Grimm Brothers Vs Cinderella

Katelynn Swindall

Prof. Schmit

Children’s Literature

February 17, 2023

Compare and Contrast: Cinderella

Disney's Cinderella and the Grimm brothers' Cinderella are two famous fairy tales with a similar storyline but different literary elements. While both stories share similarities in terms of character development and plot.. They also have differences in terms of tone, setting, plot, characterization, and moral messages.

First, both Cinderella stories share similarities in terms of character development and characterization. In both versions, Cinderella is portrayed as a kind, gentle, and hardworking girl who suffers from mistreatment from her stepmother and stepsisters. She is also depicted as a victim who is eventually rescued by a

One of the significant differences is the tone of the stories. Disney's Cinderella has a lighthearted and whimsical tone; that is perfect for children. We see dancing and singing, and talking animals. The stepsisters ripping up Cinderella’s dress and her being locked in a room in the film is as gruesome as it gets (Cinderella). While the Grimm brothers' Cinderella is much darker and more sinister. In the Grimm brothers' version, Cinderella's stepsisters cut off parts of their feet to fit into the glass slipper, and birds peck out their eyes at Cinderella's wedding (Grimm and Grimm 121 &

Disney blames her stepmother and stepsisters for all the hatred and torment Cinderella suffered — since her mother and father are both dead. Whereas Grimm and Grimm show that the father is at some fault. He is alive in Grimm’s story and even refers to her as “puny little Cinderella, my dead wife’s daughter”- not acknowledging her as his own daughter and allowing the abuse to happen (Grimm and Grimm 121). The plot development of the two stories is another area where they differ. Disney's Cinderella follows a more predictable plot, with a clear progression from Cinderella's lowly beginnings to her eventual triumph over adversity. The story has a classic fairy tale structure, with a clear moral message. In contrast, the Grimm Brothers' Cinderella is less straightforward. The plot is more complex and ambiguous, with elements of tragedy and irony. Grimm and Grimm show the stepsisters in this version of the story are more complex characters, and their actions have more