an analysis of women beauty in Macmillan's and Perrault's Cinderalla

February, 5,2014
An analysis of women beauty in Macmillan’s and Perrault’s Cinderella
Virtually everyone has heard many kinds of fairy tales at some points especially in their childhood. Fairy tales are not only for entertaining, but also for passing down information. Tales and stories have been used as a valuable tool to explain natural phenomena, explored relationships, and teach morals. Tales can mirror and influence society. Different cultures have their unique version of tales to carry and pass down the needs of their particular society to the next generation. The same tale in the Europe is different from the tale told in Canada. Both Cyrus Macmillan and Charles Perrault’s “Cinderella” tales describe Cinderella as a gentle and beautiful young lady. Cinderella in both versions had a tough life at the beginning that her sister treated her very cruelly, yet she received a good marriage at the end because of her good characters. However, those two versions have difference. In Macmillan’s “Cinderella”, the author focuses on the character of protagonist. The warrior married Cinderella because she had spoken truth. In Perrault version, the prince fell in love with Cinderella because of her beautiful appearance although the story was also emphasis on her good character. Overall, both versions of Cinderella were stressed on her inside and outside beauties, which make her had a biggest reward.
Beautiful appearance is an essential character to be a princess in both trails. Macmillan’s Cinderella was “very beautiful and gentle and well beloved by all.” (117) Although Cinderella did not have a beautiful face with appropriate dress while she met the Strong Wing’s sister. However, Cinderella has been changed by his sister to be a beautiful lady with fine clothes and rich ornaments before the Strong Wind met her. It can tell that an appropriate dress up and clean tidy body is important when you meet your love. In Perrault’s version, “Cinderella, notwithstanding her mean apparel, was a hundred times handsomer than her sisters.” (64) When Cinderella went to the ball, the King said “it was a long time since he had seen so beautiful and lovely a creature.” (68) All of these are telling readers that Cinderella is a beautiful lady. When Cinderella met the prince, she was wearing a beautiful dress and beautiful slippers with her beautiful face that attract the prince deeply. When the prince asked guards if they saw a princess go out, they said “they had seen nobody go out but a young girl, very meanly dressed, and who had more the air of a poor country wench than a gentlewoman.” (70) it shows that an appropriate dress up is very important that reflect a person’s status. Not only the acceptable appearance is a pre-requisite for marring a prince but also the internal qualities have to meet.
A good lady who deserves a happy ending must have beauty of character, which both tails underline. First, Cinderella has patient and tolerant in both trails .In Macmillan’s version, Cinderella was treated mercilessly by her older sisters. “They clothed her in rags that she might be ugly; and they cut off her long black hair; and the burned her face with coals from the fire that she might be scarred and disfigured.”(117) Although her sisters did not care about Cinderella at all, Cinderella still kept her patient and served gladly with her sisters. Her patience touched the Strong Wind’s sister, so his sister took Cinderella back home and dress her as beautiful as princess. In Perrault’s version, Cinderella endure her dirty dress and dusty living place. She remained her patient when she severed her mean stepmother and stepsisters. Perrault rewarded her with a godmother who can help to go to the ball.
Second, in spite of gentle heart and sweet temple of Cinderella in both trials, Macmillan more emphasized truthfulness while Perrault highlighted trustworthiness. In Macmillan’s version, Cinderella is the girl who said the truth firstly. Although she dressed a dirty rag with a burnt face when she went down the shore with the Strong Wing’s sister, she spoke the truth. As a result, she deserved a happy ending, which she had her beautiful appearance back and have a wonderful marriage with the Strong Wing. Perrault sent Cinderella a godmother who can help her dress up to the ball and dance with the prince but Cinderella must promise to go back home before midnight. Cinderella kept the appointment, therefore the godmother helped her to be a most beautiful and charm lady in the world. Although these two versions are not focus on the same character of Cinderella, but they told readers that if good things happen to good people and cruel punishment occurred to evil. Cinderella’s sisters were punished in both tails. In Macmillan’s version, the elder sisters were changed into aspen tress because of their lies and rude behavior. Perrault’s idea of punishment is lower stepsisters’ status. Although Cinderella is very kindness and forgave their bad treatment on her, stepsisters still had to receive a punishment.
Fairy tales were simply used to delve into human behavior through fantasy, and offer hop that justice will prevail in the end. In both tail, Cinderella is stand for the good person who deserve a good ending; sisters are stand for the evil who receive a hard punishment. The tails carry massage of good always over evil. If a child grows up with good qualities, the good future will come to her; if a child grows up like a evil, the punishment will follow to her. Children have to keep beauty inside and outside as Cinderella then they will fine their true love and their lives will be changed over.

Work Cited Macmillan, Cyrus. “Indian Cinderella.” Canadian Wonder Tales. London: John Lane. 116-19.Print.
Perrault, Charles. Lang, Andrew. “Cinderlla;or, The Little Glass Slipper.” The Blue Fairy Book.5th ed. Lang, Andrew.London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1891. 64-71.Print.