Child Abuse in Cinderella (Grimm’s Version)

Child Abuse in Cinderella. Literary texts discuss thematic issues relevant both in the past and contemporary society. Child abuse has been evolving since time immemorial, and various literary greats delved on the subject to rid out the vice in the society. Grimm’s version of Cinderella conjunctively illustrates the grimness of the acts in the society. Cinderella was a partial orphan after the death of the protagonist’s mother and was reared by the father until the protagonist’s father remarried another wife, who had two daughters (Tatar 29). The daughters were beautiful but had black hearts and hated Cinderella. The two stepsisters and the stepmother transformed Cinderella into a maid in her father’s house. At one point, Cinderella’s father was traveling far abroad and enquired from his on the gifts each would like, and while the stepsisters wanted expensive gifts, Cinderella requested for the first tree, whose leaves would fall on his father during the journey. The father brought a hazel twig which Cinderella planted at her mother’s grave and watered for years while praying at the same. However, during a festival organized by the king to search for a princess for his prince, Cinderella was blessed with magical clothes from the tree after her step-parents denied her the opportunity to attend the festival. Interestingly, the protagonist caught the eye of the prince but twice escaped, and for the third time, the protagonist was found after leaving behind her slippers. However, the stepsisters were stung by birds for the ill-will activities against the protagonist.

The essay elaborates on child abuse in the text about historical and contemporary child abuses and their linkages to theories of psychological and social living.
Child Abuse
Child abuse implies exploitation and mistreatment of children by parents, guardians or the society. Children have been abused in diverse forms such as child labour, sexual exploitation and denying children rights to education (Gilbert, Nigel, and Marit 24). Historically in the 15th century, the rise of widower across different societies especially in Europe reawakened the need for men to remarry. However, the debate on whether men could marry young ladies or mature women with children was rife, mainly since the majority of widowers were old men. The society was averse to the marriage of young women by old men, such that it was natural for Cinderella’s father to marry a woman with children. Progressively, the rise of mistreatment of children by their stepmothers and stepsiblings became rampant and literary greats resorted to writing texts against the vice. Similarly, in the 15th century the use of children as witnesses against their witch parents, led to their persecution and their use for sacrifices. Imperatively, during industrial revolution factories employed children to work in deplorable conditions, leading to child labour. Today, violence against children, sexual assault, denial of education rights and child trafficking are some of the typical cases of child abuse. The United Nations (UN), World Health Organization (WHO), Save the Children and First Focus are steadfast institutions that continually fight against child abuse across the globe. The UN charter on children rights and legislation across different nations around the world have been enacted to prevent child abuse across the world. Recent statistics indicate that 3 in 7 children are at risk of child abuse across the globe, with troubled nations in Africa and Asia having higher prevalence rates, unlike other countries.
Child Abuse in Cinderella
Cinderella faced abuse from her stepmother, father, and stepsisters. The protagonist was forced to become a maid in her father’s house. Relatively, the protagonist suffered persecution from her family, leading to traumatic scenes and sobs from the protagonist. The author seeks to elaborate on the dark scenes of evil in the society and the repercussions of evil in the long-run. The response of the text in the society at that period revealed more resolutions to counter the rise in child abuse by the monarchies through policies and laws within their jurisdictions.
Psychological Abuse
Cinderella underwent through mental abuse from her father, stepmother, and stepsisters. The antagonists referred to her as a maid and used unsavoury words against her, which tormented Cinderella internally and which are shown throughout the texts through her sobs and cries. The stepsisters mocked her saying; “Why should that stupid goose sit in the parlor with us?” they said. “If she wants to eat bread, then she will have to earn it. Out with this kitchen maid!” (Zipes 100) The employment of the words stupid, goose and kitchen maid were to torment Cinderella and inflict pain emotionally. The stepsisters intended to ensure that the protagonist embraced low self-esteem, entrench hatred against her in the family and increase any blood bond between Cinderella and her father. Academics have established the family dysfunction theory elaborates on the dysfunctions existent in the family that influences child abuse actions in the society. Cinderella’s family was dysfunctional since no rules existed on how stepfamilies ought to treat stepchildren. Furthermore, Cinderella’s father was more pre-occupied with the stepmother and the stepsisters. The pre-existent conditions were enough fodder for the stepsisters to undertake their heinous acts. Apparently, since the child could not report the issue to her father, made matters worse for the orphan.
Mockery
The family mocked Cinderella throughout the text, inflicting pain and anguish on the antagonist. Mockery involves using scornful words to describe a person to inflict emotional distress on the victim. Cinderella’s stepsisters had snatched the protagonist’s best clothes, offered her rags and forced Cinderella to work and sleep in the kitchen. The stepsisters mocked Cinderella; “Just look at the proud princess! How decked out she is!” The reference was sarcastic since the protagonist was dressed in rags, and yet the stepsisters referred to her as a proud princess. Furthermore, scornful reference of Cinderella’s dressing describes the evil nature of the stepsisters. The author’s description of the stepsisters as having black hearts was demonstrated through their actions and speech (Fohr 13). Finkelhor’s model elaborated that multiple factors influenced child abuse cases in the society in the past and contemporary times. The model intimates that the offender has to be motivated to abuse the child, and in Cinderella’s case, the stepsisters were motivated in disinheriting Cinderella off her parents’ wealth and love. Secondly, the offenders are likely to overcome inhibitions against their motivations by morality, family values, and conscience, which the two sisters lacked according to their depiction as being evil and having dark hearts. Similarly, overcoming external inhibitors was easier since the father was unconcerned on the evil actions were undertaken against Cinderella. According to Finkelhor, the offender has to overcome resistance from the child, which the two stepsisters faced no opposition from Cinderella since the protagonist was powerless. Emotional torture has been shown to be leading cause of suicide and low self-esteem across the globe.
Degrading one’s Personality
Cinderella’s father was relenting on letting the Cinderella try the shoes brought by the prince. The father had been influenced to hater his only child and love instead of her stepchildren. Cinderella’s father scornfully says; “There is only a deformed little Cinderella from my first wife, but she cannot possibly be the bride.” The father refers to Cinderella as deformed, which is malicious since Cinderella is perfect and only neglected. The unsavoury words are akin to dissuading the prince to relent on seeking Cinderella to try out the slippers since the father is accustomed to having Cinderella as the maid and not his child (Zipes 50). Similarly, in similar derision, the stepmother said; “Oh, no, she is much too dirty. She cannot be seen.” Elements of degradation and exploitation are existent in the statement, elaborating on the mother’s hatred against the protagonist. The two were unwilling to allow Cinderella tried her luck and showed their public disdain for her. The words were emotionally wrecking since Cinderella had been deprived of right living conditions, while the mother’s implosion that Cinderella could not be seen as an outright abuse of the child. Social, ecological approaches intimate that offenders are motivated to undertake such offenses due to the material features within the family of community. The stepsisters wanted to assuage that their new home was theirs and that Cinderella was an outsider. The external motivations influenced the father to satisfy the needs of the second wife while negating his child’s needs.
Physical Abuse
Physical control implies the use of collective behaviours to enhance authoritarian power, anxiety-provoking conduct, and inadequate parental love during punishment. WHO elaborates forms of physical abuse are motivated on punishing the child through beating, shaking, strangling, burning, kicking and suffocation, leading to the infliction of harm on the child’s dignity, well-being or endurance. Scenes of physical abuse against Cinderella are distasteful and sorrowful to the readers. The scenes form an emotional image that seeks to communicate the ills of evil people.
Undue Actions
Cinderella is forced to undertake chores that are disrespectful and disgraceful to the protagonist. Majority of characters in the text treat the protagonist with scorn and ridiculing the protagonist based on her conditions akin to slavery. The stepsisters said; “Comb our hair for us. Brush our shoes and fasten our buckles. We are going to the festival at the king’s castle.” The protagonist is forced to undertake the shameful personal chores by her stepsisters. The acts intend to degrade Cinderella’s dignity, inflict anguish on the protagonist since Cinderella would not be attending the festival and dignify their evil egos. The purpose of the actions is also to derail Cinderella from preparing for the festival while making her tired and unable to make it to the event. Finkelhor’s model perfectly sums up the stepsisters’ intention in ensuring that Cinderella misses entirely on the festival (Ward, Devon, and Anthony 43). Similarly, the stepmother adduces physical abuse by forcing Cinderella to re-wash clean utensils. The stepmother said; “I have scattered a bowl of lentils into the ashes for you. If you can pick them out again in two hours, then you may go with us.” The evil intention of the stepmother is to derail the protagonist from attending the festival. Physical abuse is demonstrated through the forceful undertaking of physical actions by the victim after delineation of roles.
Physical Harm
Physical harm among children is usually attached to an intention to cause damage and inflict pain. Grimm’s version is tragically unusual since the older stepsister is advised by her mother to cut off her toes to fit her feet in the prince treasured slippers. The mother at one point says; “Cut off your toe. When you are the queen, you will no longer have to go on foot.” The act is painful, and the daughter drips blood during the journey. The short-term happiness diminished the anguish and pain felt by the daughter during the entire trip. The mother’s intention was based on greed and pretense, is further complicated by the further realization of the prince of the deception undertaken by the young lass.
The dysfunctional family theory elaborates that the existing dysfunctions in the family, such as Cinderella, will likely impose harm on their children by greed and success. Historical edicts to some heinous acts done by young ladies in the past, during monarchy rulers were influenced by young women seeking to be married by princes. Apparently, in England ladies used animal far as hair to attract princes, which seems too ridiculous today. Similarly, the mother advises her second daughter part of her heel so that her feet can fit in her shoes. The mother says; “Cut a piece off your heel. When you are the queen, you will no longer have to go on foot.” The extreme actions amount to the abuse of her child to fit into the conditions of the society. Child abuse in the text gives explicit references on the adverse effects of being evil. The expected result was never achieving implying that the wrong afflicted both emotional and physical harm to the daughter.
Neglect
Desertion implies mistreating or abandoning one’s duty as parents especially on children. Neglect is among the highly prevalent types of child abuse across the world, especially with the rise of street families due to abandonment. Apparently, according to the scriptures, parents that abandon their duties are cursed, similar to the result as established in the text. The two parents are filled with pain and left with two blind daughters while the unwanted Cinderella enjoys the comfort and wealth of the monarchy. Initially, the parents had neglected their duty of providing food for the daughter. The stepsister says; “If she wants to eat bread, then she will have to earn it. Out with this kitchen maid!” Cinderella is forced to work and earn food for her family. The UN charter provides persons defined as children should be provided with basic needs including food, housing, and clothing. The text elaborates on the state of affairs at the time in most societies, which the literary greats sought to address through the text.
The cruelty against the protagonist was revealed through neglect of her clothing needs from her parents. During the festival, the protagonist is scorned for lacking better clothing or shoes to attend the event. The stepmother despises her saying; “You have neither clothes nor shoes, and yet you want to dance!” the statement is a slap in the face of the protagonist. The stepmother is the provider derides Cinderella for lacking clothes, yet the antagonist is supposed to provide for the child. The step-parent later implies that other persons will laugh at Cinderella and her stature will bring the family into ridicule for her lack of clothes. The words are heinous and so cruel to the victim. Finally, the stepmother describes her as dirty and not within the standards of the prince. The dysfunctional family theory elaborates on why the family was ruthless on the protagonist (Gehring, Marianne, and Peter 56). The theory elaborates that the family undertook their actions to inflict pain while covering their inferiorities. The primary function of literary texts is to inform and educate the society on the acceptable rights and wrongs. The texts are used to remind persons within the society of the effects of such vices in the society. Apparently, the gruesome scenes were deleted by Disney during production, limiting the critical theme of the text.
Conclusively, secondary data indicates that the Grimm’s version of Cinderella correctly educated on the ills of the evils or wrongs undertaken in the society. Academics intimate that the text fulfilled its literary mandate primarily on the discussion of child abuse in the society. Child abuse in the text is not limited to Cinderella but also meted on stepdaughters either consciously or unconsciously. The dysfunctional family theory and Finkelhor’s model elaborate on the motivations of child abuse, internalities, and externalities of the environment which influence the progression of the vice. The text illustrates physical, psychological abuse and neglect, which are the primary forms of child abuse in the world. Therefore, child abuse is societally unacceptable and involves meting evil on persons considered to be minors and reliant on others for the provision of necessities.
Works Cited
Fohr, S. D. Cinderella’s gold slipper : spiritual symbolism in the Grimms’ tales. Ghent, NY: Sophia Perennis, 2001. Print.
Gehring, Thomas M., Marianne Debry, and Peter K. Smith, eds. The family system test FAST: Theory and application. Psychology Press, 2001. Print.
Gilbert, Neil, Nigel Parton, and Marit Skivenes, eds. Child protection systems: International trends and orientations. OUP USA, 2011. Print.
Tatar, Maria. The hard facts of the Grimms’ fairy tales. Princeton University Press, 2003. Print.Ward, Tony, Devon Polaschek, and Anthony R. Beech. Theories of sexual offending. John Wiley & Sons, 2006. Print
Zipes, Jack. Happily ever after: Fairy tales, children, and the culture industry. Routledge, 2013. Print.
Zipes, Jack. The Brothers Grimm : from enchanted forests to the modern world. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002. Print.