“Cinderella” unrealistically uses magic as a tool to gain success. This gives children the wrong idea that they can be successful though passivity. Success and riches is much more likely to be obtained though the methods of hard work and innovative ideas. Marriage as a path from rags to riches is more realistic than magic. Real life examples of people marrying into wealth do exist and thus should be treated as more realistic than magic, but still unlikely. For fairytale purposes such as “Cinderella” however, magic and marriage are both perfectly acceptable and realistic.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Week 8 Cinderella: Rags to Riches
“Cinderella” is a classic example of a “rags to riches” story. Rags to riches stories are stories in which someone, through means of hard work or good fortune, climb the class ladder from poverty to extreme wealth. In fairytales, the advancement through society is mostly achieved through the good fortune. The fairy tale “Cinderella: fits perfectly into this category. Cinderella is a poorly treated stepdaughter, who with the help of magic and marriage (good fortune), becomes a wealthy princess. In fairytales, rags to riches is a common motif. There are many different paths to wealth throughout fairytales however. In “Jack and the Beanstalk” by Joseph Jacobs, it is achieved through theft. In “Cinderella”, it is though magic and marriage.
“Cinderella” unrealistically uses magic as a tool to gain success. This gives children the wrong idea that they can be successful though passivity. Success and riches is much more likely to be obtained though the methods of hard work and innovative ideas. Marriage as a path from rags to riches is more realistic than magic. Real life examples of people marrying into wealth do exist and thus should be treated as more realistic than magic, but still unlikely. For fairytale purposes such as “Cinderella” however, magic and marriage are both perfectly acceptable and realistic.
“Cinderella” unrealistically uses magic as a tool to gain success. This gives children the wrong idea that they can be successful though passivity. Success and riches is much more likely to be obtained though the methods of hard work and innovative ideas. Marriage as a path from rags to riches is more realistic than magic. Real life examples of people marrying into wealth do exist and thus should be treated as more realistic than magic, but still unlikely. For fairytale purposes such as “Cinderella” however, magic and marriage are both perfectly acceptable and realistic.
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