Heidi Rich
English 101
17 January 2013
Shoe Size Does Not = Love A very common fairy tale that we have grown up hearing is the story of Cinderella, a poor girl whose dreams of marrying a prince and living happily ever after, finally comes true after many years of wishing upon a star. Individual writers of the “Cinderella” story may alter the story, but the general concept is always the same. This classic story has been told to millions of children and is known as a great romance. A romance is supposed to have suspense, anticipation, and a deep connection between the two characters that have and/or are falling in love with each other, and Cinderella is none of those. “Cinderella” is a great rags to riches story, but it is far from a romance. Cinderella is a 17 to 22 year old girl that suffers from an abusive home life. The abuse Cinderella suffers from is mainly verbal; however, some things in the story could defiantly be considered physical abuse. The abusive is inflicted by her two step-sisters and her step-mother. Since Cinderella’s mother died when she was a small child it is assumed that she looks to her step-mother for approval the way young girls look to their mother for approval. Depending on the version of “Cinderella” you read her father is either dead, or he is a spineless man who does not protect her from her step-mother and step-sisters. Do to the abusive living environment, Cinderella is looking for a way out, like any young girl would be, that is required to do all the house hold chores and is treated poorly. When Cinderella hears about the ball she wants to go, but deep inside her she knows that she will not be allowed. In Charles Perrault’s “Cinderillon” a fairy godmother appears, that helps Cinderella in going to the ball. Cinderella knows that if she makes a good impression on the prince that he may want to marry her, which would give her a way to escape her horrible living environment. In Perrault’s and may other version of “Cinderella” the prince and Cinderella dance until midnight they do not engage in any conversation nor do they kiss. They only simple of affection here is that the prince does not allow anyone to cut in there dancing. When the clock sticks midnight Cinderella leaves quickly because all the fairy godmothers magic is about to wear off. Cinderella accidently leaves behind a glass slipper. If Cinderella didn’t lose the glass slipper the story would be over. That does not show true love. The prince vows to marry the women the glass slipper fits. It’s hard to believe that in the whole kingdom that the slipper wouldn’t fit anyone else. A few things to think about here are what would have happened if the slipper did fit another and what if the slipper was not left. It is hard to believe that the prince loves Cinderella if he cannot recognize her without the glass slipper fitting her foot. In modern day that would be like saying that one’s husband cannot recognize her without her makeup on. If you love someone to the point that you want to share your life entire life with them then you should be able to recognize them regardless of minor changes such as dressed-up or just done rolling in the dirt.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
The movie is still keeping the gender stereotype alive and thriving even in people’s homes. In today’s America, where women are in the vanguard of dignified treatment, respect and equality for women, the gender role in fairy tales especially Cinderella is still the same. As Silima Nanda points out, “Ambitious women in fairy tales are always portrayed as evil from within, ugly and scheming, wielding over other women and men” (Portrayal of Women 246-250). While there has been efforts to rewrite fairy tale like Sleeping Beauty for the screen, Cinderella remains the passive girl with an evil stepfamily. The stepmother is typecast as wicked, cannibalistic and self-conceited because she wants a better life for…
- 1127 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Throughout Elizabeth Panttaja’s article, the audience is provided with impressive mental illustrations in which portray the Cinderella society recognizes today as deceptive. The idea Pantajja is presenting to her intended audience comes from the foundation of the original Cinderella titled “Ashputtle.” Panttaja discloses that “Cinderella….has little to do with her being a standup citizen and more to do with her intense loyalty to her dead mother and a string of subversive acts; she disobeys the stepmother, enlists in forbidden helpers, uses magical powers, lies, hides, dissembles, disguises herself and evades pursuit”(Panttaja #60). The superior statement may be directly interpreted as Pantajja believes firmly that Cinderella is horribly misbehaved, disrespectful alongside deceitful.…
- 955 Words
- 4 Pages
Better Essays -
"Cinderella" is perhaps the most recognized fairy tale in history, one of the few that spans across generations and cultures. Every prominent culture in the world tells some similar version of this story of a poor girl going from rags to riches; over 700 versions have been accounted for worldwide. In America, numerous authors have penned their own version of the classic folktale. One of these is Tanith Lee, a prolific writer of stories for young adults. Lee cleverly found a way to include all of the traditional elements of the classic "Cinderella" tale, but added a new twist: Cinderella, or the character similar to her in this story, had malicious intentions for the prince, and her purpose throughout the tale was a malevolent one: revenge.…
- 2133 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
After he writes about tough, no-worries princesses, he goes on to state that princesses could finally have found a happy medium. Contemporary writers now say that today's Cinderella would have to be attractive but still be able to make the honor roll. The Cinderella story doesn't have to be all love and affection between the Prince and the Princess, and the Princess does not always have to be saved by the prince. He thinks the princesses don't always need to prove themselves worthy of being a princess, the position must prove itself to the…
- 268 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
We also discussed the father dying and the step mother raising her, the issue of abuse did come in the form of Cinderella forced to clean the house, live on scraps and be treated as a servant instead of a child. In result of these I do believe Cinderella is suffering from a deep depression that began at a very young age. I do not feel she ever complete dealt with her mothers or fathers death in a way any child should. Cinderella admitted that she never talked about the deaths or mistreatment done by her step mother; she simply kept it to herself. She tried to deal by developing people pleasing skills, maybe in hopes to forget about the pain. As you would imagine Cinderella although we see her as a beautiful girl does exhibit low self esteem and this will be an issue that will take time to overcome. Before our first meeting Cinderella has married, she went to a ball (this was the first time away from home and social contact) and danced with the prince till midnight at which she decided to leave without even telling him her name. To her surprise, the prince did track her down and asked her to marry him in which she said yes. This happened during the second meeting of the two; the prince was the first man to ever pay attention to her and as result married him after 1 week of knowing him. I do believe this quick marriage is…
- 1017 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
In cinderella this young teenage girl wants to live up to her dream, but never get's because of her stepmom and stepsisters. Always in the end she ends up achieving what she was trying to work so hard for in the beginning. In all conclusion the story of cinderella shows the theme in literature to be sometimes predictable and other times unrecognizable.…
- 535 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Growing up I can remember how I felt after watching the Cinderella story. Inspired by the rags-to-riches fairy tale, I can remember hoping that maybe someday I could be like Cinderella. I never imagined the story I knew all-too-well would have been dramatically altered from its original version. Though the lesson remains the same, comparisons reveal numerous differences between Walt Disney’s Cinderella to the earlier Charles Perrault’s “Cinderella: Or the Glass Slipper”. Variations are noticed in characters, events, and outcomes of this world-famous…
- 802 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
First of all, the description given of Cinderella is much more detailed and specific than the description given of Little Red Riding Hood. Readers of Cinderella’s story know that her mother died when she was very young, that her father remarried a woman who doesn’t care much for Cinderella, and that she now has two wicked step-sisters, Anastasia and Drizella, who make the concept of a blended family little more than a nightmare for Cinderella. The reader immediately feels a sense of sympathy for Cinderella. Some readers may have lost a parent themselves, and many have experienced “step” relationships that were less than ideal, to say the least. They may also feel that, like Cinderella, they too have to do all the work in their home, whether it’s washing the dishes or scrubbing a soot-encrusted fireplace. In contrast, readers know very little about Little Red Riding Hood, except that her mother sews, as evidenced by the brightly colored cloak she wears as her trademark, and that her grandmother lives in the woods. Frankly, that’s not much of a description, and certainly not one that allows a reader to feel any kind of connection to her.…
- 839 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Once again, it is up to her fairy godmother and the prince to rescue her from a life of cruelty. Marriage is her ultimate goal, as it is seemingly her only chance at escape. The movie revolves around beauty and impressing others. Cinderella could have easily gone to the ball in her everyday clothes, but instead she knew that she needed to wear something fancy to impress the men she might meet. Additionally, the prince falls in love with her before they even speak, contributing even more to the idea that beauty is the most important. Despite the fact that she disobeys her step-mother’s orders to not go to the ball, Cinderella still manages to embody innocence and remain submissive to those around her (Baker-Sperry…
- 1334 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
While Cinderella’s mother and the Fairy Godmother are not named, her stepmother and stepsisters are and hold many conversation with Cinderella and each other that revolve around numerous things like clothing, chores, nature and kindness. But, people still tend to have a problem with the story, thinking it feminist. In the film, the stepmother and step sisters obsess over their own looks and constantly put down Cinderella, even her name is a mockery. Then there is also the fact that the Prince ‘saves’ her from her life of misfortune and misery. But I don’t think that this is the case. Kenneth Branagh, the director of the film, balances the old with the new. He keeps aspects of the original Walt Disney film while modernising the character of Cinderella. The film focuses on the message that you should be kind to others, even if they are not kind themselves instead of beauty. Cinderella is also shown to be kind, courageous and brave with a unique personality which the Prince fall in love with. Yes, she is beautiful, but the Prince does not fall for her beauty but rather is charm. Also, though the Prince does ’save’ her in a sense, she didn’t really ‘need’ saving and Cinderella does a lot of the ‘saving’…
- 1090 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Everyone knows the story of Cinderella, the girl who finds her prince with the help of a magical fairy god-mother, transforming her previously horrible life to a fabulous depiction of every little girls dream. Generations of children around the world have heard the story Cinderella countless times, however most people are unaware of the multiple versions of this legend. The European version of Cinderella ,“Aschenputtel” written by the Grimm Brothers consists of the female protagonist being treated as a servant, yet somehow manages to leave her cruel family behind for her Prince whom she lives happily ever after with. Another version of Cinderella is the Native American tale “The Algonquin Cinderella”, where the female protagonist is also mistreated by her family, however she is fortunate enough to “find” her own prince in her village. Although both stories present similar morals, both vary in details such as characters, settings,and use of magic.…
- 1118 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
With many variations of fantasies, "Happily ever after" is reoccurring in every fairy tale. "Cinderella" by Anne Sexton is a different variation of the classic tale. The author sets up her version of Cinderella with four anecdotes sharing how others can go from poverty to riches or gritty reality to fantasy. Sexton changes her happily ever after ending by satirizing the message the story gives. By doing so, Sexton would like the reader to know the difference between a fairy tale and reality. Anne Sexton deconstructs the ending of her retold fairy tale by using sarcasm to change the reader's expectations of the story and myth.…
- 946 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother represents the “divine help” sent to assist the protagonist, Cinderella, in her journey to happiness and success. Her magic wand and spells make all the midnight magic possible as well as Cinderella’s happily ever after. One could say Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother also represents her mother reincarnated. “A particularly felicitous expression of feelings is to be found in "Cinderella." After her sisters go to the ball and leave her behind: "She followed them with her eyes as long as she could, and when she had lost sight of them she began to cry. Her godmother who saw her all in tears asked her what was the matter. 'I wish I could, I wish I could.' ... She was crying so much that she could not finish. Her godmother, who was a fairy, said to her: 'You wish you could go to the Ball, is that it?'"40 This is a clear evocation of childhood, with warm and tender attention to the speech of a child.” (Barchilon). The Fairy Godmother immediately creates a mother-daughter relationship with Cinderella since the real mother-like figure has been missing from Cinderella’s life for quite some time. Cinderella represents the child desiring someone who supports her with utter strength. Kindness bring you far whether its with your step-family or just in life. “Always Be Kind No Matter What - A little kindness goes a long way, and no doubt Cinderella is a kind soul. Her kindness can make her seem like a pushover (especially when her evil stepmother and stepsisters are overloading her with housework!). But it actually takes a certain quiet strength to remain as kind as she does to others, be it elderly ladies who turn out to be fairy godmothers or defenseless animals. Cinderella's kindness allows her to be selfless, to remain grateful and to appreciate others. Takeaway: Help your kids understand the importance of kindness and generosity, and…
- 1335 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
In the movie "Cinderella," Cinderella is a maid to an evil stepmother and two very heartless and obnoxious stepsisters. The only reason that Cinderella still puts up with their orders is an example of the Behavioral perspective. The Behavioral Perspective puts emphasis on learning by experience with rewards and punishments. She knows that if she does not do the chores, she will be punished or thrown out of the household. She does not have anywhere to go because her mother and father have passed away. Because Cinderella is a genuinely kind human being who wishes to please, she usually does not stick up for herself against the others in the household. She is used to taking on the brunt of the housework and doesn't complain of her unfair and lowly position as maid of her own house.…
- 661 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
The story of Cinderella is an interesting one as it perfectly depicts the example we’ve been given in class of the “hero’s journey”. Throughout the plot, it begins with her family struggles. Her mother has perished and her father marries a woman who is not fold of Cinderella in the slightest. In addition to this, the woman has two daughters who are spoiled…
- 363 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays