An Explanation Of Grimm's Cinderella

The poem begins with a series of four sample stories about poor people hitting a stroke of luck, and striking rich. Whether it be, doing well in the market, finding love, winning the lottery, and claiming insurance. The story of Cinderella follows the Grimm’s’ version of the tale. After the death of her mother, Cinderella works as a housemaid to her evil stepmother and stepsisters. Her father spoils his stepdaughters with extravagant presents but only brings Cinderella a twig. She puts the tree on her mother’s grave where a magical tree grows. and a magical dove lives. Anytime Cinderella wants something, the dove assists her.In Sexton's version, as in the Grimm’s', the Prince's ball is a three-day event and Cinderella gets dresses and shoes from the dove on all three nights. On the final night, the Prince gets tired of not knowing where his love has fled to, and decides to put wax on the castle floor. As she's leaving the ball on the last night, Cinderella’s shoe …show more content…
The happily ever after, readers are promised, is not the case. Cinderella and the prince are not truly happy, they are frozen, iced over, “dolls in a museum case” (103), who are never bothered by anything. If nothing ever bothers you, however, are you really living? They are described as the Bobbsey Twins. The Bobbsey Twins, are two sets of twins, who are main characters of a popular children’s book. The book began being published in real time, but were then frozen at the age of twelve and six for the rest of the books existence. (Keeline). The poem ends with a final “that story” (109), which is much more ominous and foreboding than the others. This happily ever after is more lifeless than it is happy. Sexton truly flipped this fairy tale around on its head.. Happiness all the time is not freedom, it’s more like a life sentence. Not everything is happiness, and riches, and sometimes life needs a happily never after. Life has its ups and downs, and that is what makes us