One of the most the popular fairy tales is the story of Cinderella, a young girl who excuses people’s behavior easily and is rewarded for her grace and silence. The concept of a Cinderella story has permeated American books, television shows, and films in part because the adaptations reflect the American characteristic of working hard to achieve success. Although the origins of the Cinderella fairy tale are unknown, Charles Perrault’s “Cinderella: Or the Little Glass Slipper” is a classical version that is popular throughout the world. Maid in Manhattan, a contemporary version of Cinderella, was released in 2002 and directed by Wayne Wang. The film adaptation depicts single mother Marisa Ventura working as a hotel maid, but aspiring to be promoted
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The traditional Cinderella figure is often burdened with household chores and is made invisible in her home. In Perrault’s “Cinderella: Or the Little Glass Slipper,” Cinderella tolerates the behaviors of her stepmother and stepsisters silently, which defines the expectations of women back then. She performs tedious chores including “the rough work around the house…[and] washing the pots and pans, cleaning Madame’s room and those of her stepsisters too” (Perrault 97). The responsibilities of the Cinderella figure suggest that women are accountable for maintaining the household. Because the Cinderella character represents the ideal woman, Perrault’s variant conveys the message that women should be subservient, submissive, and silent. Since Cinderella is the only woman performing domestic chores in the household, Perrault is contrasting the personalities of the heroine and the evil characters, which reestablishes the expected behaviors of women in Europe centuries ago. As a result of the chores only being performed by the heroine, Perrault is suggesting that women should behave like Cinderella and be silent figures in society. In contrast to Cinderella’s behavior, the attitudes of the wicked stepmother and materialistic stepsisters might be considered too dominating for seventeenth-century European culture. Therefore, in the fairy tale, they are punished for their actions suggesting that women who behave like them will also be punished in society. The characteristics of the classical Cinderella figure align with the expectations of women in European society in the latter part of the seventeenth
The traditional Cinderella figure is often burdened with household chores and is made invisible in her home. In Perrault’s “Cinderella: Or the Little Glass Slipper,” Cinderella tolerates the behaviors of her stepmother and stepsisters silently, which defines the expectations of women back then. She performs tedious chores including “the rough work around the house…[and] washing the pots and pans, cleaning Madame’s room and those of her stepsisters too” (Perrault 97). The responsibilities of the Cinderella figure suggest that women are accountable for maintaining the household. Because the Cinderella character represents the ideal woman, Perrault’s variant conveys the message that women should be subservient, submissive, and silent. Since Cinderella is the only woman performing domestic chores in the household, Perrault is contrasting the personalities of the heroine and the evil characters, which reestablishes the expected behaviors of women in Europe centuries ago. As a result of the chores only being performed by the heroine, Perrault is suggesting that women should behave like Cinderella and be silent figures in society. In contrast to Cinderella’s behavior, the attitudes of the wicked stepmother and materialistic stepsisters might be considered too dominating for seventeenth-century European culture. Therefore, in the fairy tale, they are punished for their actions suggesting that women who behave like them will also be punished in society. The characteristics of the classical Cinderella figure align with the expectations of women in European society in the latter part of the seventeenth