Disney Stories

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorCollege, Undergraduate August 2001

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In the Disney movie Cinderella each character is portrayed as a symbol. Usually we see that women are passive and that the male characters are the dominant ones. In many Disney films we also get a sense of good verse evil. There is competition between certain characters and even at the end there are new competitors that take over.

Cinderella was a young innocent girl whose mother and father died. She is left at the estate in which she has to share with her evil stepmother. Cinderella also has stepsisters who have bad qualities. Basically, Cinderella and her family members compete for male approval and the power to accrue to having influence over men. Her stepsisters are jealous of her beauty, and kindness. Her stepmother is also evil and takes advantage of Cinderella just because she has inherited the father's estate and her father(dominant character who at one time ran the household) is no longer around.

The stepmother is represented as big, opinionated, domineering, smart, convincing and powerful women who owns a cat. The evil stepmother has a cat named Lucifer. This name is obviously given because this cat acts like the devil. He is a male character who causes trouble and makes more work for Cinderella. Lucifer also represents a witch by his dark color. Usually witches have black cats and they represent evil. Lucifer chases the mice and attacks the dog. The evil animal fights the good animals. This represents the evil women verses the good women. The cat is dark as well and both symbolizes witches. She has power because she has taken over the power of her husband. The evil stepmother make's all Cinderella's decisions for her including whether or not she can go to the ball. She physically makes it impossible for Cinderella to go to the ball by giving her chores to do and locking her in. The stepmother never cooks, cleans, or tends to the animals, which also represents her dominant power. Males are usually the ones that never do the chores.

Both stepsisters are represented as loud, bossy, idle, disobedient and favorite of the mother. They are portrayed as ugly brats that get their way. The stepsisters are unable to sing which makes it hard for them to represent female beauty. They also have big feet, which is also another characteristic that is un-lady like. They too do not tend to the chores that need to be done within the household. The stepsisters are extremely domineering and take full advantage of their own stepsister. They add to Cinderella's oppression.

Cinderella is a passive character who is treated like a slave in her own house. She is obedient to her family.

Cinderella tends to all the chores that no one does. She has domestic qualities for example: she cooks, cleans, sews, and looks after the animals. This is represented by her beauty. She also sings which makes her loved by all the animals and of course the prince. When she was all ready to go to the ball, her evil stepsisters tore her gown into shreds so she could look like a slave that they believed she was. In this particular scene the stepsisters acted like animals tearing her clothes. Cinderella just stood there and let it happen. Of course the stepmother did nothing about it, which meant that she wanted it to happen.

Cinderella friends include mice, a dog-named Bruno and various horses. All the animals loved Cinderella because she fed, and took care of them. They all wanted Cinderella to be happy and to go to the ball. The mice make her a beautiful dress, in which they find old scraps laying around the house. The female mice sew and cut her dress until it was as beautiful as Cinderella.

The male mice are the hunters that found the scraps to make the dress. Here again this scene depicts the roles and jobs of men and women that goes into female domestic happiness, and harmony. The female mice as well have the domestic qualities that Cinderella has. In which they sing "Leave the sewing to the women"¦and we'll make a lovely dress for Cinderelli"¦.".

Another character that has a symbolic view is the fairy godmother. She is viewed as a soft-spoken beautiful woman that holds power, but in a good way.

She is dressed in a light blue color in which is known for purity and goodness. The godmother is temporarily rescues Cinderella from the power of the stepmother that she knows. The fairy godmother holds power and only uses it in a good way. She prepares Cinderella for the ball. She gives her a gown, a coach and most importantly the glass slippers. The fairy godmother gives Cinderella a limit to the extent of her power, and tells her that when the clock strokes to midnight everything turns back to it's original state.

The gown, the coach and the glass slippers are everything that represent Cinderella's ideal values and character (womanly status, virginity). Her gown is a beautiful light blue that sparkles like her face. Her slippers represent her virginal state. Cinderella's character draws male aggravation and she wins the prince.

The prince is the potential heir of patriarchal power charming and dominant. The prince by chooses the ideal female character. He chooses Cinderella to dance the night away but she must leave in order to beat the midnight curse when her superiority is reflected in her outward approval.

Cinderella loses one of her glass slippers. The quest to find the girl whose foot fit the glass slipper she left behind. Every woman must be there for the fitting. The prince and his diplomats go to Cinderella's house where she is locked up like a slave. Her wicked stepsisters try on the glass slipper and to their surprise it did not fit.

Their foot was too wide or too long. Cinderella finally escapes and that is when the evil stepmother trips one of the diplomats and glass slipper falls and shatters to the floor. To everyone's surprise Cinderella takes out the match to the glass slipper and puts it on her little, delicate, womanly foot.

At the end of this story Cinderella marries her prince. She is dressed in a white (pure) wedding dress, and as she walked down the stairs she loses her slipper again. She then kisses the prince's father, and his face turns red. In this scene she is represented as a woman who will be powerful through her husband as long as he lives. She will then compete for power against her children. She will have maids take care of her household the way she took care of her stepmother, and stepsister's.

In this film like any other Disney movie, we see the process only from the child's point of view. Cinderella Wins male approval and patronage and also gets to escape her mothers power. Now it's her turn to have children and the competition will begin again. Even though Cinderella is portrayed as a beautiful female character, she too will get old and compete with her daughters for male approbation and patronage power.

In the Disney movie Cinderella each character is portrayed as a symbol. Usually we see that women are passive and that the male characters are the dominant ones. In many Disney films we also get a sense of good verse evil. There is competition between certain characters and even at the end there are new competitors that take over.

Cinderella was a young innocent girl whose mother and father died. She is left at the estate in which she has to share with her evil stepmother. Cinderella also has stepsisters who have bad qualities. Basically, Cinderella and her family members compete for male approval and the power to accrue to having influence over men. Her stepsisters are jealous of her beauty, and kindness. Her stepmother is also evil and takes advantage of Cinderella just because she has inherited the father's estate and her father(dominant character who at one time ran the household) is no longer around.

The stepmother is represented as big, opinionated, domineering, smart, convincing and powerful women who owns a cat. The evil stepmother has a cat named Lucifer. This name is obviously given because this cat acts like the devil. He is a male character who causes trouble and makes more work for Cinderella. Lucifer also represents a witch by his dark color. Usually witches have black cats and they represent evil. Lucifer chases the mice and attacks the dog. The evil animal fights the good animals. This represents the evil women verses the good women. The cat is dark as well and both symbolizes witches. She has power because she has taken over the power of her husband. The evil stepmother make's all Cinderella's decisions for her including whether or not she can go to the ball. She physically makes it impossible for Cinderella to go to the ball by giving her chores to do and locking her in. The stepmother never cooks, cleans, or tends to the animals, which also represents her dominant power. Males are usually the ones that never do the chores.

Both stepsisters are represented as loud, bossy, idle, disobedient and favorite of the mother. They are portrayed as ugly brats that get their way. The stepsisters are unable to sing which makes it hard for them to represent female beauty. They also have big feet, which is also another characteristic that is un-lady like. They too do not tend to the chores that need to be done within the household. The stepsisters are extremely domineering and take full advantage of their own stepsister. They add to Cinderella's oppression.

Cinderella is a passive character who is treated like a slave in her own house. She is obedient to her family.

Cinderella tends to all the chores that no one does. She has domestic qualities for example: she cooks, cleans, sews, and looks after the animals. This is represented by her beauty. She also sings which makes her loved by all the animals and of course the prince. When she was all ready to go to the ball, her evil stepsisters tore her gown into shreds so she could look like a slave that they believed she was. In this particular scene the stepsisters acted like animals tearing her clothes. Cinderella just stood there and let it happen. Of course the stepmother did nothing about it, which meant that she wanted it to happen.

Cinderella friends include mice, a dog-named Bruno and various horses. All the animals loved Cinderella because she fed, and took care of them. They all wanted Cinderella to be happy and to go to the ball. The mice make her a beautiful dress, in which they find old scraps laying around the house. The female mice sew and cut her dress until it was as beautiful as Cinderella.

The male mice are the hunters that found the scraps to make the dress. Here again this scene depicts the roles and jobs of men and women that goes into female domestic happiness, and harmony. The female mice as well have the domestic qualities that Cinderella has. In which they sing "Leave the sewing to the women"¦and we'll make a lovely dress for Cinderelli"¦.".

Another character that has a symbolic view is the fairy godmother. She is viewed as a soft-spoken beautiful woman that holds power, but in a good way.

She is dressed in a light blue color in which is known for purity and goodness. The godmother is temporarily rescues Cinderella from the power of the stepmother that she knows. The fairy godmother holds power and only uses it in a good way. She prepares Cinderella for the ball. She gives her a gown, a coach and most importantly the glass slippers. The fairy godmother gives Cinderella a limit to the extent of her power, and tells her that when the clock strokes to midnight everything turns back to it's original state.

The gown, the coach and the glass slippers are everything that represent Cinderella's ideal values and character (womanly status, virginity). Her gown is a beautiful light blue that sparkles like her face. Her slippers represent her virginal state. Cinderella's character draws male aggravation and she wins the prince.

The prince is the potential heir of patriarchal power charming and dominant. The prince by chooses the ideal female character. He chooses Cinderella to dance the night away but she must leave in order to beat the midnight curse when her superiority is reflected in her outward approval.

Cinderella loses one of her glass slippers. The quest to find the girl whose foot fit the glass slipper she left behind. Every woman must be there for the fitting. The prince and his diplomats go to Cinderella's house where she is locked up like a slave. Her wicked stepsisters try on the glass slipper and to their surprise it did not fit.

Their foot was too wide or too long. Cinderella finally escapes and that is when the evil stepmother trips one of the diplomats and glass slipper falls and shatters to the floor. To everyone's surprise Cinderella takes out the match to the glass slipper and puts it on her little, delicate, womanly foot.

At the end of this story Cinderella marries her prince. She is dressed in a white (pure) wedding dress, and as she walked down the stairs she loses her slipper again. She then kisses the prince's father, and his face turns red. In this scene she is represented as a woman who will be powerful through her husband as long as he lives. She will then compete for power against her children. She will have maids take care of her household the way she took care of her stepmother, and stepsister's.

In this film like any other Disney movie, we see the process only from the child's point of view. Cinderella Wins male approval and patronage and also gets to escape her mothers power. Now it's her turn to have children and the competition will begin again. Even though Cinderella is portrayed as a beautiful female character, she too will get old and compete with her daughters for male approbation and patronage power.