Perrault's Version Of Cinderella example essay topic

Variants of the Cinderella story have spread all over the world. For every ethnicity with a collection of folklore, there is a version of the Cinderella story. In the classic version of Cinderella written by Charles Perrault, Cinderella is portrayed as a girl who is completely submissive to the wills of her stepmother and two stepsisters. Perrault presents Cinderella as the idealized perfect woman. She is! SS sweetness itself!" (Perrault 595), a perfect girl without a trace of animosity in her being.

Cinderella never complains or revolts against her family's abuse. Instead, she suffers through her servitude and waits patiently for her rescue (i.e. marriage to the prince). Indeed, Cinderella can be seen as a poor role model for impressionable young females because she elicits them to believe that qualities like passivity, beauty and dependency are prerequisites for Cinderella's eventual transformation and in general, fulfillment in life. Cinderella represents an icon of female passivity. Her willing acceptance of a condition of worthlessness clearly demonstrates her passiveness. Perrault's Cinderella is a perfect example of what, in the eye of his readers, would be considered the perfect woman.

However, his gender role stereotyping is old-fashioned and out-dated. Cinderella remains at home and does housework that is! SS dirty, physically demanding and demeaning!" (Kelley 613). She obeys her stepmother and stepsisters because she is incapable of doing otherwise. She never! SS dares to complain to her father!" (Perrault 595) because she is chained by her own low self-esteem as a servant in the house.

Moreover, she refuses to take matters in her own hands and she lets others control her life. Her submissiveness to her family's abuse and to the prince's love at the end gives maturing girls a false model of how they should behave. Like Cinderella, some women lack the courage to make decisions and stand up for themselves against abuse and unfair treatment. In a way, they are like Cinderella, waiting patiently for external forces (i.e. marriage) to give meaning and protection to their lives.

Their expectation of rescue as a reward for their virtuous suffering is clearly wrong. As a matter of fact, the wish of becoming like Cinderella is the dominant force holding women back today. Perrault's version of Cinderella also emphasizes on the value of beauty as a crucial asset for a girl, whose happiness depends on her ability to attract a man. At home, Cinderella is! SS fifty times as beautiful as her sisters!" (Perrault 595). At the ball, even the King himself!

SS could not take his eyes off her!" for it has been a long time since he has seen such a! SS beautiful and charming person!" (Perrault 597). The prince only has to see her to fall in love and marry her. The strong emphasis on Cinderella's beauty in the story gives young girls a false notion that they must be beautiful to succeed in life. In fact, this moral value is misleading because they assume that they can achieve their dreams or desires by simply being beautiful. Moreover, Cinderella blinds women from realizing the importance of inner beauty (i.e. intelligence and good personality) over physical beauty.

Certain values built into Perrault's Cinderella have given the story its endurance to be carried forward through the centuries. However, the emphasis of beauty is dangerous to young girls because it promotes materialism in society. The idea of male dependency is presented at the end of the story when Cinderella is rescued from her status as a servant to a princess (Kelley 612). It is the prince who frees her from her wicked stepmother and stepsisters. Cinderella's transformation should not be presented as a result of the fairy godmother and prince's assistance. Rather, her transformation should have been presented as a direct result of her own efforts in determining her future.

Cinderella can be presented in a more positive light if she is able to transcend magnificently from her degraded state despite what appears to be insurmountable obstacles. To better educate young children and prepare them for the roles they should play in society, Cinderella should teach that wishes and desires are justifiable, but they are only obtainable if you are willing to pursue them. A young woman should be independent and not rely on a male to bring happiness to her life. Traditional folk-tales are open to numerous interpretations depending on one's culture and experiences (Stone 629). Therefore, it is virtually impossible to determine the exact meaning of the Cinderella story.

One may argue Cinderella is a good role model, while others may disagree due to her passivity and reliance on a male to bring fulfillment to her life. Recent Cinderella stories have reflected the desire for a female protagonist to take on a stronger role in society. The traditional pattern of! SS prince rescues princess!" is out-dated and a female who is strong, resourceful as well as engaging is much rather preferred today..