Cinderella

This image shows Cinderella cleaning her home. She is dressed in rags, and is clearly unhappy with her current position. She dreams of her life being transformed. There is no way that she can get herself out of this world, unless a hero comes and saves her. Cinderella is stuck in a miserable life. She is a typical 'damsel in distress', waiting to be rescued. With all the cruelty from her family, Cinderella can only hope and dream that her life will change. When she hears the of the ball that the prince will be attending, she believes this is her chance to break free, but she is forbidden to go by her nasty step mother. Convenient, a fairy god mother comes to her aid and transforms her into a beauty. She puts on a beautiful blue dress, jewellery, and glass slippers, but they will only last till midnight. So Cinderella attends the ball, has fun, dances and charms the handsome prince, and leaves in a rush just before the spell wears off. As she was going, Cinderella leaves one glass slipper on the stairs, which the prince takes to help hunt her down. When he finds her, all of her dreams come true, and she is able to leave her miserable life and marry a prince.


The story of Cinderella represents women as unable to help themselves. Cinderella has been stuck cleaning her house for many years, and its not until she meets a man that she is able to get out of it. This story implies that only men can have an effect on the world, where women can only be stuck in the same place. If Cinderella had not gone to the ball and met the handsome prince, her life would always be miserable and stagnant. The time limit that she is given makes it appear that she has only a short  amount of time to make the prince fall for her, so he can rescue her from her everyday life. This opportunity is all or nothing for Cinderella, and if the prince, for whatever reason, did not like her, then this story would have had a very different ending, which would probably be similar to the beginning of the story. When the prince is looking for her with the glass slipper, all Cinderella can do is wait for him to come. In the mean time all she does is continue living her unhappy life. The only time that she is ever happy is when she is with the prince, which gives young girls who see this story, the idea that true happiness is with a man. Cinderella cannot wait to leave her ordinary world and live with the prince. She seems perfectly okay about leaving her dad, just as though he didn't mean that much to her. The idea that true love is the only thing that can make a girl happy is a large theme in this tale. It gives the audience of young girls that to be content in life, you have to be rescued by your prince, other wise you will never fulfilled as a women.