Almost all girls have either seen or have heard the “Cinderella” story before. Being a princess has been most girl 's dreams as a child, but little do they think about the theme and the message the “Cinderella” story creates. Elisabeth Panttaja, professor from Tufts University and author of the article “Cinderella: Not So Morally Superior,” explains a theme that people may find unsettling because she claims that Cinderella and the prince may not have been in love. She hints at the fact that Cinderella’s mother may have been the culprit in scheming and seducing the prince into marrying her. Many people would agree that this side of the story is inconsistent with the Cinderella they grew up with because the traditional “Cinderella” story is what
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Although Panttaja’s view of Cinderella’s mother is unconventional, her analysis of Cinderella’s mother and stepmother’s roles reveal that without her mother she would never be able to marry the prince.
Throughout her article Panttaja uses the word “mother” frequently to define the role of Cinderella’s mother and to introduce the mother/daughter theme in the fairy tale. By using the word “mother” she solidifies the theme she is trying to create. Her repetition of the word “mother” helps her form the basis for her argument by making known what role Cinderella’s mother plays in the story. Panttaja mentions that, “Cinderella’s mother is imagined as absent despite the fact that she plays a central part in the unfolding of Cinderella’s destiny” (286). The “Cinderella’s” traditional theme considers the main character’s ability to achieve success while still remaining humble when confronted with negative circumstances, but by Panttaja’s repetition of the word “mother,” she presents a new theme of a mother and daughter’s relationship. Panttaja does not choose other words such as “mom, parent, or child-bearer” because it diverts from the effect of the word “mother.” By frequently repeating the word, it sticks in the reader 's minds and compels them to listen …show more content…
Both of the motherly figures are similar in their goals for their own daughters. The author evokes that they both use strategies to assist their daughters in order to help them gain status. Panttaja says, “these two women share the same devotion to their daughters and the same long-term goals: each mother wants to ensure a future of power and prestige for her daughter, and each is willing to resort to extreme measures to achieve her aim” (288). Panttaja states in her article that the two mothers have a strong influence on their daughters and their actions. They are able to assist their daughters achieve status through power and plots. Conversely, she states that their methods are considerably different. In the traditional “Cinderella” story, the stepmother keeps Cinderella home from the ball so that her two daughters could have a better of chance of glamouring the prince into falling in love with one of them. The stepmother goes to great lengths to keep Cinderella from marrying the prince by locking her up in the tower; whereas Cinderella’s mother approach to marrying her daughter off is quite different. In her article Panttaja references a way that revolves around her mother 's magic that unfolds Cinderella’s destiny. “She plots and schemes and she wins” (288), says Panttaja. Panttaja hints that the reason Cinderella prestiges in power and
Although Panttaja’s view of Cinderella’s mother is unconventional, her analysis of Cinderella’s mother and stepmother’s roles reveal that without her mother she would never be able to marry the prince.
Throughout her article Panttaja uses the word “mother” frequently to define the role of Cinderella’s mother and to introduce the mother/daughter theme in the fairy tale. By using the word “mother” she solidifies the theme she is trying to create. Her repetition of the word “mother” helps her form the basis for her argument by making known what role Cinderella’s mother plays in the story. Panttaja mentions that, “Cinderella’s mother is imagined as absent despite the fact that she plays a central part in the unfolding of Cinderella’s destiny” (286). The “Cinderella’s” traditional theme considers the main character’s ability to achieve success while still remaining humble when confronted with negative circumstances, but by Panttaja’s repetition of the word “mother,” she presents a new theme of a mother and daughter’s relationship. Panttaja does not choose other words such as “mom, parent, or child-bearer” because it diverts from the effect of the word “mother.” By frequently repeating the word, it sticks in the reader 's minds and compels them to listen …show more content…
Both of the motherly figures are similar in their goals for their own daughters. The author evokes that they both use strategies to assist their daughters in order to help them gain status. Panttaja says, “these two women share the same devotion to their daughters and the same long-term goals: each mother wants to ensure a future of power and prestige for her daughter, and each is willing to resort to extreme measures to achieve her aim” (288). Panttaja states in her article that the two mothers have a strong influence on their daughters and their actions. They are able to assist their daughters achieve status through power and plots. Conversely, she states that their methods are considerably different. In the traditional “Cinderella” story, the stepmother keeps Cinderella home from the ball so that her two daughters could have a better of chance of glamouring the prince into falling in love with one of them. The stepmother goes to great lengths to keep Cinderella from marrying the prince by locking her up in the tower; whereas Cinderella’s mother approach to marrying her daughter off is quite different. In her article Panttaja references a way that revolves around her mother 's magic that unfolds Cinderella’s destiny. “She plots and schemes and she wins” (288), says Panttaja. Panttaja hints that the reason Cinderella prestiges in power and