Cinderella the Salvation of Cinderella: Moral Character Essay

Cinderella

The Salvation of Cinderella: Moral Character and Virtue

Two entirely different versions of the same basic theme show that gender norms and social roles remain relatively constant and consistent across cultures. The Disney version of the "Cinderella" story, which was originally a European folk tale, is about a girl who lives with her mean old stepmother and step sisters, who work Cinderella like a slave and treat her terribly. Cinderella eventually gets her comeuppance, when with the help of a fairy, the prince chooses her for his wife. They live happily ever after. The same tale is told from an African perspective in "The Maiden, the Frog, and the Chief's Son." A girl lives with her stepmother and step sister, who work the girl like a slave. Though the intervention of magical frogs, the girl wins over the heart of the local prince and they live happily ever after. Aside from their remarkable similarities in theme, the motifs of these two stories are nearly identical including the leaving behind of a shoe. This suggests some sort of cultural diffusion, rather than two identical stories being developed independently.Regardless of their literary histories and their patriarchal overtones, both "Cinderella" and "The Maiden, the Frog, and the Chief's Son" teach a powerful lesson about the importance of good moral character.

In both "Cinderella" and "The Maiden, the Frog, and the Chief's Son," the protagonist is depicted as a sweet, humble, and meek girl. She is young, but pubescent. However, in neither story does the girl show signs of anger or resentment toward her father or stepmother, when she would have every right to rebel. Neither of the girls becomes embittered, or takes out their anger treat others poorly. Instead, both Cinderella and the star of "The Maiden, the Frog, and the Chief's Son" remain kind and open-hearted. Their strong moral character shines through, attracting the attention of the supernatural realm.

The supernatural realm is the place of….....