Gender Roles In Cinderella

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In the realm of Disney princess stories, a marriage usually occurs between the main characters due to true love. Throughout the story of “Cinderella”, two step daughters want to marry Prince Charming due to his social status as well as for his money. However, the third daughter, Cinderella, does not care as much for him because she has many other priorities. In spite of that, she finds herself dancing with him at a ball and she falls in love, but she runs away. As soon as he finds her, he discovers that she is a lower class woman and works almost like a peasant would, but he does not care and wishes to marry her due to his love for her. Even though this is a story, many people in real life have an instinct to marry for love rather than …show more content…
Throughout the novel, Elizabeth (Lizzy) Bennet is one of only a few characters who challenge certain expectations and beliefs of gender through her thoughts or actions. Elizabeth challenges these expectations in many different ways. First, she expresses her opinions as she challenges expectations about marriage. For example, as a chance for the Bennet family to keep their estate, Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth, but she becomes vexed by his persistent design and hastily replies, “I am not one of those young ladies (if such young ladies there are) who are so daring to risk their happiness on the chance of being asked second time...You could not make me happy, and I am convinced that I am the last woman in the world who would make you so” (105). Society expects women to marry for money, but Elizabeth does not want to do this. Also, by turning down the proposal, she cares nothing for the Longbourn estate future. She wishes for happiness in a marriage, and if she cannot obtain this, she does not want to marry. Therefore, she does not wish to take a chance with her future or “risk [her] happiness” because she thinks …show more content…
First, Austen uses Elizabeth to challenge the ideals of social behavior. For example, as Lady Catherine De Bourgh officiously tries to get Elizabeth to reject Darcy hand in marriage so that he could marry Ms. De Bourgh, Elizabeth could not believe this unreasonable request and angrily retorted, “I will make no promise of the kind...make their marriage at all probable...would my refusal to accept his hand make it bestow on his cousin?” (337). Elizabeth expresses her tone in an angry way due to the assumption that Lady Catherine thinks she is inferior. Lizzy challenges class truly by disrespecting Lady Catherine’s request and appearance at Longbourn especially as she assures Lady Catherine that she would never “make [a] promise.” She expresses her rebellious opinions by treating higher classes with little respect. Also, by denying the request instead of agreeing with Lady Catherine’s plots for her nephew, Elizabeth, in a way, taunts Lady Catherine’s visit. Furthermore, Elizabeth’s response seems almost condescending as she answers by asking if “[her] refusal” change anything about his thoughts. Elizabeth represents that she shows more sense than Lady Catherine because her reply makes Lady Catherine seem ignorant. Also, by not agreeing with Lady Catherine’s proposal, Lizzy shows that she sees
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