Defending Cinderella
In December 2020, I made an art piece titled “Delicate Touch” inspired by Cinderella, the 1950’s animated classic. The animation never ceases to amaze me, from the bubbles sequence to the iconic dress transformation scene. The sequel films maintained the titular character’s endurance towards her goals. As I got older, I realized that others do not see eye-to-eye with me on this. The most infamous of these claims surround how Cinderella waited for a man to save her. I watched the film for the first time in years. Once again, I found myself in awe of the magic and how accessible Cinderella is as a protagonist. Some scenes in this film left my heart ripped from my chest, especially ones involving the evil stepfamily. All of this inspired me to look at this film through a different lens. Cinderella and her story serve in many ways to show how a person is strong in ways beyond what the eye may see.
It must be acknowledged that Cinderella cannot simply leave her situation. She is forced into the role of a servant after her father dies when she is a child. This means doing dirty housework and keeping her stepfamily happy. They never acknowledged her as part of the family and made her life miserable. One of the most heart-wrenching claims against the film: “She could have left if she wanted to.” Whenever I hear this, I wonder how she could have possibly left. Her only friends are animals, and the sad fact is that if she told anyone, most people might not believe her. Leaving this situation is dangerous considering how the stepfamily still craves control over her. She had no human friends presented in her story, and for those who say her woodland friends could help, their aid only has a certain extent. For example, the mice and birds reformed her mother’s pink dress and even risked their lives. After all of this, one of the most horrifying scenes of the film takes place. The stepmother led the stepsisters into a jealous rage to the point where they ripped the dress straight off of her body into shreds, leaving her clothed in a tethered piece of fabric within a few blinks of an intense animation sequence. The stripping of her mother’s dress serves as an assault allegory and demonstrates a realistic moment within such a household. After this scene, we see her cry for the first time. She doesn’t reflect the violent attitudes surrounding her and chooses kindness even in difficult moments, which makes her stand out in the film. She isn’t weak, but instead, human. Since we are seeing her cry for the first time, the emotions are more emphasized, and we can’t help but root for her.
Cinderella ultimately saves herself. All Cinderella wanted was a day off, and she got more than she could dream. When the clock struck midnight, the only remaining element of her time at the ball was the glass slipper. It is up to Cinderella from this point forward, without the prince or the Fairy Godmother, and she succeeded by asking for help. The final act of the film has Cinderella locked away by her stepmother. Rather than accepting such a fate, she fights for her life to escape and expose the truth. She realizes that she can get out of the life she was living and start a new one that was happier. Cinderella summoned her woodland friends to bring her the key to unlock herself, and she even brought the other slipper as proof. This also saves her because the stepmother breaks the other one brought from the castle when Cinderella escapes. However, several would argue that Cinderella is only able to escape her situation from the glass slipper as her literal saving grace, which is where I point to the final film of the Cinderella trilogy, Cinderella III: A Twist in Time.
Cinderella proves the capability of escaping her situation, even with magic working against her. When it comes to defending Cinderella, I see the third film brought into the conversation, especially since it is seen as one of the best direct-to-video animation sequels. The premise revolves around the idea of what happens if the stepmother had the magic wand before the Duke visits their house with the slipper. The Fairy Godmother is turned into stone, the remaining glass slipper is destroyed, and the prince remembers dancing with one of the stepsisters rather than our protagonist. Cinderella is left with no magic and no proof, but the stepmother does not win. Rather than waiting for a man to save her, Cinderella actively tries to save herself and even escapes her own murder. She was no longer within her stepfamily’s grasp and put her own safety at risk. A sacrifice she was willing to make after being hurt for the final time by her stepfamily. She understands that she deserves so much better and has a chance at happiness, which leads her to pursue her own justice.
Cinderella represents internal strength in many ways, and her story is certainly not to be undermined. She is seen to have goals and ambitions outside of her current situation. As many thinks she lacks personality, she demonstrates a sense of attitude and personal agency to an extent of which her safety allows for. Once she has the chance to escape, she pulls herself to do so with the help of her animal friends. Her story serves as a message of hope, which continues to touch people. Adaptations of this story come and go frequently for this reason, plus we love to see the underdog win. It is a classic for a reason, and Cinderella deserves the acknowledgment it does. With her ambition and kindness towards others, she, like all of us, hopes to see a happy ending. As for me, her story remains in a special place in my heart, as I am sure several others do as well.
