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Cinderell Gender Roles In Disney's Cinderella

1472 Words6 Pages

Unique Lee
Professor Krimmer
GER 10
6 March 2018
Gender roles in Cinderella
Many fairy tales often contain hidden messages within them. The tales Cinderella, The Little Red Riding Hood, and The Little Mermaid are more than just tales for children, they give the audience and readers the idea of how gender roles and behaviors play out in society. Many people consider these fairy tales as anti-feminist because the women are criticized for suffering passively and waiting until men rescue them. Charles Perrault,’s Disney’s Cinderella specifically tells the tale of a woman who does nothing until she has her escape handed to her on a silver platter. This story develops the characterization for the roles of women in society and leaves the viewers …show more content…

The classic tale, Cinderella, may seem like an innocent love story of a girl whose dream comes true and falls in love with a prince however it reflects negative expectations for women’s behavior and goals.
Cinderella influences expectations of femininity in society by making women only useful for household work. Cinderella was forced to become the servant for her stepmother and stepsisters, and all she can do is dream, “A dream is a wish… no matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish, will come true.” (Perrault 4) The popularity of Disney movies like Cinderella negatively influences young girls. Cinderella is considered a part of the family but forced to be the servant, taking the role of an object. “Anastasia: Well, it's about time. Don't forget the mending. Don't be all day getting it done, either. Cinderella: Yes, Anastasia.” (Perrault 6) …show more content…

Marriage is seen as an escape and security for one’s family. In Cinderella, marriage is brought up into the film and just women are allowed to attend, "By royal command, every eligible maiden is to attend." (Perrault 11) Every eligible maiden wants to be married to the Prince and the ball allows women to talk to the Prince -- providing a chance for them to possibly get a marriage proposal. This gives the idea that marriage is important since it enable them to find freedom. In the tale The Little Mermaid, it has the same concept of marriage: it is acceptable for Ariel to abandon home and turn herself into a human, allowing her to obtain freedom through a

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