Elisabeth Panttaja uses her article, “Cinderella: Not So Morally Superior,” in order to demonstrate that Cinderella is not the moral hero she is made out to be in modern versions of the ancient fairy tale. She accredits the majority of Cinderella’s triumphs to her recently dead mother in the form of supernatural gifts and assistance rather than Cinderella’s perseverance against a cruel step-family showing how she is craftier, willing to employ powerful magic to defeat the forces arrayed against her. Her argument is somewhat successful in dismantling the moral high ground built around modern day Cinderella, but Panttaja tends to interpret information to only support her argument and does not add in any
Yolen examines how the “Cinderella” story has been changed more than any other folk tale. She describes how the mass market has changed Cinderella into a moldable character that can fit into any situation. These characteristics have allowed for the morals of the story to be passed down for ages. One such story is seen in the movie,
In “Cinderella”, by the Grimm Brothers, the authors utilize a multitude of fairy tale genre conventions such as frequent usage of rhetorical devices, magical creatures, and the classic “Happy Ever After” fairy tale ending, to emphasize the importance of genuineness and the dangers of pursuing superficiality. The authors use several rhetorical devices such as symbolism and juxtaposition
In “What's Wrong with Cinderella?”, Peggy Orenstein retaliates against the princess culture that bombards her daughter's life. Princesses, it seems, dominate the market for toys to young girls due to their inexplicable appeal to being pretty, pink and - as most girls see - perfect. As a feminist mother, Orenstein feels the need to rebel against this not-so-sudden craze that attracts her daughter's attention. The author assumes that the subliminal messages presented to her daughter's developing mind aren't beneficial to her future expectations in life. Because of this, she critiques the faults of princesshood in order to demonstrate the possible detrimental impacts that the princess culture may have on a young girl.
In the New York Times article “Cinderella and Princess Culture,” Peggy Orenstein investigates princess culture in today’s society. Orenstein is a successful writer for the New York Times and has published a best-selling memoir. In her investigation into the growing phenomenon of princess culture, Orenstein discovered that large companies, such as Disney, turn a substantial profit by selling costumes, dolls, and various princess themed must-haves. She argues that the princess hysteria sweeping the nation is not teaching kids life lessons, but rather further stereotyping little girls. Orenstein is a feminist herself as well as a mother.
Moreover, Bernikow believes that the story of Cinderella expresses the idea that, “propertyless women trying to secure marriage to stand as a bulwark against poverty, displacement, and
Although this genre has evolved in some elements such as its motifs or structure as I have explained, it maintains its conventional function of transmitting values and confront human conflicts. Driven by this educational aspect, the fact that this book has been introduced in schools to teach about the Holocaust is not fortuitous. This is a book that retells a traditional fairy tale that children could be familiarized with but describing a modern issue. Furthermore, I consider that this book narrates facts about the Holocaust in a contemporary manner as it deviates from the traditional gender roles of fairy tales. The rescued woman is not
Chinese Cinderella written by Adeline Yen Mah, is a poignant and emotional memoir. The novel commences from the age of 4 till her departure to England, at the age of fourteen to exceed her education. Adeline was the fifth child to an opulent Chinese family and was seen as an outcast through the eyes of her own family, since the death of her beloved mother. Adeline prolongs a close connection with Aunt Baba, Nai Nai and Ye Ye turning to them for constant encouragement, support and comfort throughout her early years. Niang displays antagonism to all her step children but especially towards Adeline making her feel excluded, lonely and as the unwanted
Miranda Shirk AP Literature and Composition Mrs. Sites 24 March 2017 Albert or Mister? Throughout history we have always learned how awfully white people treated black people but we never really learned how black men treated women during this time. Alice Walker uses The Color Purple to show how many African American women were treated during this time period.
The Grimm Brother’s “Rapunzel” is arguably the best-known version of the classic story after the Disney version. As fairytales go, Rapunzel does not stray too far from the stereotypical representations of female characters, featuring the good mother, the misrepresented evil witch of a stepmother and the passive princess. Placed into their boxes, and never allowed to change the course of their storyline, these women are denied any form of activity or satisfaction unless their male counterpart allows it to be so. Through the investigation of the Grimm Brother’s “Rapunzel”, a well as looking at how these characters are represented in different versions of the tale, it is clear that the patriarchal and sexist ideologies of the times these stories
The benefit for Cinderella and the prince is long term, while the benefit for the stepsister is only temporary. However, both are results of their determination to get what they want, and they are all willing to do whatever it takes to experience the benefit. The characters did not give up and were persistent, which is a value that many children and adults consider highly. “Cinderella”, teaches the audience that determination can lead to benefits and is worth the consequences that may come with the value of not giving up until one fulfills their
Positive interpretations of the story focus on the idea of love conquering all and the idea of a rags-to-riches story. These interpretations celebrate the idea of a woman finding happiness and success despite facing adversity. However, feminist interpretations of the story question the patriarchal nature of the story and challenge the traditional gender roles that the story reinforces. These feminist interpretations offer alternative perspectives on gender roles and seek to break down harmful gendered expectations. Anne Sexton's "Cinderella" is a modern interpretation of the Cinderella myth that explores the theme of sexual abuse.
Abstract Most of us have grown up watching Disney films but never really thought of what they exactly mean to us. Our understanding of what it means to be a Disney princess is probably one of the reasons to what made us subject to the regulation of cultural values. Cinderella and other similar Disney princesses may be recognised as a part of an individual’s childhood but the values and ideas it conveyed can still be reflected in our decisions and behaviour as adults. Many young girls perceive Cinderella as a role model and create expectations and beliefs based on what is portrayed through her unfortunately these expectations are not fulfilled and ends in dissatisfaction.
The slipper reveals the flaws and cracks in the values that form the foundation of our society by being the embodiment of the human spirit. In order to comprehend how the slipper illustrates the lack of integrity in society’s morals, the influence it has on the populace needs to be considered. All three interpretations of Cinderella paints a picture of a materialistic world obsessed with wealth and status. Each variation, however, emphasizes different levels from the actions of an individual to the movement of an entire kingdom. In the Grimm Brothers version of this tale, the composition of the shoes change each day, ranging from “slippers embroidered with silk and silver”(Grimm 33) to slippers “of pure gold”(Grimm 46).
Most of the children read about many fairy tales, especially Snow Whites, Sleeping beauty, and Cinderella when they grew up. It is a surprising fact that to discover a hidden, unexpected political intention in the simple plot of fairy tales. That is a feminization of woman. The fairy tale world suggests a male-centered patriarchy as an ideal basic society and impliedly imply that man and woman need to have a proper attitude toward this opinion. However, Jewett’s A White Heron describes a new perspective of fairy tale’s plot.
