Differences Between the Grimm Brother's and Disney's Cinderella

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The Glass Slipper Fairytales, the short stories that most children heard as they went to bed, are actually folktales from previous decades. The fairytales today are primarily adaptations of older versions recreated by Disney— the pioneers of this generation. With that said, the modern versions consistently display good triumphing over evil, a prince charming that constantly came to the rescue, and a happily ever after ending. However, the original folktale version didn’t always come with fortunate events, but often were more violent and gruesome. With the fairytale Cinderella, Disney maintains a similar theme as its Grimm version; however, the conflicts, events, and characters that support this idea are rather different. During the 1800’s two brothers, known as Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, began writing short stories that reflected their lives in central Europe. At this time the French under Napoleon’s rule had overrun Germany, which caused a lot of political issues. Germany’s new governmental ruler cut off the country of its local culture (National Geographic). The Grimm brothers tried to preserve the traditional oral stories of the time. They didn’t plan for their writings to become popular, or for them to be for the younger population. The Grimm brothers were motivated to change the stories up a bit as their tales captivated more people. They incorporated a softer side with a primary moral of the story for the readers (GrimmFairytales.com). It is from these original Grimm versions that modern fairytales, such as Cinderella originated from. The original version, published in 1812 portrays Cinderella as a poor child who lost her beloved mother; she lived a life of misery as a result of this death. Her father remarried and took on... ... middle of paper ... ...lave to not only her family but also the London clock. However, as Disney Cinderella sings, “Your dreams are a wish your heart makes.” Our life is ticking away, day by day. If we have the courage to overcome the adversity that we face now and in the future, as did Cinderella with her stepsisters and jealous stepmother, then we too are that much closer to reaching our dreams. Sometimes all it takes is a glass slipper. Works Cited "Brothers Grimm: Fairy Tales, History, Facts, and More." Brothers Grimm: Fairy Tales, History, Facts, and More. National Geographic, n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. "Cinderella." Grimm 021:. N.p., 1 June 2011. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. "Grimm Brothers @ Nationalgeographic.com." Grimm Brothers @ Nationalgeographic.com. National Geographic, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. "GrimmFairyTales.com." GrimmFairyTales.com. Kidoons Inc, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.

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