In both “The Princess Paradox” by James Poniewozik and “Cinderella and Princess Culture” by Peggy Orenstein, the princess culture is agreed upon; however, the authors vary their opinions of how the fairytail dream of pink dresses and sparkly crowns came to be. Poniewozik opens up his article by addressing the “kick-ass culture,” while Orenstein focuses on how princesses have diminished the feeling of confidence and independence that young girls should experience. While some may believe that princesses show the younger generation that females possess the ability to accomplish anything a male can, others believe that this trend aggressively encourages the idea of “perfection” in our modern society. Both “The Princess Paradox” and “Cinderella and Princess Culture” discuss the rules and…
“Cinderella and Princess Culture” by Peggy Orenstein. Published December 24, 2006 by New York Times magazine. The author Peggy Orenstein is a feminist writer and is conductive in writing for the New York Times magazine, most of her writings are about gender stereotypes. In the article Peggy Orenstein sets out to investigate “princess” culture after having a daughter who enjoyed dressing as Cinderella and other story book princesses, while investigating she discovered an enormous corporate money-making machine (Orenstein 326). The main idea in paragraph one through five is about how girls today should like pink because that’s what society wants them to like and stereotyping young girls.…
After feminist Peggy Orenstein’s three year old daughter expresses her enjoyment in dressing as Cinderella, Orenstein begins to worry, thinking that dressing as a princess “can undermine girls’ well-being” (Orenstein 327). Wanting to get to the bottom of the princess culture, Orenstein sets out on an investigation, learning that “princesses” are a money-making machine. Through the director of consumer products at Disney, Inc., Andy Mooney, Orenstein is persuaded to think that the princess culture is just a phase; however, she still provides evidence of the dangers of the expectations to be a “princess” in society. In Orenstein’s article “Cinderella and Princess Culture”, appearing in the New York Times, originally titled “What’s Wrong with…
Seeing the Prince with a strange girl, the stepsisters ask why he wouldn't prefer a "usual" girl like them ("Stepsisters' Lament"). The Prince and Cinderella dance and find themselves alone, and he declares his love for her ("Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?"). As they share a kiss, the clock begins to strike midnight, and Cinderella flees before the magic wears off; but she leaves a glass slipper…
Is it always happy ever after? Is the Cinderella story a true meaning to every woman that deals with any and all hardship? It is how you come out at the end of it all. It means are you going to dwell over issues that are beyond your control or deal with them and make the best of it the way you can. Sadness of a young woman basically a child forced into growing up due to her mother’s death and fathers mistreatment due to alcohol.…
Cinderella Man shares a true story of the rags-to-riches boxer James J. Braddock. Struggling to provide during The Great Depression, James Braddock worked any job he could find. Drawing in the viewer’s emotions, while showing the grueling conditions Mr. Braddock endured to provide for his family. The Bulldog of Bergen provides an inspiring story for many. Cinderella Man follows James J. Braddock through The Great Depression, as his professional boxing career comes to an impasse.…
Two Princesses We are just two princess, sitting in our circular castle. Today I am Belle, but tomorrow I will be Cinderella. Annabelle was Jasmin today, but tomorrow will be Belle. Jasmin is her favorite and Belle is mine.…
Cinderella is an all time classic tale kept alive by tradition passed it down from generation to generation. Older versions of Cinderella come as a surprise to many since it does not always have a happy ending. Modern children's literature does not compare to older revisions as it leaves traces from other cultures, provide invaluable lessons, the writers were great storytellers, and the ability for children to dream. Older people have a beloved book that has touched them in some way whether that be reading it when they were young or recalling their parents telling them. The heartbreaking news to find out the younger generation are not reading what helped shaped society, by their powerful meanings.…
However, not many have heard this familiar story from the wicked stepmother’s perspective. Sara Maitland offers this opposing point of view in “The Wicked Stepmother’s Lament,” which significantly changes the meaning of the tale. Traditionally, Cinderella…
As the tale progresses there is a ball, fair, being held for the prince to find a bride, Cinderella wishes to attend but the stepmother forces Cinderella to do tedious chores before she may go, both tales share in…
Cinderella is perhaps one of the most famous childhood fairy tale stories of all time. Over the years, numerous versions of the story have been recreated and have been told to children all over the world. The original story of Cinderella follows the life of a young girl who is mistreated by her step mother and stepsisters. With the help of her fairy godmother, Cinderella is transformed into a beautiful princess and goes to the ball to meet her prince. However, she has to leave the ball at midnight as the magic wears off and she turns back into her former self.…
The Brother Grimm’s version of Cinderella has hidden meanings in the stories that teach us about how the story resembles or symbolize our society. The first symbol in the story that stood out to me the most is the stepsisters representing society 's cruelness and greed. The second symbol was the stepmother’s envy of Cinderella 's beauty, because Cinderella was more beautiful than her daughter 's. The stepmother thought that her daughter’s were not as beautiful as Cinderella and as a result she was envious of Cinderella, this represent a society dominated by envy and hate. The third symbol is the hazel tree that provided Cinderella with the wisdom and inspiration to overcome the abuse she was going through, this represents how society rewards…
Cinderella had a fairy godmother in Perrault version, while she had a dead mother in form of a magic tree in the Grimms’ version. In Perrault version, the king invited all the young girls in the kingdom to the ball and in the Grimm’s brother’s version, the king invited all of the young girls to a festival for his son to be able to choose a bride. In Perrault version, Cinderella’s fairy godmother made all her dreams come true, turning huge a rat into a fat coachman with “the finest mustache and whiskers ever seen”, mice into fine horses in “beautiful mouse-colored dapple gray”, lizards into a carriage, and her rags turned into cloth of gold and silver all decked with jewels. In the Grimm version, Cinderella had to lay on her mother’s grave beneath the hazel-tree and cry to her mother before the birds threw down a “gold and silver dress and slipper embroidered with silk and silver”. In the Perrault version, when the two stepsisters tried the slipper on and it didn’t fit them perfectly, they were disappointed.…
He says, “If the shoe fits, bring her in” (Cinderella). This shows that the King does not care who the lady is, as long as the Prince will marry her, and she gives grandchildren to the King. Another scene that shows the gender class is when the mice and the birds are making Cinderella’s dress. When the male mouse, Gus, says, “I’ll cut it with the scissors,” nobody says anything (Cinderella). However, when Jaq, the other male mouse, says, “And I can do the sewing,” the female mouse stops him and says, “Leave the sewing to the women” (Cinderella).…
In the story, when she inquires whether she is able to attend the ball, her stepsisters tell her that she is not presentable and would be mocked by others. After the stepsisters leave for the ball, she cries about her misfortune. Her fairy godmother appears to her and helps her overcome the obstacles that prevent her from attending the ball. Her fairy godmother magically transforms her clothes and appearance to prevent her from being mocked and recognized by the stepmother and stepsisters. “Her godmother only just touched her with her wand, and , at the same instant, her clothes were turned into cloth of gold and silver, all best with jewels” (pg. 3).…