Jumping Over: The Captive Maiden The Cinderella Story

Chazel Becerra
Mrs. Cavaness
LA 2 Honors
6 January 2014
Jumping Over "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail"-Ralph Waldo Emerson. In Melanie Dickerson's, The Captive Maiden the Cinderella story is retold but with dramatic twists. Gisela (the Protagonist) is a young woman at the age seventeen who has lost it all -family, friends, and hope. On a day out in town she meets a childhood acquaintance, the young duke Valten, with the re-acquaintance of Valten Gisela realizes that her life is horrid and if it is going to continue to be that way she will at least go out with having experience fun and love once more. So Gisela decides to risk everything to meet Valten at a Tournament, she wants to
Everyone has reasons for their action, something to drive them forward to certain goals and choices, Gisela is no different. Gisela's drive is leaving her cynical stepmother and finding someone who will love her for who she is, she, "want[s] to marry someone kind... someone who believes in goodness and mercy and love" (12). After being orphaned and treated completely worthless by her sole guardian, she if full of strange emotions that push her to believe certain things and want to obtain certain things. Gisela's childhood led her to have specific morals and values, that followed her into her young adult life. Gisela does everything to follow through and achieve her happiness, Evfemia -Gisela's stepmother- does everything in her power to prevent Gisela
Since Gisela has made her choice she is well aware of the outcome that may or has occurred because of her decision. Gisela's stepmother and stepsister, "... might...do or say [anything] to try [and] destroy her night... they had ruined friendships in the past, out of jealously, and there was no telling what they might do to ruin her in the eyes of Valten" (81) Gisela's step-family is out to get her and now that Valten is paying attention to Gisela the goal of Gisela's step-family has just been amped up. The step-family decided to sell Gisela to, " a baron... [who] promised to marry [her]..." (126) they do this even after it is commonly known that Valten wants to marry Gisela. Gisela's step-family goes above and beyond their initial treat, they also help a man to kidnap Gisela, "...[she] felt herself being dragged down the corridor, away from the ball, and away from Valten" (155) so Gisela's is faced with even greater consequence but still chooses to go for it to take the chance and hope for the best outcome. If Gisela would have never gone through with chasing her happiness and love none of these things would have occurred, but Gisela would still be in the same position as before. Her stepmother would still rule over Gisela with an iron fist and probably have sold her off to be married to someone else because in the book Gisela is desired by several men but none of which were able