Children's story concepts and narrative structure

Cinderella

Fairy Tales, especially old classic versions of children stories, revolve around one central theme i.e. A person must struggle against odds in order to eventually receive the coveted reward. These stories are usually simple and lucid as the target audience is not cognitively ready to grasp more complex issues and subjects. Grimm Brothers are a popular name in this connection and their many fairy tales including Cinderella and Snow White are every child's favorite. These stories are meant to provide entertainment but they also offer important moral lessons in disguise. "Despite all the criticism, fairy tales survive because of their greatest strength: the enduring lessons of life expressed in few and very simple words." (Schulte-Peevers 1996)

For this paper, I have chosen Cinderella to analyze the theme of struggle. Do fairy tales prepare young children from struggles of life? This question is indeed important and thought provoking because it helps us see fairy tales from a different angle. Cinderella is the story of a young girl who is mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters till the prince falls in love with her and takes her aware to the land of happiness where they live happily ever after.

But before the reward comes, Cinderella suffers a great deal at the hands of her stepmother and stepsisters in fact her fate. Her father doesn't play an important role and provides little or no emotional cushion. Cinderella is made to suffer alone and she faces the odds of life rather courageously. "The poor girl bore everything with patience, not daring to complain to her father. When she had finished her work she used to sit down in the chimney corner among the cinders; so that in the house she went by the name of Cinderwench." (p. 8) These lines instill in the reader something about patience and the fact that life is not always beautiful. It gives them a sense of the right and wrong way of reacting to problems.

Grimm Brothers were of German origin and they had see tough times in their own lives. They believed that there were some values that children must develop for they prepare them for later struggles in life. "Industry, discipline, thrift, morality, diligence - these were the values cherished by the 19th century German bourgeoisie. To meet the moral standards and expectations of their audience, the Grimms purged the texts of erotic elements, introduced Christian references, and promulgated a patriarchal world view." (Schulte-Peevers, 1996)

The fact that Cinderella is helped by a fairy godmother adds to the moral of the tale. When you face the world bravely, a higher force then provides for you from strange sources. A child receives the message that while life has its fair share of problems, there is light at the end of the tunnel and that there is someone out there willing to lend a helping hand. While it is important to prepare the child for future struggle, it is equally important to teach them about rewards that await the brave. They must also understand that the world is not an unkind place and that not everyone mistreats others. Fairy tales often manage to achieve this in simple words. In Cinderella, the protagonist finds kindness in people such as the fairy godmother who love her despite her shabby appearance. She is definitely selfless and helps in transforming her from a cinder girl to a princess: "Her godmother only touched her with her wand, and her clothes were turned into cloth of gold and silver, all beset with jewels. This done she gave her a pair of glass slippers, the prettiest in the world." (p. 10)

Cinderella learns that while life offers deals us an unfair hand, still it is not exactly a gloomy place for the patient are always rewarded in the end. But God expects something from us such as patience in times of adversity and a kind spirit that is willing to help others. Cinderella possesses these qualities and is thus amply rewarded. "Cinderella, who was as good as she was beautiful, took her sisters to live in the palace, and shortly afterward matched them to two great lords of the Court, and they all lived happily ever afterward." (p. 14)