Transformation of Cinderella

In her essay, “The Production of Meaning through Peer Interaction: Children and Walt’s Disney’s Cinderella” Lori Baker-Sperry presents a research project on children’s perception of the meaning and associated gender roles of Cinderella as presented by Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, and Walt Disney’s 1950 version. Her findings suggest that children notice traditional, feminine roles. This makes sense, since, as briefly mentioned in former posts, Cinderella’s patience towards her stepmother’s and stepsisters’ cruelty is lauded as a virtue. Children also see women doing all the domestic housework, competing for men, and an emphasis on beauty. Cinderella is the damsel who is rescued from her oppression by the prince’s offer for marriage. Baker-Sperry’s argument can be summarized in her following statement:

“Cinderella is a text that resonates with social messages aimed toward girls (e.g., social rewards for goodness, kindness, and care as well as an emphasis on feminine beauty) and does not problematize a beauty ideal, romantic love, or competition among women for a the attention of men.” (Baker-Sperry 2007)

Recently, as with Snow White, though, the story is changing to reflect more modern views of women and love. The prime example is Ever After: A Cinderella Story directed by Andy Tennant and released in 1998. This story radically changes the original message of “Cinderella,” as clearly implied by Grande Dame’s narration and conversation with the Grimm Brothers, “But I must say, I was terribly disturbed when I read your version of the little cinder girl.” (Tennant 1998). Taken back, the Grimm Brothers then defend the silliness of their original fairy tale version of “Cinderella.” Again at the end of the story, Grande Dame’s narration indicates the radical transformation of the original “Cinderella” story by complaining about the original version not containing the essential meaning, “By then, the truth of the romance had been reduced to a simple fairy tale.” (Tennant 1998).

As with Snow White, Cinderella in Ever After is not submissive, but very strong. For clarification, her name is also actually Danielle in this version. In the very beginning of the story an interesting conversation takes place between little Danielle and her childhood friend Gustave, who is clearly not as brave as she:

Gustave: “You look like a girl!”

Danielle: “That’s what I am, you half-wit.”
Gustave: “Yeah but today you look it.”
Danielle: “Boy or girl, I can still whip you.”

Danielle repeats her last line again at the very end of the story, further showing her sturdiness. When Danielle meets her stepmother and stepsisters for the first time, she is completely covered in mud after having “slaughtered” Gustave. (Tennant 1998). Comparing the early images of Cinderella and her father further evidence this difference in feminine/masculine character.

Danielle continues to evidence her toughness when she directly goes against her stepmother’s commands. The first time she does so is by dressing as a noble woman and faking her identity in order to rescue the servant Maurice. She even stops the horse of the man delivering Maurice to his new owner, and she argues with him, “I demand you shall release him at once.” (Tennant 1998). When the man ignores her, she persists, “He’s not property at all, you tub of guts!” (Tennant 1998). Furthermore, she flirts with Prince Henry behind her stepmother’s and stepsisters’ backs, and she talks back when the stepmother and stepsisters wonder what she has been up to and where breakfast is, “You have two hands. Make it yourself.” (Tennant 1998). When she discovers that her stepsister Marguerite has gotten into her mother’s dress, Danielle punches Marguerite in the face, giving her a black eye, yells that she is going to rip her hair out, and chases her about the house. Then Danielle hides her mother’s dress and absolutely refuses to give it up, “I would rather die a thousand deaths than to see my mother’s dress on that spoiled, selfish cow!” (Tennant 1998).

Interestingly, it is not the prince who rescues the princess, but the other way around; when Prince Henry and Danielle get lost in the wood, it is Danielle who takes off her gown and climbs high up into the tree to get a perspective on where they are. Meanwhile, Prince Henry is defeated by a band of bandits. When they offer Danielle anything she can carry as a compensation for difficulty inflicted upon a ‘noble’ woman, she cleverly picks up Prince Henry, thereby saving his life. Although the slipper traditionally serves as the prince’s means of locating the mysterious princess and rescuing her from abuse, in Ever After the slipper only serves sentimental purposes, for Prince Henry already knows who Danielle is. Then Danielle is sold into servitude for the villain Pierre le Pieu, and Prince Henry sets out to rescue her. Upon finding her he tells her, “I came to rescue you.” (Tennant 1998) but to the viewer’s amusement, she had already grabbed a knife, cut le Pieu across the face, and escaped herself.

Ever After does not only emphasize woman’s independence, but that love is more than romance. Early in the film Henry greatly struggles with his arranged marriage. One can see this by taking a look at his parents’ conversation:

King Francis: “I signed a marriage treaty with the king of Spain and that boy will obey me, or there’ll be hell to pay.”

Queen Marie: “But he does not love her my lord.”

King Francis: “It’s not about love!”

Henry also makes a comment to his parents that further enforces the message of the film, “Forgive me, Mother, but marriage to a complete stranger never made anyone in this room very happy.” (Tennant 1998). He frets with Leonardo da Vinci about the struggle to find his single sole mate as well, and his dates with stepsister Marguerite proceed awfully.

The Ever After story is much more focused on a developed love rather than a ball or wedding. For one thing, Prince Henry and Danielle actually get to know each other fairly well before their marriage. They meet very early in the story when Danielle rescues the servant Maurice. Throughout the story Prince Henry is constantly inspired by Danielle’s passion. On different occasions she inspires him to make education available for everyone, invite commoners to the ball, and prevent people from being forced to travel to the Americas without compensation. Prince Henry says about Danielle, “In all my years of study not one tutor ever demonstrated the passion you have shown me in the last two days.” (Tennant 1998). Before the story is half over and before the ball, everyone is already talking about the mysterious Comtesse who has caught the attention of Prince Henry. Unlike Disney’s Cinderella, Cinderella’s and the prince’s first kiss does not occur at the ball, but in the woods after their adventure with the Gypsies. The viewer never even sees Danielle’s and Prince Henry’s wedding, but is simply told later than Danielle is Henry’s wife.

Danielle’s and Prince Henry’s love is not only developed before their marriage, but it is challenged. Danielle initially despises Prince’s Henry’s arrogance, which he eventually overcomes when he begs her forgiveness for leaving her. The couple must also overcome the stepmother’s lies about Danielle’s engagement. Furthermore, Prince Henry is royalty while Danielle is secretly a servant and not fit to marry a prince. In the original “Cinderella” this conflict in social status presents no problem, but in Ever After Prince Henry actually discovers this secret and consequently dumps Danielle at the ball, an event now transformed from the peak of the prince’s and the princess’ love to the pit of their struggles.

Disney’s new, live version of Cinderella released in 2015 and directed by Kenneth Branagh presents the same message on love as Ever After, but the traditional role of women is maintained. Cinderella still does all the housework with no resistance. The theme of the movie is expressed in Cinderella’s mother’s words, “Have courage and be kind.” (Branagh 2015). By this message, Cinderella’s mother tells Cinderella to endure her sufferings patiently, which she does so beautifully. She always bears her stepmother’s and stepsisters harsh words, and she does not resist when her stepmother moves her bedroom into the cold attic. When her new family prevents her from eating breakfast at the table with them for the reason that servants do not eat at the table, she complies quietly. At one scene Ella believes the third dress the stepmother requests is for her, but the stepmother cruelly corrects her that the third dress is for the stepmother, leaving a last comment in French. Cinderella does reply in French to show her intelligence, but otherwise she does not retaliate. When the stepmother and stepsisters tear her mother’s dress which she diligently worked to repair, her strongest response is, “How could you?” (Branagh 2015). In fact, probably the strongest thing she ever said was, “Why are you so cruel?” (Branagh 2015). Even while her stepmother and stepsisters try on her glass slipper in a final attempt to win a marriage with the prince, Cinderella sits at the window of the attic singing peacefully. Near the ending, the captain discovers her and the stepmother argues that she is no one, and Cinderella waits for the captain to take action towards freeing her.

Like Ever After and the modern versions of Snow White formerly discussed, Disney’s 2015 Cinderella continues to vaguely preach the message of love as an essential ingredient to a happy marriage. Once again, the prince, Prince Henry, is conflicted with his arranged marriage. He asks his father, “If I must marry, could I not wed, say, a good honest country girl?” (Branagh 2015). A conversation between Prince Henry and Cinderella further expresses Branagh’s disagreement with marriage between two strangers:

Prince Henry: “I’m expected to marry for advantage.”

Cinderella: “Oh. Well, whose advantage?”

Prince Henry: “That is a good question.”

Cinderella: “Well, surely you have a right to your own heart.”

In the end, the King asks Prince Henry if he will marry the Princess Chelina if he had commanded him to do so, but Prince Henry respectfully refuses. To this, the King shows his change of heart, “You’ve become your own man. Good… You must not marry for advantage. You must marry for love.” (Branagh 2015). To further support the idea of a developed relationship before marriage, Disney’s 2015 Cinderella includes another interesting conversation between Cinderella and her stepsister Anastasia.

Cinderella: “What will he be like, I wonder?”

Anastasia: (laughter) “What does it matter what he’s like? He’s rich beyond reason.”

Cinderella: “Wouldn’t you like to know a bit about him before you marry him?”

Anastasia: “Certainly not. It might change my mind.”

In this scene Anastasia’s view, as coming from one of the villains of the story, is clearly looked down upon. Through this conversation Cinderella encourages one to get to know his or her partner before seriously considering marriage. Consequently, in this version Cinderella again develops a relationship with Prince Henry in the wood before the ball occurs, although less than Danielle does with Prince Henry in Ever After. She persuades him not to hurt a stag which he hunts, and like Danielle, her passion inspires him. When asked why he spared the stag, Prince Henry repeats Cinderella’s message that one should not perform an action simply because that is what others do.

Not only do Cinderella and Prince Henry develop a relationship before the ball, but they express loyalty during the trials they face afterwards. After the ball and Cinderella’s disappearance, a general tries to convince Prince Henry to marry someone else for the sake of the kingdom’s security. However, Prince Henry persists in his difficult search for Cinderella, who is trapped in a tower by her stepmother. Likewise, Cinderella’s stepmother offers to give her up to the prince, so long as Cinderella makes the stepmother the head of the household. Knowing this condition would bring harm upon Prince Henry and the rest of the kingdom, Cinderella absolutely refuses and allows herself to be locked away. In the end, their true love is summed up by their acceptance of each other for who they are:

Cinderella: “I don’t even know if that slipper will fit, but if it does, will you take me as I am? An honest country girl who loves you?”
Prince Henry: “Of course I will. But only if you will take me as I am. An apprentice still his learning his trade.”

As demonstrated, the message of the traditional “Cinderella” story as told by Charles Perrault and by Disney in 1950 has taken a dramatic turn. Although Disney’s 2015 Cinderella still holds the traditional roles of a submissive woman, Ever After: A Cinderella Story continues in the revolution of the role of woman as independent and tough. Both stories also transform the message of “love at first sight” into a more mature message of love, teaching that love is developed, tried, and of utmost importance to a happy marriage. It is no wonder, then, that the students Lori Baker-Sperry met during her study repeat the same messages. One can only imagine how this continuing transformation of themes in films will influence children’s view of marriage in the future.

References:

Baker-Sperry, Lori. "The Production of Meaning through Peer Interaction: Children and Walt Disney's Cinderella." Sex Roles 56.11-12 (2007): 717-27. ProQuest. Web. 13 May 2016.

Cinderella. Dir. Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, and Wilfred Jackson. Perf. Ilene Woods Eleanor Audley Verna Felton, Rhoda Williams, James MacDonald, Luis Van Rooten, Don Barclay, Mike Douglas, Lucille Bliss. Walt Disney Productions, 1950. DVD.

Cinderella. Dir. Kenneth Branagh. Perf. Cate Blanchett, Lily James, Richard Madden, Stellan Skarsgård, Holliday Grainger, Derek Jacobi, Helena Bonham Carte. Walt Disney Pictures, 2015. Amazon.

Ever After: A Cinderella Story. Dir. Andy Tennant. Perf. Drew Barrymore, Anjelica Huston, Dougray Scott. Flower Films, 1998. DVD.

Perrault, Charles, and Betts, Christopher. Complete Fairy Tales. Oxford, GB: Oxford University Press, 2009. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 26 April 2016.