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.
“Bonfire of the Princess” is written effectively by Ehrenreich with her use of ethos and pathos. She makes a good appeal to reader’s emotions by telling the story about her three year old daughter, and by comparing the Princesses to Dora the Explorer. She also effectively questions the credibility and reliability of Disney by making them look like a company with bad and even suggestive role models; as well as a whole product line made to make children like the Disney Princesses. She makes the reader feel uneasy about Disney and its products, while making them feel more comfortable with her. Ehrenreich makes an effective
Whitney Slusser Mrs. Sherrow ACP W131 December 2, 2010 Summary Final of “Cinderella: Not So Morally Superior” (Panttaja 644-647) In her article, “Cinderella: Not So Morally Superior,” Elisabeth Panttaja (644-647) argues that Cinderella is not the motherless, good hearted, and honest character that she is portrayed to be. Panttaja believes Cinderella’s mother has a main role in the story, and that Cinderella is a lying, deceiving, and serpentine character. In almost every Cinderella story, Cinderella is thought to be completely absent. However, according to Panttaja, her mother plays a key role in Cinderella’s future, and in the story’s moral. Although Cinderella’s mother seems to be dead, it is she who holds the most power within the
In the Disney book, My side of the Story: Snow White/Evil Queen, The Queen marries someone whom she does not love at all just for the title of becoming the Queen of all the land. This causes her to become Snow White’s loving stepmother. At first, The Queen is actually very gentle and courteous towards Snow White. She enjoyed having Snow around and had no worries because she thought she was the fairest of them all. After a while, she starting developing a serious case of jealousy over her stepdaughter Snow White’s incomparable beauty.
The balance between fantasy and reality is shown with the situation of the main characters at the novel’s close. When Molly and Schmendrick, two people to whom life has been unkind, ride off into the “sweet, wicked, wrinkled world”[1], they get their own sort of fairy tale. On the other hand, the unicorn and the noble prince, traditional fairy tale figures forever separated, are far from a happily ever after. At the book’s opening, the reader meets the unicorn and learns of her idyllic life in a lilac wood. Although she appears perfectly happy, there is an idle complacency about her life that is somehow unsatisfying.
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.
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.
Andrew Rawlins Mrs. Bonham English 12 ACP 12 October 2012 Too Much Princess In both The Princess Paradox by James Poniewozik and Cinderella and Princess Culture by Peggy Orenstein the authors suggest that there is an over exposure of princess themes to young children and that they have many different effects. Poniewozik offers evidence from Hollywood and different movies that have been released with an underlying princess theme to them. Then, Orenstein takes the approach from the social aspect stating that young girls are thought of being “princesses.” Although both of these authors have the same underlying claim, their approaches are very diverse and one author is much more effective in supporting their claim than the other author. Poniewozik,
Has Anyone Seen My Shoe? As we like to think of them, most fairytales are the stuff of which dreams are made. Usually, the heroine is a beautiful girl who faces many struggles, but by the end of the story, she gets the handsome prince, and they live happily ever after. This was the case in the 1950 animated production of Walt Disney’s Cinderella, as well as Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s 1965 television musical Cinderella. In “Cinderella,” poet Anne Sexton presents a cynical viewpoint of fairytales and of life lived “happily ever after.” “Cinderella” begins with a litany of stories on the “rags to riches” theme; stories that would have you believe the participants lived happily ever after.
If they start reading fairy tales at a young age, they have a headstart for their future. Reading helps in every way for everyone, may it be children, teenagers or adults, by building up a child’s grammar, syntax, word order and spelling. If a small child reads fairy tales, it will build up a good habit for their future. Furthermore, fairy tales teach. Stories like “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” teaches us that we shouldn’t lie.