Rags To Riches

Fairytales, or folk tales, have been around for many generations. Most have been passed down verbally for many years and have now been converted into novels, short stories, films, and so on. One tale in particular has been told in many languages all across the world. Cinderella may be the most popular story of a troubled young girl that there has ever been. There are certain themes throughout the story that seem to make it as popular as it is. Some of these ideas include deception, disguise, images, and power. However depending on the version of the tale some are easier to unveil than others.

One of the ways that the story Cinderella has come to American culture is through the Disney's nineteen fifty animated version. The movie was based closely to that of the Charles Perrault short story Cinderella. In the story as well as in the movie, Cinderella is a young girl, of noble birth, who is forced into being a slave to her step-mother and step-sisters after both her parents had died. Although her father dies early in the story, the fact that he is a nobleman makes it seem as though Cinderella deserves more than she is given by her cruel step-mother. This shows that that she was born into a powerful family and all the while that is what she ultimately ought to have. Both versions portray her as being a kind and caring girl who never complains about doing any of the chores she is assigned. On the other hand, she too has her own servants in the form of mice and birds. Yet it seems as though they enjoy doing tasks for her since she is so mistreated. This is another form of power. The step-mother has power over Cinderella, and Cinderella has power over these animals. But because in turn she is kind to them, it is justified. Throughout the story, power is apparent. Everyone in the town is vying for the affection of the prince. Royalty is as far up the social scale as one can climb, and Cinderella makes the transition from rags to riches and triumphs above all the others. In an alternate version of Cinderella, Tanith Lee's When the Clock Strikes is quite the opposite. Cinderella, or Ashella, is in fact a witch who learned black magic from her birthmother. It is a much darker version of the fairytale everyone has grown fond of. The power shown in this version is not that of hierarchy but that of actual power over others to do as she wishes. In fact she tricks her way up to the top and ultimately scams the prince into falling for her. Not exactly the account of the story we are used to. Yet when we think about the original Disney version, how can one girl be so different from all the others that she wins the affection of the prince. Not to say magic is more realistic, but her being a witch actually makes more sense than an old woman in a blue dress turning a pumpkin into a coach and mice into horses. It gives knowledge and reason behind the fairytale. The power that Ashella has over the prince also ties into the theme of disguise and deception.

What makes the story of Cinderella popular is the fact that there is a young girl, who is supposedly ugly, yet we wash her face and give her fancy clothes and it is as if her true beauty emerges. Being covered in ash may not be attractive, but I do not believe that it can mask a person's identity so well that her own family members do not recognize her at the ball. At least in the version When the Clock Strikes Ashella is a witch who is able to cast spells and convince everyone she is a perfect girl. When Ashella and the prince were through with a night of dancing, the prince brings Ashella out onto the terrace. He is mesmerized by her every move. This is for good reason, as he is under her spell. When he notices her mumbling beside him he asks her:

"What are you saying?"

"I am saying a spell to bind you to me," she said.

"But I am already bound."

Ashella has a plan from the start of the story to gain revenge on the royal family. Her plan is to manipulate the prince into falling for her and her plan ultimately works. When the infamous shoe is left behind, he chases after her and is killed on his mission while trying to find her. The glass slipper also has a magic spell cast on it. In the original Disney version of Cinderella can we actually believe that this shoe only fits one girl in the whole village? I find it a bit far fetched that there is not another girl in the whole village that could possibly fit into the shoe. Even in the Grimm's Fairytale version the step-sisters try cutting off pieces of their foot to make it fit into the slipper. However the reason that no other foot could possibly fit into the glass shoe is that it too is magical. Not magical in a good sense, but magical in the sense that it would never fit another foot because it continuously is changing shape and size. It is a very