Origin of Story
Cinderella is perhaps one of the most widely recognized of stories, never mind of the ‘fairy tale’ subset. The skeleton of the tale is found within many localized variants from different cultures scattered all across the world. It is estimated, conservatively, that 345 to over 1,500 versions exist, all containing at least the basic themes and motifs of the Cinderella recipe, though sometimes no actual Cinderella-recognizable character. Ancient Egypt, for example, had Rhodopis, commonly ascribed the earliest incarnation. This version is believed to have been loosely based upon a real person and events. The most notable accounting of the mythos, contributing the majority of the story’s popularity, is the one published in Charles Perrault’s Histoires ou contes du temps passé, in 1697. This is from where Walt Disney Productions pulled and adapted its source material in its 1950 Cinderella film, what most people think of as being the definitive edition of the story. Perrault, influenced by the other writers of his time, added to the story instances of florid description, romance, and humor. The glass slipper element was of his invention, which has caused a lot of conjecture and sparked many debates, including a theory that there was a confusion during translation
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The tale is always centered upon a kind girl who is somehow by circumstance stranded in a hostile home environment after the death of her parents, usually forced to do the household labors, or otherwise used. Some sort of magical guardian appears, who is sometimes a representative of the dead mother, and helps the heroine triumph over and be freed from her persecutors, usually by way of a wealthy marriage. Most versions are marked by an epiphany brought on by an article of the heroine’s clothing (i.e. the glass slipper) that causes her to be recognized for her true worth. (History of Cinderella n.