The Grimms' Christian Cinderella
by Jordan P Smith
One of the most recognizable and reproduced stories in the world is the tale of Cinderella, a bullied stepsister who captures a prince’s heart. While it may be impossible to know the true origin and evolution of this beloved fairy tale, the version Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm published reveals a parable more concerned with ethics than entertainment. The brothers were both raised as Christians and recognized the majority of their audience would be fellow Christians, leaving little doubt as to the plot of, and literary devices used in “Cinderella.” The Grimm version is saturated with the number three, perhaps the most sacred number in Christianity because of the three days between Jesus’ death and resurrection, the number of times Peter denied Him, and the Holy Trinity. Quotes in the story paraphrase Judeo-Christian proverbs and concepts of justice. The Biblical symbolism permeating the Grimm brothers’ “Cinderella” proves its function as a Christian fable.
Having established the presence of Christian details, an examination of the general plot reveals a rather simple message: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets” (The Holy Bible, Exodus 7:12). This maxim is commonly referred to as the Golden Rule, sometimes restated as putting one’s self in another’s shoes, presented in “Cinderella” in the form of a metaphor whereby the stepsisters cannot fit into Cinderella’s shoes because they “were beautiful and fair of face, but vile and black of heart” (Grimm 241). The attractive qualities of the stepsisters were only skin-deep, and trumped by the ugliness of their personality. They did not adhere to the Golden Rule and by the end of the story their eyes are gone and their feet are mutilated, matching their outward appearance to the condition of their moral character.
The visual of birds pecking out the stepsisters’ eyes may seem both extreme and somewhat irrelevant to the story, but the punishment is actually quite deliberate. Many are familiar with the somewhat universal adage “an eye for an eye.” However, the full quote from the Bible reads “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foote for foote” (Exodus 21:24). If the stepsisters had lost only their eyes, it might seem plausible to assume the punishment is used only to underscore the vile nature of the sisters. However, by the story’s end the two stepsisters are not only missing their eyes, but they have also mutilated their feet – a conscious decision to reference Biblical, not universal, principles. They did not show the high character required for walking in golden shoes and they refused to see the inner beauty exhibited by Cinderella. Because the stepsisters did not follow the Golden Rule their feet were mutilated and birds took away their eyes.
Another allusion to Christian principles appears in the conversation between Cinderella and her true mother. As the mother is dying, she implores Cinderella to “be good and pious, and then the good God will always protect thee” (Grimm 241). The mother’s wish echoes the Christian proverb “There shall no evill happen to the just: but the wicked shall bee filled with mischiefe.” (The Holy Bible, Prov.12:21). The mother’s quote is nearly identical to the proverb, which simply states the idea that good, God-fearing people will find favor with the Lord and evil or mean people will be reprimanded for their misdeeds. The action inside “Cinderella” sees this concept played out. Cinderella’s piety kept her from being “overtaken” by the stepsister’s wickedness. By the story’s end the stepsisters, “were punished with blindness as long as they lived” (Grimm 245). Such a fate befell these two girls because they failed to recognize or “see” Cinderella’s positive virtues and live by her example.
Looking again at the conversation between Cinderella and her true mother, another Christian principle is evident: the directive to respect parents. In the Bible Jesus reminded the Pharisees, “For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death” (Matt. 15:4). Cinderella honors her mother’s deathbed wish by living a “good and pious” life and she follows every command her stepmother gives her. In this sense, she is obedient to her parents. Cinderella honors her mother even further by visiting her grave three times a day, weeping at her memory.
Finally, the most compelling argument for “Cinderella” functioning as a Christian fable is not what is included in the tale, but what is missing. The Grimm tale explicitly states Cinderella’s uses of prayer as a means of generating supernatural aid. Prayer is not exclusive to the Christian faith - Islam, Judaism, and even fringe cults engage in prayer. But the point here is not so much an argument on which God Cinderella is invoking, but that the terms “prayer” and “wish” are used while the concept of magic is noticeably absent. Intervention by a fairy godmother whom turned a pumpkin in to a coach when “she struck it with her wand” might have been misunderstood as witchcraft by early 19th century Christians, German or otherwise (Perrault 237). For this reason, the deletion of a character that figures so prominently in other versions of “Cinderella” is quite fathomable. The message in “Cinderella” is that good, pious Christians must pray to God if they truly desire to find favor with Him.
The Grimm brothers’ tales are entertaining on the surface, but they contain decidedly pointed themes. With Cinderella, the overriding theme is that to be a good Christian, you must first be a good person. If the Grimm brothers did in fact shape the story for their own interests, they certainly understood their audience. Germany was a nation deeply rooted in Protestant Christianity in the 19th century, and so the literate population would have understood Christian themes. It might be difficult for someone today to hear that this story is not targeted at young children, but at their parents instead. “Cinderella” explains the virtues Christian parents should work to instill in their children and must therefore be considered a Christian fable. The idea that this tale targets parents first is a major reason why this fairy tale has withstood the test of time. Countless numbers of fairy tales use princes and princesses, the supernatural, and happy endings. But of all those stories, how many are as universally appreciated as Cinderella? It is in an elite class of classics because it has thematic value for the parents as well as superficial entertainment for young children.
Having established the presence of Christian details, an examination of the general plot reveals a rather simple message: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets” (The Holy Bible, Exodus 7:12). This maxim is commonly referred to as the Golden Rule, sometimes restated as putting one’s self in another’s shoes, presented in “Cinderella” in the form of a metaphor whereby the stepsisters cannot fit into Cinderella’s shoes because they “were beautiful and fair of face, but vile and black of heart” (Grimm 241). The attractive qualities of the stepsisters were only skin-deep, and trumped by the ugliness of their personality. They did not adhere to the Golden Rule and by the end of the story their eyes are gone and their feet are mutilated, matching their outward appearance to the condition of their moral character.
The visual of birds pecking out the stepsisters’ eyes may seem both extreme and somewhat irrelevant to the story, but the punishment is actually quite deliberate. Many are familiar with the somewhat universal adage “an eye for an eye.” However, the full quote from the Bible reads “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foote for foote” (Exodus 21:24). If the stepsisters had lost only their eyes, it might seem plausible to assume the punishment is used only to underscore the vile nature of the sisters. However, by the story’s end the two stepsisters are not only missing their eyes, but they have also mutilated their feet – a conscious decision to reference Biblical, not universal, principles. They did not show the high character required for walking in golden shoes and they refused to see the inner beauty exhibited by Cinderella. Because the stepsisters did not follow the Golden Rule their feet were mutilated and birds took away their eyes.
Another allusion to Christian principles appears in the conversation between Cinderella and her true mother. As the mother is dying, she implores Cinderella to “be good and pious, and then the good God will always protect thee” (Grimm 241). The mother’s wish echoes the Christian proverb “There shall no evill happen to the just: but the wicked shall bee filled with mischiefe.” (The Holy Bible, Prov.12:21). The mother’s quote is nearly identical to the proverb, which simply states the idea that good, God-fearing people will find favor with the Lord and evil or mean people will be reprimanded for their misdeeds. The action inside “Cinderella” sees this concept played out. Cinderella’s piety kept her from being “overtaken” by the stepsister’s wickedness. By the story’s end the stepsisters, “were punished with blindness as long as they lived” (Grimm 245). Such a fate befell these two girls because they failed to recognize or “see” Cinderella’s positive virtues and live by her example.
Looking again at the conversation between Cinderella and her true mother, another Christian principle is evident: the directive to respect parents. In the Bible Jesus reminded the Pharisees, “For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death” (Matt. 15:4). Cinderella honors her mother’s deathbed wish by living a “good and pious” life and she follows every command her stepmother gives her. In this sense, she is obedient to her parents. Cinderella honors her mother even further by visiting her grave three times a day, weeping at her memory.
Finally, the most compelling argument for “Cinderella” functioning as a Christian fable is not what is included in the tale, but what is missing. The Grimm tale explicitly states Cinderella’s uses of prayer as a means of generating supernatural aid. Prayer is not exclusive to the Christian faith - Islam, Judaism, and even fringe cults engage in prayer. But the point here is not so much an argument on which God Cinderella is invoking, but that the terms “prayer” and “wish” are used while the concept of magic is noticeably absent. Intervention by a fairy godmother whom turned a pumpkin in to a coach when “she struck it with her wand” might have been misunderstood as witchcraft by early 19th century Christians, German or otherwise (Perrault 237). For this reason, the deletion of a character that figures so prominently in other versions of “Cinderella” is quite fathomable. The message in “Cinderella” is that good, pious Christians must pray to God if they truly desire to find favor with Him.
The Grimm brothers’ tales are entertaining on the surface, but they contain decidedly pointed themes. With Cinderella, the overriding theme is that to be a good Christian, you must first be a good person. If the Grimm brothers did in fact shape the story for their own interests, they certainly understood their audience. Germany was a nation deeply rooted in Protestant Christianity in the 19th century, and so the literate population would have understood Christian themes. It might be difficult for someone today to hear that this story is not targeted at young children, but at their parents instead. “Cinderella” explains the virtues Christian parents should work to instill in their children and must therefore be considered a Christian fable. The idea that this tale targets parents first is a major reason why this fairy tale has withstood the test of time. Countless numbers of fairy tales use princes and princesses, the supernatural, and happy endings. But of all those stories, how many are as universally appreciated as Cinderella? It is in an elite class of classics because it has thematic value for the parents as well as superficial entertainment for young children.
Works Cited
Grimm, Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm. “Cinderella.” Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum.
Ed. Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2013. 240
45. Print.
Perrault, Charles. “Cinderella.” Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. Ed. Laurence
Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2013. 236-40. Print.
The Holy Bible, King James Version. Cambridge Edition: 1769; King James Bible Online, 2014.
Web.
Ed. Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2013. 240
45. Print.
Perrault, Charles. “Cinderella.” Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. Ed. Laurence
Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2013. 236-40. Print.
The Holy Bible, King James Version. Cambridge Edition: 1769; King James Bible Online, 2014.
Web.