Comparing The Perrault, Grimm, And Disney Versions Of Cinderella

Ashes to Ashes: An Analysis of the Perrault, Grimm, and Disney Versions of Cinderella

Certainly, time has wrought major changes to even the most beloved of fairy tales, and Cinderella is no exception; more precisely, there are important differences in the reasoning for the father’s remarriage, the conditions that Cinderella must fulfill to be permitted to attend the ball, and the manner in which the stepsisters attempt to wear the glass slipper. In the Perrault version, there is no specified reason for which Cinderella’s father decides to take on a second wife, whereas in the Grimm variation, it is directly stated that his first wife died from a sickness and he then remarried within two seasons (Lang 1, Grimm & Grimm 1). In an entirely different

vein, the Disney adaptation of Cinderella’s father believes that his daughter needs a mother’s care after the untimely death of his first wife (Cinderella).

Furthermore, Cinderella is barred from attending the ball in the Perrault version, her stepsisters noting that “it would make the people laugh to see a Cinderwench at a ball” (Lang 2). Conversely, the Grimm variation of Cinderella must pick out one then two “bowls of lentils from out of the ashes,” at which point she is still forbidden from attending due to her alleged lack of clothing and dancing ability (G&G 2-3). Likewise, the Disney adaptation of Cinderella is ultimately not allowed to go despite completing all of the additional tasks assigned by her stepmother and putting together an adequate dress to wear, which is naturally torn apart by her stepsisters (Cinderella). Finally, the stepsisters in both the Perrault and Disney versions attempt in vain to squeeze their foot into the glass slipper, eventually giving up after multiple trials (Lang 5, Cinderella). In contrast, the first stepsister in the Grimm variation is told by her mother to cut off her toe while the second stepsister is told to cut off her heel. The slipper fits in both cases, but the prince is subsequently alerted to the deception by talking birds (G&G 5). Thus, key elements

of Cinderella have been altered through each successive adaptation of the original story.
Indeed, Cinderella’s slipper is the most coveted item in any version of the story, and it would also stand that its symbolism differs between the Perrault and Grimm versions. In the former, the purity of the immaculate glass slipper is emphasized, coined “the prettiest in the whole world” (Lang 3). While pointing to the superficial moral that beauty is always an admirable quality, the purity of the shoe also suggests that Cinderella’s gracious nature, her inner beauty, is of even greater value (Lang 5). In the same vein, its glass construction calls up the idea that this delightful quality is usually quite easily shattered. However, the fact that the slipper remains despite the fairy godmother’s magic expiring at midnight suggests that Cinderella’s beautiful disposition, and hers only, will pass the test of time. In contrast, Cinderella receives her slippers “embroidered with silk and silver” and then “of pure gold” in the Grimm variation from the wings of a magical bird in a tree (G&G 3-4). Historically, silver and gold have been associated with nobility as prized possessions that can withstand both heat and time, likewise foreshadowing Cinderella’s climb to royalty and her strength of spirit. Furthermore, the blood that the stepsisters shed over trying to fit into the slipper can be argued to represent the curse of greed, that which looms over anyone who unnaturally covets a higher social status (G&G 5). Thus, the symbolism of the slipper varies even as the Perrault and Grimm versions share the same basic plot.
Intriguingly, the precise setting of Cinderella in any of the three versions remains difficult to pin down; the scattering of certain clues common to both the Perrault and Disney accounts suggests a temporal and geographical link between the two, whereas the Grimm variation appears to have a slightly different setting.

Knowing that writers of fairy tales do not necessarily set them in the same era that they live in, the publishing year of the Cinderella version does little to help. Indeed, the Perrault and Disney accounts of Cinderella begin with the classic fairy tale formula “Once upon a time,” emphasizing the ambiguity of time (Lang 1, Cinderella). However, the style of clothing worn by the stepsisters in the Perrault version such as a “red velvet suit with French trimming” and the origin of their accessory kits from “Mademoiselle de la Poche” suggest a location in a minor French kingdom (Lang 1). In fact, it is repeated several times in the Disney adaptation that Cinderella resides in a château that has gradually become a shadow of its former splendour (Cinderella). Intuitively, it also appears to be a decidedly French principle that members of the nobility must dress at the height of fashion. Furthermore, the stepsisters’ lavishness and blatant disregard for cost while the story mentions the existence of a king suggest that the Perrault version is actually set sometime between the 15th and 17th centuries, perhaps during the late Middle Ages or the Renaissance period

(Lang 1). The Disney adaptation goes one step further in displaying the waltz, the type of ballroom dance performed by Cinderella and the Prince that only became socially acceptable in Western Europe during the late 18th century, thus differing from the Perrault setting (Newell, Commentary). On its end, the Grimm variation of Cinderella does not begin with the classic fairy tale opening (G&G 1). The story’s mood is markedly less romantic to the point of being dark, a quality characteristic of the hopeless Middle Ages in feudal Europe. Cinderella does not technically aspire to go to a ball but rather a festival, suggesting a restriction of wealth on the kingdom in this financially unstable time (G&G 2). Cinderella being tasked to recover the lentils, commonly referred to as poor man’s meat, from out of the ashes also points to a financially troublesome era such as the Middle Ages (G&G 2-3). However, these clues detract from the main goal of fairy tales, which is to explain some manner of universal truth. Thus, it is suggested that fairy tales are set in purposely ambiguous locations and eras with a minimal scattering of clues so that the focus remains on the intended moral of the story.
Moreover, characters in Cinderella are consistently one-dimensional through their embodiment of a specific quality all throughout the story. In particular, Cinderella in the Disney adaptation symbolizes the outcome of being blessed by God with the gift of grace that includes infinite love, mercy, favour, and goodwill. Indeed, she somehow remains kind and gentle in the face of continuous adversity from her stepsisters and stepmother (Cinderella). Cinderella befriends the birds, the mice, and the farm animals, collectively known as God’s creatures (Cinderella). Her inner grace and beauty is expressed through her pure melodious voice when she lullabies the animals to sleep (Cinderella). Undoubtedly, Cinderella represents all that is good in humans. In addition, the Prince symbolizes the dream of ascending to wealth and power. All throughout the kingdom, women are invited to attend the ball whose sole purpose is to find a suitable match for the Prince, and they are all unable to resist the call (Cinderella). In fact, even the blessed Cinderella looks out longingly from the family château at what she laments only could have been (Cinderella). The Prince is the ultimate catch, the embodiment of wealth and the pinnacle of power in the entire kingdom. Finally, the stepmother symbolizes cruel and calculated wickedness. For instance, angered by the surprise completion of Cinderella’s dress, she casually points out the necklace around Cinderella’s neck and the sash on her dress to the stepsisters, who only then recognize them as their own and proceed to tear apart the dress (Cinderella). Furthermore, the stepmother intentionally trips the footman carrying the glass slipper following the unsuccessful trials on the stepsisters, shattering the shoe in a last attempt to foil Cinderella’s dream of marrying the Prince (Cinderella). Thus, the plot of Cinderella is revealed through the actions of characters that possess unvarying qualities.
Without much doubt, true love is to many inexperienced teenagers what organism and orgasm are to the overzealous middle school child: easily confused terms. In fact, high schools are commonly known to be hormonal breeding grounds where the biggest defense is half-finished sex education. Therefore, he whose vast courage or immense folly brings him to immediately declare a mere attraction as true love also inflicts upon himself assured emotional injury. However, the result is then of a lost soul whose mad ideal of profound affection leads him to blindly dream of love at first sight. This idea has also piqued the interest of numerous adventurous directors, Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, and Wilfred Jackson among them. Thus, the psychological effect of a premature belief in true love has become the subtle preoccupation of their 1950 animated film Cinderella. More precisely, they advocate in the film that a hasty declaration of alleged true love is based solely on superficial characteristics, and that, moreover, a belief in supposed true love leads unequivocally to the mutual objectification of the parties involved, ideas supported by the symbolism and characterization of Cinderella and the Prince as well as the plot device of the glass slipper (Newell, Commentary).