Troy Terwilliger’s Reviews > Ella Enchanted > Status Update

Calling the elves “the greenies” feels satirical.

“Are you always so obedient, Ella?”

It makes the ogres the ultimate nightmare for someone dealing with a curse like Ella's. If you are already forced to be a people-pleaser who can't say no, facing a creature that instantly knows your deepest vulnerabilities and can command you with a hypnotic voice is a recipe for total disaster.

It turns a whimsical fairy tale into a really deep look at autonomy, boundaries, and what happens when you're forced to put everyone else's voice above your own.

“I disliked these commands.”

That "gift" Lucinda gives Ella—the gift of absolute obedience—is basically a curse in disguise. Because Lucinda is a fairy who doesn't really understand human nature, she thinks she's doing a wonderful thing by making Ella perfectly well-behaved.