In the Grimm brothers’ fairy tale “Cinderella,” themes of gender roles, beauty standards, and dependence on men are encountered. These are expressed as a kind, pious girl struggles with the death of her mother and faces unfair treatment from her new family. Modelling an ideal woman of society, Cinderella remains filled with integrity, resilience, and patience in order to overcome her misfortune. As her step-sisters fixate on materialistic items, obsessing over their beauty and awaiting a rich man to wed, Cinderella conforms to her family's demands of servitude as she completes household chores. The fairy tale “Cinderella” reveals several of the traditional viewpoints regarding women’s appearance. Initially, the tale unveils that a customary, …show more content…
An announcement of a three-day festival by the King uncovers that beauty plays a large role regarding who receives an invitation: “All the beautiful young girls in the land were invited, so that his son could select a bride for himself” (Grimm 1). A standard expectation is on display, enforcing the need for women to look attractive to be considered for marriage. The word “beautiful” highlights the societal viewpoint for women at the time and puts emphasis on physical appearance as the primary way to attract a husband. Considering that the prince will “select” a woman to wed based on her beauty, the expectation for women to look their best is considered crucial for finding a partner. This pressures Cinderella to present herself as prettier to impress the prince, since she is compelled by the traditional belief. Ultimately, “Cinderella” portrays that women are accustomed to the societal viewpoint of looking beautiful if they wish to be present at conventions. Additionally, the way women dress is important for acquiring a man’s attention according to traditional …show more content…
Her stepmother's criticism demonstrates how Cinderella must adjust to the societal expectations of faddish clothing in order to attend festivals of high-status men. The emphasis on the word “you” displays the unfair treatment that Cinderella, alone, experiences as a result of not owning the appropriate attire associated with the time being. Also, the phrase “neither clothes nor shoes,” implies that women must display themselves in fashionable clothing in order to appear presentable. As well, it portrays the customary importance of appearing glamorous in places of wealthy men. Overall, the tale reiterates the constant pressure women face to dress well for men as a result of traditional expectations. Furthermore, the standard idealization of elegant, petite items drives women to appear more alluring. Cinderella’s gleaming footwear allows other characters to embody the traditional, feminine stereotype of small feet. Her shoe size reveals that men desire women who appear diminutive. After losing sight of his future bride, the prince finds a slipper which belongs to her: “It was small and dainty, and of pure gold” (Grimm
In the article, “Fairy Tales and a Dose of Reality,” Catherine Orenstein attempts to show the contrast between the modern romanticism of marriage and the classic fairy tale’s presentation of them (285). She looks at the aristocratic motivations for marriage and the way these motivations are prominent in Cinderella. She then looks at the 20th century to highlight the innate difference of our mentalities, showing a much more optimistic and glorified relationship. In the article, “Cinderella: Not So Morally Superior,” Elisabeth Panttaja claims that Cinderella’s success can be attributed to her craftiness (288). She shows her and her mother as an equal to the stepfamily, analyzing each family’s goals and values. She attempts to show their similarities,
Cinderella has adapted over the years to fit what our society views as the correct Cinderella folktale. Some modifications to the plotline have been positive, but unfortunately, others have been negative. In the article, “A Girl, A Shoe, A Prince: The Endlessly Evolving Cinderella”, Linda Holmes discusses the durability of the Cinderella story and
Anne Sexton portrays the idyllic perfection seen in “Cinderella” and other fairy tales as both completely unrealistic and disdainful. The former can be seen in the subtle use of phrases like “rather a large package for a simple bird,” (Sexton 298) and “that is the way with amputations / they don’t just heal up like a wish,” (Sexton 298). The first quote refers to how a simple dove dropped “a golden dress and delicate little gold slippers” (Sexton 298) at Cinderella’s feet after crying “forth like a gospel singer” (Sexton 298). In reality, the dove could, under no circumstances, carry that kind of weight and still create enough lift to maintain flight. Furthermore, the idea that crying and screaming like a four year old at the grocery store who doesn’t get the sugary treat they wanted will be all the work that is necessary to achieve one’s desires is preposterous. The second quote refers to the actions taken by Cinderella’s step-sisters, who need to physically maim themselves in order to fit into a slipper. That the sisters believe they can simply chop a toe or one of their ankles off without the prince noticing anything is nothing short of ridiculous. The last stanza is perhaps the pinnacle of Sexton’s argument. Cinderella ...
...ndency on the fairy godmother and the prince encourages a meek and inactive behaviour to achieve a rewarding future (Robbins, 104). Overall, Cinderella’s behaviour is “...weak, silent and passive...” (Trousdale & McMillan, 12) which is unacceptable for a modern western woman.
The Grimm’s stories have strict criteria for good and evil. Good women are not the hero, they do not plan, nor do they get themselves out of bad situations; they are obtuse and wait until a Prince saves them. These qualities doom the female protagonists (and readers) to pursue the only destiny women have, and that is to be a wife and mother (Rowe, 1978). Cinderella is the heroine and the ideal good girl. She is unambiguously beautiful, kind, and compassionate. She does not complain or get angry. This is foreseen early in the Grimm’s Cinderella story:
In the Brothers Grimm, the first characterization of Cinderella is a description that “she was always good and said her prayers” (Grimm 122). This helps define her as an obedient daughter who will later be rewarded for such behavior. Obedience was clearly an important aspect for women in the Brothers
In Perrault’s version of “Cinderella,” both in writing and the movie Ever After, a distinct caste system is placed upon the country of France. Cinderella, once being at the top of the social class, falls to the placement as a servant, with the lower half of the population, after her father passes away. The remarriage of Cinderella’s father, before his death, to a malevolent woman is the main perpetrator to Cinderella’s fall of social classes. In all variations of Cinderella, she is portrayed as a young, over-worked servant that still pertains a
Women in these fairy tales are young and beautiful. In all reality not every girl in this world is truly considered beautiful by our society’s terms. In today’s society the term beautiful is often used to describe a women who is a size 0, tall, flawless skin, and dressed nicely. Haven’t you ever seen princesses that are in all these fairy tales, our society’s description of beautiful describes every single one of these princesses?
In a society unbridled with double standards and set views about women, one may wonder the origins of such beliefs. It might come as a surprise that these ideals and standards are embedded and have been for centuries in the beloved fairy tales we enjoyed reading as kids. In her analytical essay, “To Spin a Yarn: The Female Voice in Folklore and Fairy Tales”, Karen Rowe argues that fairy tales present “cultural norms which exalt passivity, dependency, and self-sacrifice as a female’s cardinal virtues.” Rowe presents an excellent point, which can be supported by versions of the cult classics, “Cinderella” and “Snow White”. Charles Perrault’s “ The Little Glass Slipper” and the Brothers Grimm’s “ Snow White” exemplify the beliefs that females are supposed to be docile, dependent on the male persona and willing to sacrifice themselves. In many cases, when strong female characters are presented they are always contradicting in these characteristics, thus labeled as villainous. Such is the case of the Cinderella’s stepsisters in Perrault’s “Cinderella” and the stepmother in the Brothers Grimm’s “Snow White.” These female characters face judgment and disapproval when they commit the same acts as male characters. With such messages rooted in our beloved fairy tales it is no wonder that society is rampant with these ideals about women and disapprove of women when they try to break free of this mold.
Fairy tales have been known to identify different aspects of life such as modern issues and concerns without having to directly point them out. In Anne Sexton’s poem, her version of “Cinderella”, modern issues and concerns are discussed through the lens of the fairytale. She touches on aspects of marriage such as wealth and possessiveness of money by discussing how most of the women in fairytales want to marry into wealthy families. Sexton also discusses how fitting into society’s complex standards is another modern issue by showing that in order for Cinderella to go out in public, she feels as if she needs to dress according to the way society dresses. Furthermore, many women in society today admire models and actresses because they
There are many fairy tales told to children in the United States. My personal favorite was, is, and always will be the tale of Cinderella. The story is as follows: A young girl's mother dies, leaving her alone with her father. As the little girl grows up, she and her father become very close, and he treats her like a little princess. One day, he tells her that he is remarrying. At first, the woman and her two daughters are kind to the girl, but this all soon ends. Shortly after the marriage, the father dies, and from that point on, the "wicked stepmother" and "evil stepsisters" rename the girl "Cinderella" (after the cinders she is forced to sweep from the fireplace). They treat her as an indentured servant, ordering her around, and being very cruel in general.
In today 's society, it is normal for young children to believe in fairytales. These fairytales are normally seen throughout books and movies but also through parents reading them as bedtime stories. These tales in our society have unrecognized hidden guidelines for ethics and behaviors that we provide for children. One such children 's story is Disney’s Cinderella, this film seems to be a simple tale of a young woman whose wishes work out as to be expected. This tale reflects the expectations of women 's actions and beliefs of a proper women.
Some fairy tales are so iconic that they withstand the passing of time. One of those fairy tales is that of Cinderella. The rags to riches story that gives even the lowliest of paupers, hope that they may one day climb the social ladder. While the core message of the story has transcended time, over the years it has been adapted to address a variety of audiences. One of those renditions is Perrault’s Cinderella where the traditional idea of gender is conveyed and therefore associated with good/evil. This idea is challenged by a fellow 1600’s French author, L’heriter de Villandon’s, who’s version of Cinderella brings about a female protagonist who is also the heroine.
Cinderella’s mother passed away and her father remarried a woman who had two daughters from a previous marriage. A few weeks passed and a prince is holding a three day festival and all the beautiful young girls in the town were invited. Cinderella wanted to go but her evil stepmother gave her two impossible tasks to complete before she could attend the festival. Cinderella completes the two tasks with the help of her bird friends and her mother’s grave. Cinderella goes to the festival and she dances with the prince all three days. Finally, the prince has fallen in love with her and eventually they get married. Fairytales and Disney productions threaten gender politics and women’s role by portraying women in certain areas like domestic behaviors
The purpose of this study is to analyze the epistemology of ignorance toward Black women art educators and their experiences of teaching in a K-12 Black environment in a predominately White woman’s field from a Black feminist perspective As a former high school art teacher, I engaged in many situations where my race and gender was a factor and not my teaching ability. The #SayHerName awakens an entry point for me to think about a space to address the injustices against Black women and the non-existence of their presence (Butler, 2017). While the start of the SayHerName# was an outcry from police brutality, and how Black women are treated differently, ignored, and marginalized; this discussion of the erasure of Black women’s experiences translates to many other subject areas. Black women art educators in art education can date back to Frances