ENGL 1101-001
February 23, 2012
Cinderella: Brother’s Grimm Vs. Walt Disney
In Walt Disney’s “Cinderella”, there is lots of magic, transformation, and music. Walt Disney’s version is a simple fairytale. You have the Princes ball, the fairy godmother, the magic pumpkin and the entire animal crew come together to help Cinderella have a happy fairytale ending. Disney took a somewhat abusive tale of a girl that was stripped from her dignity and home, deemed a servant by her step mother and step sisters then named ‘Cinderella’. They softened the abuse by never making Cinderella dirty, despite her hard labor; she had a nice room with what seemed a clean comfortable bed. She had her morning bird singing beautiful songs of hopefulness that fulfilled her with her dreams and magic. Disney give’s Cinderella a ‘Royal Ball’ to go to, with a beautiful dress her Fairy Godmother provides and she’s off with her mouse drawn pumpkin carriage! She arrives at the ball and its love at first site for her prince until the clock strikes 12 and she leaves her glass slipper behind. Of course later when the court arrives with the glass slipper, her ugly step sisters try to force their hideous feet inside. Cinderella saves the day by showing up all thanks to her magical talking mice and she marries her lovely Prince, living happily ever after! Sending us the message of a wonderful fairytale and dreams really do come true!
In Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm’s “Cinderella” there is a lot of violent, aggressive, spell casting, self-mutilation, and magic. Cinderella’s mother was alive in the beginning as she was not in the Disney’s version. Cinderella is given a motivation from her mother to stay pure and good when she passes. Cinderella stays faithful and visits her mother’s grave three times daily and prays. In the Grimm version her two sisters are not ugly like in the Disney version, but instead they have black hearts. They abuse Cinderella constantly and her father just allows this absurdity...