Critique on Cinderella by Jakob & Wilhelm Grimm
Post University
Cherise Hernandez
Critique on Cinderella There are many versions of the Cinderella folklore; some stories are similar and some which are different. Cinderella written by Jakob & Wilhem Grimm, two well known authors who also written many other folklores. In Jakob & Wilhem version of Cinderella it was very simple and easy to understand. If there was to be a comparison to Walt Disney Cinderella it would be similar to a certain extent excluding major details which made this story very different but shared the same morals. I commend the Grimm brothers of their Cinderella story because the details in their story were more realistic. In Jakob & Wilhem Cinderella folklore wrote a story about a girl who lost her mother because her mother was very sick. Before her mother died, the mother shared some words to her daughter for her to be noble and self-righteous. The girl mother passed away and her father remarried to a woman of two daughters and the girl became the step child. The stepmother and two daughters turn the girl into their maid having her do everything and treated her unfairly. They took her good clothes and gave her old clothes for her to wear and because she looked unclean, they gave her the name Cinderella. One day Cinderella father was going to a fair and he ask all three daughters what they would like to bring back for them from the fair. The two stepdaughters wanted dresses and jewelry and he ask Cinderella and her response, “Father break me off for me the first branch which knocks against your hate on your way home.” (Grimm) Their father gave them their requests and gave Cinderella a branch from a hazel-bush that he had passed through on his way home. Cinderella thanked her father and took the branch and plants the branch on her mother grave which she cried so many tears that her tears watered the branch which it grew into a tree. Three times a day Cinderella would go to her mother grave and would pray and cry. Every time Cinderella would go under the tree, a white bird would come to the tree and whatever Cinderella wished for the white bird would give to her. Then the King selected to have a festival that would be for three days which all young beautiful girls were invited to attend in which the King son would chose a bride for himself. Cinderella step-sisters became aware of this invitation and called upon Cinderella to help prepare them for the festival. Cinderella did what she was told but in her mind she was sadden because she too would like to go also. Cinderella then begged her step-mother to go and the step-mother said to Cinderella, she was dirty, had no clothes and could not dance but if she picked out the lentils that she threw into the ashes Cinderella would get to go with them. Cinderella did what she was told calling on the Pigeons to help her and they did. Cinderella did this three times and she was not able to go to the festival. She ran to her mother grave and cried and the same white bird that appears brought her a dress and slippers for her to attend the festival. She went to the festival and nobody knew it was Cinderella, where the King son dance all night with her and no one else. The King son wanted to follow her home but Cinderella would run and hide from the King son. For the remaindering of the festival nights Cinderella would get a different dress and appear at the festival continuing to leave the King son in suspense. Until the last night the King son used a trick which was smearing pitch onto the whole staircase. When Cinderella ran off, her slipper got stuck onto the staircase. The King son took the slipper and next day began his search for the young girl which the slipper belong to. The King son went to the house of Cinderella telling her father he would not leave until the slipper fits. The father called upon the two step-daughters which they each took the slipper into their