FEMINIST CRITICISM ON CINDERELLA

Cinderella, just like all the other classic fairy tales features a damsel in distress who
longed for someone to love her. Just like how other classic fairy tales end, she ends up marrying
her prince charming, becomes queen and they both lived happily ever after.
In her journey, the presence of the antagonist, her evil stepmother was indispensable.
After all, she was this damsel that needed saving. This characterization gives us the generic
notion that stepmothers are vile and evil.
In a feminist perspective, the story of Cinderella gives the impression that women would
always need men to save them from their hardships. Instead of teaching children how to stand on
their own two feet, it teaches them that “love” and “marriage” are the only things that would
make them genuinely happy. While it is true that Cinderella stood up against her stepmother
when she attended the ball at the risk of getting caught, her bravery simply stopped there. She
could’ve asserted what properly belonged to her. After her father died, she has a right to the
estate. But instead of standing up for herself, she allowed her stepmother and her stepsisters to
abuse her.
Furthermore, the story also points out that a man is the cornerstone of a household. In the
course of the story, a glimpse of how unstable a household can be if it is headed by a woman,
who in this case is the stepmother, was shown. The wealth and stability of the household were
disturbed when Cinderella’s father died. As a solution, the stepmother wanted her daughters to
marry rich men in order to sustain their lavish lifestyle.
The story mostly revolves around marriage. It shows that in order for a woman to
preserve her status in society and improve her life, she needs to be married, otherwise, people
would mock her.
Another notable part of the story was when Cinderella lost track of time when she was
dancing with the Prince. She became disorganized and left her shoe. It shows how women can
sometimes be emotionally weak and lose control of their actions when they are in love.
In conclusion, Cinderella is a good read when you have a critical mind. It was written
during an era when women weren’t as recognized as they are today. Cinderella would make us
appreciate the time that we are living in today. Women have become stronger and independent.
Marriage is no longer everything. Women could now decide which paths to take. Women are
now more in control of their destinies.