Cinder, Cinderella in Postmodern Age

Introduction

Cinderella syndrome happened to the poor girl who dreams a wealthy husband in good looking. This syndrome based on the story of Cinderella which story tells about the girl named Cinderella who falling in love with prince. Finally, the girl from poor family married with the boy and lived in the kingdom with great wealth. This story almost made the girls in the world dreams the same. They came to the party helped by fairy-god-mother, married the handsome boy and lived happily in the kingdom. That circumstance known as Cinderella syndrome.

Kai and Cinder by Adam Masterman on Devianart

In contrary, Marissa Meyer wrote Glitches (2013) in great condition. The main character is the princess of the lunar who trapped in accident and lived on earth. On earth, there is Prince Kai from The Eastern (Meyer, 2013: 15). Just like known well in Cinderella role. After the prince, there is also new family she gathered with after accident (Meyer, 2013: 1).

The new family who adopted Cinder. Adri, her stepmother and two stepsisters; Peony and Pearl (Meyer, 2013: 5-6). Still, they going to the ball even there is no fairy-god-mother through the story. Peony invited Cinder and selected the gown for her (Meyer, 2013: 15). Perhaps, she is the fairy. Merely, they cannot go because Adri ignored them. Only her stepsisters permitted to go.

Cinder by Chrysalisgrey on Devianart

The setting used on Glitches was year 121 T.E. It was the year after World War IV. That is why technology drew in the story was sophisticated. Virtually, all people have robot with android system. There was no car but hover. Cinder empowers her characterization with robotic body. She is a cyborg (Meyer, 2013: 11). Almost her body is mechanical. Her brain 24 hours connected to the internet. She can detected person’s behavior with the she system has.

Further, this paper will describe the technology found through the story and how that things influence the character. Especially, Cinder. This is qualitative because the paper is library research. As Miles and Huberman (1994) stated that qualitative is, analyze the words not numbers. The theory applied is postmodern theory of Lyotard. The source of data pick up from Meyer’s Glitches. A short story published in 2013. Then, the data of this analysis focus on character utterances that related to the problems declared above.

Lyotard’s Postmodern

Postmodern is a new concept or called as transavantgardist (Lyotard, 1984:74). It is a concept after modernity. Age for existence of science and technology as the control of knowledge and information. Now on, knowledge becomes the principle and the leader is technology and science. Both of them help human being to understand (Lyotard, 1984:26). Lyotard (1984) mentioned that any problems will solved by technology and science.

In postmodern age, technology would have an impact on the status of knowledge (Lyotard, 1984:38). Now on, almost people got the information from internet rapidly. They just need connecting their personal engine or hand phone to the internet to know about anything. Then typing the keyword on search engine. They can found what they need easily. Present, technology became important to contemporary knowledge (Lyotard, 1984:45).

Cinder's System from nenuno.co.uk

Accompanying postmodern, the technology inside makes every works, even every things, done quicker. Just as Lyotard (1984) said that speed is the prominent issue in postmodern, moreover in developed technology. Speed is one of its attributes (Lyotard, 1984:52). In other word, speed is a power factor or element of the system (Lyotard, 1984:61).

Lyotard (1984) also stated that science fiction is the most familiar material for the American reader. This interesting topic makes great authors pop out such as Stephen Hawking and Marissa Meyer, the authors from America. Stories in science fiction also appear like Hunger Games, The Mist and Glitches. Both Hawking and Meyer emphasize science on fiction but Meyer adding some fairy tale seasoning in her work. That is Glithes, dystopian Cinderella in postmodern age to be analyzed.

Technology on Glitches

A squat android is the object seen by Cinder when she arrived in New Beijing, her new home (Meyer, 2013: 1). In Glitches, android is robot that helped human activities. It known as med-droid too. Android of medis that secure people from letumosis victim. There is Iko, android of Linh family.  He will be Cinder best friend.

Nowadays, android is a developing trademark from U-buntu; an operating system (kind of software) that only used in smartphone. This system makes handphone getting quicker in usage. Whether to browse anything or just operating any applications like games or many others. Therefore, information comes faster. That’s why it known by smartphone. Future, based on setting of Glitches, android also use in every engine of human need like robot as helper or even doctor. Hence, human works done speedily.  

Hover from woderfulegineering.com

After World War IV there is no car but hover. Especially in year 121 T.E. The vehicle they drive is hover. This is kind of helicopter. Cinder and her step father ride this vehicle when they a make a trip to New Beijing (Meyer, 2013: 1). In order to going anywhere, human being needs vehicle to help them. Motorcycle and car are common. Sometimes, people use plane to arrive quicker in the destiny place but not all of men can ride it. Only the rich people ride the plane. In Glitches, the bourgeoisie and proletariat are same. They ride hover which its speedy like a plane.

Nowadays, this is known as television. It similar with net-screen or called as screen in Glicthes. All screen in the story connected to internet. It can be anywhere; home, public transportation or even in the kingdom (Meyer, 2013: 1). Net-screen also multifunction as PC. People needs this stuff to stay updated with information. The information that always runs rapidly.

Cinder is a cyborg (Meyer, 2013: 11). Her part of body made from robotic system. She had an accident in Europe when she runaway from Lunar. Her system  changed after she has surgery from Garan, her stepfather. That’s why Cinder has bionic leg and optobionic that can interact with the light (Meyer, 2013: 9). One of her hand also made from metal (Meyer, 2013:12). Her leg had been claimed because of hover crash in Europe (Meyer, 2013: 3).

Optobionic from pinterest.com

That bionic leg and optobionic system are very useful and helpful for Cinder. In 121 T.E. that appropriate with the year after World War IV there are many people infected by Letumosis. A death victim that was not found it medicine yet. Hence, the population of people was insignificant. Optobionic system helped Cinder to detect whether people lying or not. Therefore, she was not able to respond a liar. Actually, that was good information.

As a cyborg, she has connecting brain to the internet 24 hours (Meyer, 2013: 7). Thus, she could know the information rapidly. She just need think about the problems in her brain. Further, her brain will download the information (Meyer, 2013: 19). The rules same as search engine on internet browser.

She has also different hearing system with common human (Meyer, 2013: 22). Cinder could adjust her hearing in order to seem louder. It can mute too if Cinder wanted to do. In addition, her system was so awesome and sophisticated. Even her programs she had some glitches (Meyer, 2013: 28). The technologies are easy to use and helpfully. Those engineering helped Cinder in any problems. Faster and running rapidly.

The Impact of Technology through Cinder

The surgery made Cinder as cyborg. Garan rearrange her system. It made Cinder has blank memory (Meyer, 2013: 2). Her identity profiles were sterile. All of things she had about her old family were gone (Meyer, 2013: 3). She knew nothing about them.

System of Cinder’s brain was almost perfect. On optobionic system that has orange light it could detect whether someone lying or not. Just like when Adri anger for her because Cinder was try the great gown and planned to go to the ball (Meyer, 2013: 9). She could’nt played the role well because of that light. Cinder also wont to react into Adri since her stepmother way lying.

Step Sister by Suzi The Butcher

The hover crash made Cinder lost her hand. It makes Cinder shy to show it up to the prince. The reason is that she had metal hand since the surgery. Peony, her stepsister advice her to wear glove. (Meyer, 2013: 14). Absolutely, that stuff makes Cinder looks great. So, when the gown was wore it’s like water over her hand (Meyer, 2013:13).

Being a cyborg is not easy. Cinder could take care of her part of body. Particularly, her metal foot. It needs replacements each two years (Meyer, 2013: 12). Furthermore, her new leg was awkward and heavy (Meyer, 2013: 18). In contrary, her legs and fingers can be adjustment as she grows. When Adri knew this information she really mad and angry. It could take much money.

Cinder Store from pinterest.com

Contrariwise, with Cinder skill, she can fix Iko, the android or her stepfamily (Meyer, 2013:18). She began with using her brain to download information. She was downloading android’s information (Meyer, 2013:19). She search about the part lists; the repair manual and its maintenance.Garan, her stepfather also helped her. He borrowed the tools to Cinder for fixing Iko (Meyer, 2013:21). It makes Cinder easier to do and bring the release day come closer, but when it was done, Cinder cannot show it to Garan. He died because of letumosis victim and taken by med-droid to the hospital early (Meyer, 2013:24).

Conclusion

Lyotard’s postmodern was able to apply on Glitches. There was found many evidences about technology such as hover, android and cyborg system. Those technologies helped Cinder in her daily activity. Especially her brain system that made much information came easily to her.

References

Lyotard, Jean François. 1984. UK: Manchester University Press

Meyer, Marissa. 2013. Glitches. US: Square Fish

Miles, Matthew B & Huberman, A. Michael. 1994. Qualitative Data Analysis. 2^nd Ed. USA: SAGE Publications.