Comparing Cinderella and Ever After When most people think of the movie, "Cinderella';, they think of the animated Disney version with the little mice and the happy ending where Cinderella marries the prince and they live happily ever after. While the movie "Ever After'; is based on "Cinderella';, it is not animated, but still has many of the same characteristics as the Disney version. Of course it is not exactly the same, and since it is not animated there are many differences. In "Ever After';, Drew Barrymore portrays the character Cinderella, who in the beginning of this movie is called Danielle. In the very beginning, it shows how Danielle's father died and how she went off to live with her wicked stepmother and stepsisters.
In “Cinderella” by the Grimm Brothers, the moral is that one should never lie or be wicked to others. In the story, Cinderella’s mother passed away and a year later her father gets remarried to an evil woman who has two daughters. The wife and daughters torment Cinderella, making her complete tedious chores. Eventually, Cinderella attends a ball for the Prince and they fall in love. However, she runs away every night and he cannot find her.
She proves that by entrusting one’s self and instincts, one can then achieve anything they put their minds to. She demonstrates such boldness when dealing with her step-family, sorting out the good lentils from the bad, and finally when making a sudden and unexpected appearance at the ball. At the very beginning of “Cinderella”, written by the Brothers Grimm, the narrator clearly states that the central character’s name is only descriptive instead of being a proper name. “And as on that account she always looked dusty and dirty, they called her Cinderella” (70). This allows us, the readers, to identify with the protagonist.
The tale is a about a pretty young girl Cinderella who lives with her step mother and step sisters. They make Cinderella’s life miserable by making her do all the housework but Cinderella never complained. She did everything happily believing that one day her someone (a man) will come and rescue her. Indeed it whatever is dreamt of came to be true. A prince came along and married her but this was only possible through fairy godmother who gave Cinderella the magical appearance (nice dress and shoes and etc ).
There are many elements of fairy tales that exist within the grandmother's world and Irene's relationship with her grandmother and her nurse, Lootie. Archetypes such as the attic, birds, the moon, and fire exist within her grandmother's world and archetypes such as the underground exist within the world she guides Irene through. The grandmother embodies characteristics of the good witch with supernatural powers, who guides Irene on her journey, while Lootie embodies characteristics of a wicked witch, who hinders her right of passage into adulthood. Irene's first encounter with her grandmother is one of ambivalence, which parallels the stage of puberty she is in. This is the stage of her journey when she is not sure how far from the safety of her mother figure, the nurse, she should wander.
Anne Sexton’s poem of “Cinderella” begins with several scenarios about people who go from being unfortunate and poor to being extremely lucky and wealthy later in their lives. After her mother dies, Cinderella is assigned as the housewife by her evil stepmother and stepsisters. Her sisters are given many gifts and luxurious things, while Cinderella is given a small twig and nothing else from her father. Cinderella places the twig on her mothers grave and from there it grows into a magical tree. After she does this, the dove provides her with anything that she wishes for.
Unlike Disney’s anti- feminist version, often characterizing girls as the damsel’s in distress, Perrault’s gives girls the look of independence. He shows young girls that they do not always need a prince charming by giving Beauty the decision that could change her life. In classic Disney movies. Such as Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, the princesses’ lives depend on the prince’s decision whether or not to give them a kiss. That being said makes it no surprise that Disney constantly gets an anti-feminist label on all of their creations.
When he came to her house, her stepmother locked Cinderella upstairs. But with the help of her animal friends she was able to escape and try on the shoe. Obviously a perfect fit. The prince married her at one and they lived happily ever after. Although these excerpts are similar in actions and behavior, what they mean culturally is different.
The narrator says this to further the idea that the character of Cinderella evolves during the entire tale. She begins being this beautiful girl to this bottom-feeder only bossed around by her own family. This is significant when the stepmother takes “her beautiful clothes away” and dresses Cinderella “in an old gray smock” with “wooden shoes” (Grimm 1). This change makes the character more vulnerable in which it can make the other characters push her around more. The taking away of beauty can also show the true colors of the other characters because it shows that they are insecure.
Cinderella’s mother died when she was a young girl. Her father remarried Lady Tremaine, hoping to give his daughter a stepmother and family. One day, her father never returned from a trip, leaving Cinderella in the care of her stepmother. Her stepmother, Lady Tremaine was jealous of her charm and beauty, and gave her extra chores, such as bathing her cat Lucifer. Her stepsisters Anastasia and Drizella made her work all day, cooking, cleaning and sewing.