Cinderella is Dead

Many fairy tales that are still popular today originated as oral stories, and some were passed down for centuries before being written down. During the 19th century in Europe and elsewhere, folklorists such as the Brothers Grimm traveled around, gathering the stories of different “folk” and writing them down. Although many folk tales were traditionally told by women, these collectors were typically men, and sometimes they omitted or edited stories to suit their own tastes. “Cinderella” is one of these stories included in the Grimms’ collection, although other earlier, published versions also exist, such as Charles Perrault’s version. These literary fairy tales are in themselves retellings, having adapted their material from oral folk tales. However, since then, fairy tales have continued to be adapted and retold in literature, film, and other media.

Today, the version of “Cinderella” that is likely the most familiar to readers is the Disney adaptation (1950). As such, Cinderella Is Dead references this film, as well as various textual versions of the story. Although the Disney version departs from textual versions, it still contains the “happy ending” of Cinderella’s marriage to Prince Charming, as well as an “evil” stepmother and stepsisters. In most incarnations of the Cinderella story, patriarchal ideals prevail because the ultimate adventure and liberation for women are suggested to be marriage.

Many modern retellings of fairy tales like “Cinderella” put a feminist or queer spin on their source material. Since many of these stories tend to contain patriarchal ideals, they can easily be adapted to subvert these same ideals. However, some retellings also attempt to adhere to older source material, the original oral folk tales told by women, which requires archival research and digging into histories that have largely been forgotten. The process of retelling a fairy tale resembles Sophia’s process of seeking the truth in order to create her own story.