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Feminist Analysis Of Cinderella

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Cinderella is a 1950 animated fairy tale about Cinderella, a pretty young woman who is treated as a maid by her vicious stepmother and stepsisters in her late father 's estate. She defies her stepmother and through the help of her fairy godmother attends the Grand Ball, where the Prince falls in love with her. In her haste to return home before nightfall, she leaves her glass shoe behind, which subsequently becomes the tool with which the Duke searches the entire kingdom for her. Cinderella later marries the prince and they live happily ever after. Contrary to the popular notion that Cinderella is a model of hope for young girls, I believe Cinderella rather establishes and promotes the ideologies of inferiority of women.

Like other Disney fairy tales, Cinderella was a favorite among cartoon airings on television during my pre-teen years. I first watched Cinderella as a child and the portrayal of the happy ever after living strongly resonated with me. It captured sentimental childhood fantasies I had held: being a dashing Prince with a wife as beautiful as Cinderella with whom I would share the rest of my life. The Grand Ball, the grandiose display of wealth, fancily dressed women and smartly dressed gentlemen further rooted my interest in the movie.

Although a great movie, Cinderella, upon critical observation projects certain stereotypical depiction of society that this paper seeks to highlight. Drawing from feminist theory, this paper seeks to

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