A majority of my childhood was centered around watching Disney movies and escaping into another world filled with adventure and excitement. Aside from the movies, I was able to find a similar escape in the fairytale books my parents brought home for me. As I grew older I moved away from these fairytales, however I always found it interesting hearing other people’s versions of stories that they grew up with. The Disney Corporation has a huge impact on kids as they’re growing up. They instill beliefs they value into children, and most people do not even realize how much of an influence they have. They take these values and beliefs and influence those around them, creating an even bigger impact. After taking this children’s literature class, I…show more content… As a child, I never noticed the blatant gendered stereotyping or underlying lessons that are portrayed. However, now that I am older, and reading some of these stories again it is so obvious it’s hard to believe I missed them as a child. These tales have been around for many years, originating as oral tales then being told and retold over the years and occasionally written down and collected as the Grimm Brothers did. It is interesting to see how the stories have changed throughout the years, and what became of the original morals or plots.
The fairytale Cinderella, was adapted by the Grimm Brothers, and then by Disney many years later. Although the same story, there are many difference between the tales . Her step-sisters are described very differently in the Grimm and Disney versions. In the Disney movie, which is widely known, her step-sisters are not attractive in fact they are known as her “ugly step-sisters”. In the Grimm Brothers tale the…show more content… In the Disney movie, her father is not mentioned. Instead, only Cinderella’s step-mother is present. In the original story, the father is present in the story the entire time. He knows that Cinderella suffers due to her stepmother and stepsisters demeaning tasks, yet he does nothing about it. Disney probably excluded the father because they didn’t want to show that biological parents can be so cruel, even if it is happening indirectly. In the original, the father is in charge of the house, instead of the stepmother. When the prince comes searching for the right shoe size, the father talks to him and it is he, not the stepmother, that is sure Cinderella is not the right fit. Cinderella goes to the ball three times in the original, and each time, the prince asks her father if it is Cinderella. Each time the father is doubtful but the two go and look for her anyway. To her father, Cinderella is nothing more than a servant at the house. Disney excluded all of this in order to give a positive image of parents and show that your true parents would never be cruel or mistreat
