Cinderella

It is Disney’s second princess who holds the unofficial title of “leader” amongst her fellow heroines. Cinderella was released in 1950, and Cinderella has been the face of Disney royalty ever since. Walt Disney only lived to see his first three princesses, and though I can’t confirm anything, from what I understand, it was his second who held a particularly special place in his heart. I believe this is the reason we think of Cinderella when we hear the phrase “Disney Princess.” She was Disney’s personal favorite. For that reason alone, I’m going to strive to do her justice.

Much like Snow White, Cinderella wasn’t born into hardship. She is the daughter of a lord, and we’re told that he loved her very much. A widower, he married Cinderella’s stepmother, who had two daughters of her own. Sadly, he passed away, and left her in her stepmother’s charge. Again, trial and hardship come in the form of a stepmother who is jealous, for Cinderella so naturally outshines her stepsisters. Our young lady is given the attic as her room and forced to keep the entire household, performing all the duties of the servants they could no longer afford.

Cinderella is the princess of the early 50’s, and again that is important. Every age creates stories that reflect that age. What do you think of in terms of young ladies in the 1950’s? I myself think of housewives. And Cinderella is nothing if not a domestic woman. While Snow White and Cinderella are both forced to be scullery maids, Snow White’s story was more focused on her survival. Cinderella is not in any physical danger, and so the aspect of her keeping house is emphasized. We modern women may not appreciate that quite so much, but back then she was extremely relatable, and again, that’s what people needed.

But here’s the most important part of that: look at her. She cannot help but find joy. She is on her knees, scrubbing floors for three women who do nothing but order her around. They were supposed to be her family, and instead they essentially made her their slave. The grief she has for her loving parents she has had to endure alone, with no human comfort. And at the age of 19, we can assume that that has been her life for probably ten years or more. Cinderella has every reason to be bitter. And she’s not. She finds joy in little things. She remembers the love and kindness of the family she lost, and they live on in her. Housewives and daughters of housewives could look to Cinderella like a sister, and they could be reminded to find joy. And to hope.

Now of course, everyone has her limit. And, being human, Cinderella very nearly gave up hope once. She wanted to go to the ball, the ball that every maiden in the kingdom was supposed to attend. This was her chance to live like the lady she was born to be, at least for one fleeting night. She couldn’t help but put all of her remaining hope into going. Against impossible odds, she worked furiously all that day, and her mice friends even pulled together a dress for her. Against all odds, she was going to have her one night. And then her stepsisters practically rip the dress from her very back. That was it. There wasn’t hope anymore.

But if there’s one thing that Disney teaches us, it is that kindness persists in a cruel world.

And in what has been called Walt Disney’s favorite piece of animation, Cinderella’s rags are transformed into a stunning ballgown. Then, having been instructed of her time limit, her wish is fulfilled. She goes to the ball.

Now of course, having naturally attracted the attentions of the prince (who we know is going to give her the happily ever after she darn well deserves), we might be tempted to file Cinderella under the damsel in distress category. After all, she needed saving, and a man saved her. In fact, if you want to hear a decent argument for that, here’s a link:

However, we need to be understanding of the times. Cinderella had no political freedoms. If she just up and left her home, she’d be out on the streets, and with practically no way to provide for herself. Her most realistic hope was a good marriage, but that wasn’t looking likely, as her stepmother kept her locked away. But Cinderella, if you’ll notice, didn’t place her hopes on a man coming to her rescue. She didn’t go to the ball in an effort to catch the prince’s eye (unlike every other maiden). She went because it was her right to go, and she wasn’t going to be stripped of that. I like the way Walt Disney summed it up:

“She believed in dreams alright, but she also believed in doing something about them. When Prince Charming didn’t come along, she went over to the palace and got him.”

And she didn’t even try.

But these days, we long for a Cinderella that we can more fully understand. In 2015, the ideal woman is not so…temperate. Ah, but Disney is still here for us. Disney’s favorite princess graced the silver screen once again, new and improved, just this year. And as a young lady who grew up watching the old Cinderella, I can tell that the new one is meant for the adults who appreciated her as children. While the 1950’s version is obviously meant for children–seeing as the mice take up most of the screen time–2015 Cinderella puts its focus on the people and their social interactions. And (something everybody wanted to see) they give Prince Charming a name. And dialogue.

But what I appreciated most about this new Cinderella is that Disney so tastefully maintained its original message. It is the very same thing that Walt Disney himself cherished in his second princess, and it is embodied in the movie’s most memorable quote:

“Have courage and be kind.”