In this classic 1950 Disney film, Cinderella is the orphaned
daughter of a widower. The widower had remarried the Lady Tremaine, but Lady
Tremaine vastly favors her two daughters over Cinderella.
With the widower
deceased, Lady Treamine and her daughters treat Cinderella like a servant. The
drudgery of daily life is broken by an invitation from the palace – hoping to
find a bride for the Prince, the King has required every eligible maiden to
attend a ball. Although Cinderella’s stepmother tries to prevent her from
attending, with a little help from her Fairy Godmother, she is able to go. The
Prince falls for her, but she runs away, not wanting him to see her without her
magical wardrobe. The King sends out a search party to find the woman who stole
the Prince’s heart, but Lady Tremaine really doesn’t want Cinderella to be
happy.
The Adoption Connection
Cinderella has experienced the loss of both of her parents,
and is being cared for by someone else.
She’s also being abused by her
caretaker, who vastly prefers her biological children to Cinderella.
Cinderella takes a young mouse into her care, gives him a
new name, teaches him her rules, and dresses him.
Strong Points
In spite of much adversity, Cinderella remains hopeful,
kind, and positive. Many foster kids do the same in spite of experiencing abuse.
I have been impressed at how resilient kids can be.
Challenges
While there is an element of hope and a promise that things
will get better (and this is a beloved classic), there’s not really substance
to the hope. More on that in a second.
Weak Points
This film, made in the 1950’s, highlights old stereotypes of
cruel and negligent step-, foster, and adoptive parents. Cinderella only finds
happiness in escaping.
In Cinderella’s world, only magic makes things better. One
of Cinderella’s superstitions says, “If you tell a wish, it won’t come true.”
Another is that if you keep on (silently) believing, you’ll get your wish. It’d
be better for kids to feel free to share what’s on their minds. It’s empowering
to realize that your words can change your situation sometimes, and valuable to
learn when something you wish for isn’t readily possible.
In one scene, Cinderella’s stepsisters rip her clothes off
of her. I could imagine this being a triggering scene to children who have been
sexually abused.
The Prince’s father is quick to rage, and tries to
decapitate his closest servant for a minor offense – we see him take several
(missed) swings with a sword.
Recommendations
Kids learn from stories. The messages we absorb as kids often
become part of our narratives, whether we realize it or not. Although
Cinderella is a beloved, timeless classic it could convey some unhelpful
thoughts about how things change, and it does show an unfortunate stereotype of
cruel non-biological parents. Some newer Disney films might be healthier and
more enjoyable for kids who’ve been adopted or who have been in foster care. I feel kind of bad saying it, given how many people love this one, but it's probably a marginal choice at best, and might even be one to skip until your kids are old enough to evaluate the film's presuppositions.
Questions for
Discussion
Why were Cinderella’s stepmother and stepsisters so mean to
her?
What are some other ways her life could have gotten better?
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