PRINCESS CINDERELLA
‘Cinderella’ is a chronicle that symbolizes the victory of the virtuous over the wicked. It is a folklore, actually, which leans more to the fairy tale dimension, mainly because it has been told in diverse modes and in a variety of locations across the globe, and, most fascinatingly, during many different epochs in time.
The word ‘Cinderella’ is actually derived from the word ‘cinder’, and the central female character is thus labeled primarily because she is portrayed as one spending most of her free time near the fireplace amongst cinders, after the day’s tough, tedious work, as imposed upon her by her cruel stepmother and ugly stepsisters. While the namesake itself explain the dismal and despondent life that this exquisitely fine-looking, yet browbeaten young lass is destined to lead in the beginning, it also juxtaposes the cheerful and blissful life that she is known to experience at the end of the story, as Princess Cinderella.
Apart from that, this very greatly admired tale also includes an influential element of magic. While the initial strains of the story include various ghostly and symbolic suggestions coming from the would-be ‘Princess’ Cinderella’s birthmother’s crypt, it was then modified by certain illustrious authors through their depiction of the influx of the girl’s own Fairy Godmother, who has been assigned the responsibility of taking proper care of her, making sure that she leads a fine, contented and pleasing life ahead, and, more importantly, conveying her to the Royal Ball, during which the handsome Prince Charming is known to select his wife from all those invited, so that she stands a good chance due to her flawless prettiness.
The Fairy Godmother is then acknowledged to generate the perfect supernatural effects, and turn a pumpkin into a lustrous carriage, and mice into its horses, complete with lizards and rats transformed into footmen and coachmen respectively. And of course, she alters Cinderella’s entire personality by covering her in a spectacular gown, and the celebrated pair of graceful little glass slippers, all of which charm the Prince with such allure that on beholding this lovely, unknown princess fleeing from the castle at the stroke of twelve (when the spell is destined to break as promised by the Fairy Godmother), he sends out a courier across the kingdom in order to find her, with the help of one of the glass slippers that she leaves behind in her immense haste. Eventually, much to her stepmother and stepsisters’ shock, Cinderella’s foot fits the slipper perfectly, and the Prince weds her, making her Princess Cinderella, and causing her malevolent relatives to beg for clemency, and be penitent for maltreating her.
While you will come across innumerable genres of this popular story, the most established one is Perrault’s account, which is described above. Cinderella, in the end, makes a fantastic fairy tale, to captivate little girls and enable them to dream in the same way about their own handsome Prince, bestowing on them a ray of optimism, and great faith that they will be swept off their feet in pretty much the same way as this young maiden. ‘Cinderella’ is, hence, the ideal bed-time story for little girls, and Princess Cinderella a lovely role-model, for they learn and appreciate the romantic point of view that we human beings see the world in, apart from the reality that they are subjected to in their daily life.
