Once upon a time there was a young maiden named Cinderella who lived with her wicked stepmother and two ugly stepsisters. There was a ball where the Prince danced with a beautiful maiden. However, at the stroke of midnight, the young woman fled the ball, dropping one of her glass slippers along the way. The next day, the King proclaimed that the Grand Duke visit every house in the kingdom to find the girl who fit into the glass slipper, so that she can be married to the Prince. When the Grand Duke arrives at Cinderella’s house, her stepsisters try on the slipper, but it does not fit them. Then, Cinderella appears, tries on the slipper, and it fits. Soon after, Cinderella is happily married to the Prince (Cinderella). This is Disney’s 1950’s account of the classic fairy tale Cinderella, which greatly differs from the Brothers Grimm retelling. The Brothers Grimm story is filled with violence and misfortune, not with fairy godmothers and singing mice, as in Disney’s version. In the Brother’s Grimm account of Cinderella, when the first stepsister’s toe is too big for the slipper she cuts it off. Similarly, when the second stepsister tries on the slipper she cuts off her heel to make her foot fit. However, the Prince realizes each of the stepsisters has deceived him and does not take them to be his wife. Then, Cinderella tries on the slipper, it fits, and the Prince takes her as his bride. At the wedding, pigeons peck out one eye of each of the stepsisters for their wickedness and falsehood (“Cinderella”). Throughout the years, the story of Cinderella has changed as different authors, including the Brothers Grimm and Walt Disney have weaved their perspectives, morals, and agendas into their retellings. Just as varying rhetors can ha... ... middle of paper ... ...individuals to become complex thinkers and form ideas of their own. With a broad range of ideas and opinions, these individuals have the power to change their attitudes, lives and ultimately, they can change the world. Works Cited “About TED.” TED. TED Conferences, LLC. Web. 23 April 2012. “Biography.” Joel Kotkin. Joel Kotkin. Web. 23 April 2012. “Boilerplate Bio.” James Howard Kunstler The Personal File. James Howard Kunstler. Web. 23 April 2012. “Cinderella.” Cinderella. San José State University. Web. 23 April 2012. Cinderella. Dir. Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske and Wilfred Jackson. Perf. Ilene Woods and Betty Lou Gerson. Walt Disney, 1950. Film. Kotkin, Joel. “Suburbia’s Not Dead Yet.” Latimes.com. Los Angeles Times. 6 July 2008. Web. 23 April 2012. “The Tragedy of Suburbia.” TED. TED Conferences, LLC. May 2007. Web. 23 April 2012.
In her essay on this subject, Panttaja, in multiple instances, declares that Cinderella received otherworldly help in triumphing over her stepsisters for the Prince’s hand in marriage. She also challenges Cinderella and her mother’s “moral superiority” by both providing and explaining context from the Grimms’ version of Cinderella. Panttaja proclaims that Cinderella and her mother are not nicer and more patient than her sisters and stepmother, but rather they use intelligence, and the mother’s magic to overcome all of Cinderella’s obstacles.
If children or adults think of the great classical fairy tales today, be it Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, or Cinderella, they will think Walt Disney. Their first and perhaps lasting impression of these tales and others will have emanated from Disney film, book, or artefacts (Zipes 72)
Elisabeth Panttaja, author of “Cinderella: Not So Morally Superior” and former professor at Tufts University, expounded on many details of the story of Cinderella such as the similarities between the biological mother and stepmother of Cinderella and other factors that influenced Cinderella (658-659). One of the most encompassing themes of the story is that of parental abandonment, an issue that affects Cinderella and the real-world. Although Panttaja focussed on the mother-daughter dynamic in the story, she may have neglected to analyze the lack of a father figure in the story and how it affects Cinderella.
In the classic story of “Cinderella”, a beautiful young woman is treated badly but in the end lives happily ever after with a prince. The French version of “Cinderella” is romantic and happy, where the Cinderella character forgives her bad stepsisters by finding them husbands and allowing them to live in the palace with her and the prince. However, in the German version of “Cinderella” by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, the stepsisters are violently punished for mistreating Cinderella.
In "Cinderella';, the stepmother tries to make sure that one of her daughters is chosen for a wife by the prince at the ball. At first she tells Cinderella that she can go also even...
In this discourse, we will concentrate on Cinderella with the lyrics from “On the steps of the Palace”. Cinderella family went to the King’s festival and her thought to visit her mother’s grave for guidance. Her mother’s spirit offered her a gown and golden slippers, Jack on the other hand met a man who discouraged him from selling the milk for a sack of beans, the man vanished after. Little Red Ridinghood met a hungry wolf that confused him to accompany him after eating his grandmother.
Over centuries of children have been enjoying the classic fairy tales of the Grimm Brothers and Charles Perrault. The fanciful plots and the vivid details allow children to be entranced by characters and adventures that can only be found in these stories. One of the most beloved fairy tales, which both the Perrault and the Grimms have their own separate versions of, is Cinderella. Cinderella is able to show how both versions are able to feed off the same plots while personifying the century and social economic situation in which they have lived.
Cinderella was first introduced in the year 1950 by Walt Disney and it was known as one of the best sellers of the time for there was not another story quite like it. Each character that is mentioned in the story is given a name and personality allowing the reader to really feel what is was like to be in Cinderella’s shoes. In this story the reader was lead to believe that the father had passed away and left Cinderella alone with the stepmother and
Have you ever heard of Disney’s Cinderella? Have you ever heard of Grimm’s Cinderella? There are many stories about Cinderella and her “Happily Ever After.” Many versions end the same way as the original story. But sometimes they don’t always end that way. Many writers have re-created versions of Cinderella. The differences and similarities between Disney’s Cinderella and Grimm’s Cinderella are pronounced, and they deserve thorough examination.
I can tell you a story about one time I saw Cinderella was in trouble. Most know this story as “A Cinderella Story”. It all started when Cinderella’s mean stepmother and sisters were going to the ball. This was a ball when prince charming would pick his next wife. All her sisters and stepmother were getting ready they made Cinderella iron their dresses, do their hair, and tie their bows.
At first glance, what makes a fairy tale a fairy tale may seem obvious—some kind of magic, hidden symbols, repetition, and of course it’s evident it’s fiction—but fables are more than that. As Arthur Schelesinger puts it, it’s about “[expanding] imagination” and gaining understanding of mysterious places (618). While doing this, it also helps children to escape this world, yet teach a lesson that the reader may not be conscious of. A wonderful story that achieves all of this is Cinderella, but not the traditional tale many American’s have heard. Oochigeaskw, or The Rough-Faced Girl, and Ashputtle would be fitting for a seven-year-old because they get the gears of the mind turning, allowing for an escape on the surface, with an underlying enlightenment for children of the ways of the world.
As the world has transformed and progressed throughout history, so have its stories and legends, namely the infamous tale of Cinderella. With countless versions and adaptations, numerous authors from around the world have written this beauty’s tale with their own twists and additions to it. And while many may have a unique or interesting way of telling her story, Anne Sexton and The Brother’s Grimm’s Cinderellas show the effects cultures from different time periods can have on a timeless tale, effects such as changing the story’s moral. While Sexton chooses to keep some elements of her version, such as the story, the same as the Brothers Grimm version, she changes the format and context, and adds her own commentary to transform the story’s
Today, adults reading Charles Perrault’s Cinderella realize similarities and differences between Cinderella and a modern western woman. Adults recognize that Cinderella in Perrault’s fairy tale has undesirable qualities for a modern western woman, today. Cinderella is affectionate, goodwill, forgiving, and loyal. On the other hand, Cinderella is not independent, outspoken, confident, and strong. Cinderella has low self esteem and is incapable of solving problems. Inferiority, dependence and passiveness are characteristics that represent Cinderella do not characterize a modern western woman.
The 1950’s Cinderella created by world-renown Disney director, Clyde Geronimi, has been established as the most renown and generic story out of all. In comparison to Charles Perrault’s “Cinderella”, the standard storyline, both have the same concepts. Similarities such as the abuse, the magic, and the happily ever after is present in both exactly. Although, there are also horrifying aspects to discuss about Cinderella and their other versions. Certain acts such as the abuse and mutilation are considered to be unjust and not right, no matter the situation; but perhaps Cinderella was not as virtuous and kind as portrayed in the 1950’s film.
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.