Mia Noppenberger
Prof. Berman
GER 441
8/22/24
One-Page Analysis of Cinderella: 1950 Film and Fairy Tale Reading
The "Cinderella" story, both in its original fairy tale form and the 1950 Disney animated film
adaptation, serves as a rich text for exploring the evolution of fairy tales and their cultural implications.
While the narrative remains largely consistent across versions—featuring a young, oppressed girl who
finds her way to happiness with the help of magical intervention—each version reflects the values and
ideologies of its time.
The original "Cinderella" fairy tale, as recorded by Charles Perrault, encapsulates the
transformation of oral folktales into written, literary works that were shaped by the cultural and social
milieu of the seventeenth century. Perrault's version, with its moral undertones and emphasis on virtues
such as kindness and humility, reflects the values of the aristocratic society for which it was written. The
tale also includes elements of social mobility, with Cinderella’s rise from rags to riches serving as a
vehicle for reinforcing the idea that virtue will ultimately be rewarded.
As Jack Zipes discusses in his book, he says "When we look at more refined and subtle forms of
cultural expression, it becomes obvious that folk tales and folk-tale motifs have played a major role in
their development" (Zipes 2002). He also explores how the folk tale motif in "Beauty and the Beast" was
transformed and adorned with baroque features by the imagination, influencing its distribution and
reception. “In the case of ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ not only was a folk tale motif transformed and adorned
with baroque features by the imagination, distribution and reception of the writer, but the literacy
mediation controlled the production, distribution, and reception of the tale.”
The Disney film adaptation, while faithful to Perrault’s narrative in many ways, introduces new
elements that speak to the cultural context of mid-twentieth-century America. The film emphasizes
Cinderella’s passive patience and enduring optimism, virtues that align with the domestic ideals promoted
during the 1950s. The animation medium allows for a more vivid portrayal of the magical elements, and
Disney’s portrayal of the Fairy Godmother as a kindly, grandmotherly figure who appears in a time of
need resonates with the post-war emphasis on family and maternal care. The film’s depiction of the
stepfamily is also notable for its clear dichotomy between good and evil, reinforcing the notion that
Cinderella’s triumph is a moral victory as much as a social one.
The evolution of "Cinderella" from its folk origins through its literary adaptation by Perrault and
into its animated form by Disney highlights the flexibility of fairy tales as cultural artifacts. Each retelling
not only preserves the core elements of the story but also adapts it to resonate with the values, fears, and
aspirations of its audience. Whether in the context of seventeenth-century France or
mid-twentieth-century America, "Cinderella" continues to be a powerful narrative about hope, resilience,
and the belief in a just world where good ultimately prevails.
References:
Zipes, Jack. Breaking the Magic Spell: Radical Theories of Folk and Fairytales. University Press of
Kentucky, 2002.
