Lieberman’s point is that fairy tales make beauty the basis for which reward is given, not intelligence, work ethic, or anything else a radical feminist would see as an asset. Lieberman also stresses that in popular fairy tales, beauty is associated with being kind and well-tempered whereas ugliness is associated with being ill-tempered and often jealous. This can be easily shown in one of the most popular fairy tales of all—Cinderella. In this, Lieberman argues, Cinderella is oppressed by her cruel, ugly stepsisters and stepmother who force the kind, beautiful girl to do all the chores in the house. Cinderella ends up getting the prize (marriage to the prince) based on looks alone.
The fact that most fail to realize, as pointed by the author, is that these two mothers want the same things: they both want the best future for their daughters, and both mothers are willing to do anything to ensure that it happens. It is, however, Cinderella’s mother who surpasses and comes in first place. Panttaja believes Cinderella succeeds in winning the prince’s hand at the ball not because of the goodness of her character, but because she was able to stay loyal to her mother. By doing this her mother rewards her by giving her the most beautiful appearance in the entire kingdom. Cinderella succeeds through her mother’s magic, deceit, lies, and disguises.
In the critique Cinderella: Not So Morally Superior, Elisabeth Panttaja critiques a version of a Cinderella story, Ashputtle, by Jakob and Wilelm Grimm. Panttaja goes in depth about hidden details of Ashputtle and how Ashputtle is not actually motherless, and the real mother is behind all the magic. Even though Panttaja states that Ashputtle’s real mother is violent and evil, she is actually a sweet, godmother like person. Panttaja argues that even though Ashputtle does not have a real living mother, the hazel branch, given to her by her father that she planted at her mother’s grave, which grows into a tree, acts as her mother by taking care of Ashputtle (Panttaja 659). The tree grants Ashputtle’s every wish; from her clothes to helping out with chores.
Growing up, I thought my mother looked just like Cinderella and had the same pretty voice. I was excited to watch this movie again, with my daughter, because I thought it would bring me back to my childhood. I must admit that while watching it for absolutely different reasons, and taking notes, it was hard to enjoy it as much. Without immediately referring to the sheer passivity of the heroine, Cinderella, I’ve found that this story not only gender-stereotypes, but sets societal norms right out there on the table for you, and agrees and supports every one of them. Cinderella is not the role model I want for my daughter.
A Jungian analyst, Jacqueline Schectman, examines the tale to find a sympathetic Stepmother in "'Cinderella' and the Loss of Father-Love." The chapter concludes with "Cinderella's Stepsisters" by Toni Morrison, which focuses on the evil women inflict on each other and appeals to women not to treat each other with enmity but to nurture each
His sisters, First Corinthians and Lena, whom author Toni Morrison keeps in the background of the novel’s main events, are suddenly transformed into deep, complex characters. The two sisters, who have spent their lives in Dr. Foster’s parlor making fake roses, refuse to be aristocratic sweatshop workers any longer. The fact Corinthians works as a maid even though she has acquired a college degree does not make her feel inferior but rather it liberates her socially. Furthermore, the fact that she finds true love outside of her upper class social status shows that Morrison is making an attack on class consciousness. Lena’s revolt comes out during her confrontation with Milkman.
(629). The doves once again come to Ashputtle’s aid but in the end the stepmother breaks her promise and Ashputtle is not allowed to go. (629). Once everyone leaves to the wedding, she goes and weeps at her mother’s grave. There, Ashputtle asks the hazel tree for a dress, “to throw her down silver and gold”.
Motherhood and marriage is seen to be a key factor in the society of which The Bell Jar is set ,and is portrayed as one of the things that supresses female identity when Esther is asked to be “Mrs Buddy Willard” as if she is owned by Buddy and not her own person. Even though Top Girls is set in 1980’s England while Margret Thatcher is Prime Minister, it shows direct correlations to the ideas shown in The Bell Jar. Just as the bell jar itself portrays motherhood and marriage to be a hindrance to Careers In the form of Dodo Conway, Top Girls protagonist Marlene symbolises the other option women have in the choice between a career and a family. Marlene, unlike her sister Joyce, is shown to have given up her child for the chance to pursue a career as if having both is impossible; a lot like Jaycee is in The Bell Jar. This essay will argue that In both texts motherhood and marriage is shown to be a hindrance to both women’s careers and their female identity.
Lucinda was one of Ella’s fairy godmothers who actually started the story of Ella of Frell. Like every fairy, she liked to go to weddings and births of babies. Lucinda was known for her spells she casted on the married couples and new born babies she met. She called her spells gifts. Everybody thought her gifts were terrible.
Bracelets dangling and making noises when she moves her arm… The dress is loose and flows, and as she walks closure, I like it. I hear Maggie go "Uhnnnh" (Walker 2439). She shows a very selfish characteristic and that trait is repeatedly brought out in the story. For instance, she begins to ask for things in the house like the chair and desk. Another instance is when she asks her mother for the quilts her grandmother had made, her mother said they were for Maggie; Dee's reply was, “Maggie wouldn't appreciate the quilts” and Maggie says, “Dee can have them” (Walker 2441).