaborative ventures the two choose to pursue in the future, they’re both certain that they’ll mesh together perfectly. “Because we know each other so well, we’d be able to play off each other’s strengths, pushing boundaries we didn’t think possible,” Anastasia pointed out. At the end of the day, they aim to surprise people and shatter the notion that they’re one-dimensional women, reduced to the “evil stepsisters.”

“We’re creators in our own right,” Drizella declared. “And maybe, just maybe, we’d get a standing ovation together—for once, on the same stage.”

Despite the hardships their lives had thrown their way, if there’s anything Anastasia and Drizella knew how to do, it’s to come out on top. As they progress through their adult years, finding their respective places in the world and forging independent identities for themselves, they’re finally being seen for who they really are.

Their closing words truly encapsulated the hopeful energy they’re carrying into each day. “We’re excited for what’s ahead,” Drizella said, “and knowing there are people rooting for us makes all the difference. Maybe this is the start of something truly magical—just on our own terms.”

And a final remark from Anastasia: “So here’s to new beginnings, unexpected friendships, and stories that still have many pages left to write.” While Cinderella’s storybook might have closed many years ago, Anastasia and Drizella’s are just beginning.

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