Why Cinderella?
When I am asked which fairy-tale is my favorite, I do not hesitate for a moment. It’s definitely Cinderella. And I am clearly not alone in my preferences. Just think of the number of retellings, novels and movies that are based on Cinderella story. In addition to the ones that are pretty much classical (maybe with some minor divergences), there are so many interesting combinations of the Cinderella type of story with yet another genre. In the 2004 movie A Cinderella Story, the popular fairy-tale is transfered to our world. Magic is taken away, and we get a movie about high school. The Nymph Hunt by AkashaTheKitty is a Harry Potter fanfiction story, and this is one of the most beautiful Cinderella retellings I have read. Here, the role of Cinderella is taken by Hermione Granger. In turn, in Marissa Meyer’s Cynder, a fairy-tale merges with science fiction, and the main character turns into a cyborg.
So why Cinderella? Why is this story so popular? What makes people love it so much? This is also a personal question for me: why do I love this fairy-tale? And does this choice tell something about my personality?
As a matter of fact, psychologists have proposed several answers. Fairy-tales and people’s attitude towards them have been analyzed in terms of psychological process they represent and qualities of the people who prefer one tale over the others. Of course, what I am going to list below is an oversimplification, and these are just several examples. But these are views which I have actually encountered.
1. Cinderella is a story about patience and humility. You must face without complaining all the hardships that Life puts in front of you, and then in the end you will be rewarded. This is a rather straightforward interpretation of the fairy-tale, I suppose. A moral that naturally invites itself. But – I am sure this is not what I love the story for. Actually, I do not really support this attitude. I believe that people should be active and should fight for their happiness. I am against a patient acceptance of injustice.
2. Under a rather different view of the story, it is pointed out that while Cinderella is patient and obedient, nothing good happens. It is only after she DISobeys her stepmother for the first time that she meets the prince and finds her happiness. I have to acknowledge that I like this interpretation better. But still, I don’t believe this is why Cinderella is my favorite fairy-tale.
3. Here is a different kind of approach. Cinderella is a story that represents a woman’s desire to find a sponsor who will provide her with everything. Her beauty and good manners help her find such a man. She has nothing originally and gets everything by virtue of marrying a wealthy and powerful man. Naturally, as a feminist I dislike this view. This is definitely not what I find attractive in the story!
Then what IS attractive about this fairy-tale? I am not sure I have an answer, but I do have several thoughts on the topic.
Firstly, and quite plainly, this is a truly romantic story. And as a girl (who cares about the age!) I love romance.
Secondly, however surprising that may sound, this is a story about equality. Even though Cinderella belongs to a rather rich family, in essence, she is a servant. There is a gulf between her and the prince. But the masquerade erases the boundaries between people of different classes. As soon as the peel of clothing differences comes down, it turns out that everybody out there is a HUMAN BEING. The differences are imposed, rather than inborn, and a servant is in no way worse than a princess.
Thirdly, and this is probably related to the first aspect, it is so nice to read about a man who is worth being a hero of a tale, not only by virtue of having been born in a royal family. He is resolute, patient and persistent. He knows what he wants and does not give up, no matter how difficult it may be to achieve the goal. He struggles for his happiness. So this is not (or not only) a story about humility, this is a story about a fight, about making an effort in order to get what you want – as well as a story about overcoming social barriers.
Finally, this is a tale about a dream coming true. Moreover, it is about a pipe dream coming true. Something that seems absolutely unrealizable may suddenly, totally unexpectedly, become real. Marrying a prince is such a pipe dream for Cinderella. (In fact, it is so unrealizable that Cinderella does not even allow herself to dream of anything of the kind.) Finding THE ONE girl among hundreds and thousands of women is such a pipe dream for the prince. But they both succeed. Thus, Cinderella is a tale about hope. Hope that should never be lost.
Several links:
My humorous version of the Cinderella story: https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/84201...
The Nymph Hunt by AkashaTheKitty: http://dramione.org/viewstory.php?sid=21
A Cinderella Story: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0356470/
Cynder by Marissa Meyer: https://www.amazon.com/Cinder-Marissa...
So why Cinderella? Why is this story so popular? What makes people love it so much? This is also a personal question for me: why do I love this fairy-tale? And does this choice tell something about my personality?
As a matter of fact, psychologists have proposed several answers. Fairy-tales and people’s attitude towards them have been analyzed in terms of psychological process they represent and qualities of the people who prefer one tale over the others. Of course, what I am going to list below is an oversimplification, and these are just several examples. But these are views which I have actually encountered.
1. Cinderella is a story about patience and humility. You must face without complaining all the hardships that Life puts in front of you, and then in the end you will be rewarded. This is a rather straightforward interpretation of the fairy-tale, I suppose. A moral that naturally invites itself. But – I am sure this is not what I love the story for. Actually, I do not really support this attitude. I believe that people should be active and should fight for their happiness. I am against a patient acceptance of injustice.
2. Under a rather different view of the story, it is pointed out that while Cinderella is patient and obedient, nothing good happens. It is only after she DISobeys her stepmother for the first time that she meets the prince and finds her happiness. I have to acknowledge that I like this interpretation better. But still, I don’t believe this is why Cinderella is my favorite fairy-tale.
3. Here is a different kind of approach. Cinderella is a story that represents a woman’s desire to find a sponsor who will provide her with everything. Her beauty and good manners help her find such a man. She has nothing originally and gets everything by virtue of marrying a wealthy and powerful man. Naturally, as a feminist I dislike this view. This is definitely not what I find attractive in the story!
Then what IS attractive about this fairy-tale? I am not sure I have an answer, but I do have several thoughts on the topic.
Firstly, and quite plainly, this is a truly romantic story. And as a girl (who cares about the age!) I love romance.
Secondly, however surprising that may sound, this is a story about equality. Even though Cinderella belongs to a rather rich family, in essence, she is a servant. There is a gulf between her and the prince. But the masquerade erases the boundaries between people of different classes. As soon as the peel of clothing differences comes down, it turns out that everybody out there is a HUMAN BEING. The differences are imposed, rather than inborn, and a servant is in no way worse than a princess.
Thirdly, and this is probably related to the first aspect, it is so nice to read about a man who is worth being a hero of a tale, not only by virtue of having been born in a royal family. He is resolute, patient and persistent. He knows what he wants and does not give up, no matter how difficult it may be to achieve the goal. He struggles for his happiness. So this is not (or not only) a story about humility, this is a story about a fight, about making an effort in order to get what you want – as well as a story about overcoming social barriers.
Finally, this is a tale about a dream coming true. Moreover, it is about a pipe dream coming true. Something that seems absolutely unrealizable may suddenly, totally unexpectedly, become real. Marrying a prince is such a pipe dream for Cinderella. (In fact, it is so unrealizable that Cinderella does not even allow herself to dream of anything of the kind.) Finding THE ONE girl among hundreds and thousands of women is such a pipe dream for the prince. But they both succeed. Thus, Cinderella is a tale about hope. Hope that should never be lost.
Several links:
My humorous version of the Cinderella story: https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/84201...
The Nymph Hunt by AkashaTheKitty: http://dramione.org/viewstory.php?sid=21
A Cinderella Story: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0356470/
Cynder by Marissa Meyer: https://www.amazon.com/Cinder-Marissa...
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