Reading Cinderella to my son

AuthorAppleton on January 25, 2016

There are so many wonderful ways to create timeless memories with the people we love and care for. I was recently reminded of this one Sunday night after work. Typically I get home, eat one of my wife’s delicious dinners (she is a good cook) and then we let the kids watch an episode of an old show before getting them to bed. But, desiring to make more valuable use of our time this evening, I dug through my library for an antique edition of Mother Goose printed in 1901.

I do love old books. The tales you find in there are truer to their original form instead of edited for modern readers. Modernizations tend to simplify the fairy tales and also the prose to such an extent that they do not stimulate greater intelligence in children. They are not “dumbed down” for young readers. I am often reminded that some of the most famous of historical figures actually learned to read from the Bible. Can you imagine a child nowadays tackling even half of the Bible before they reach ten years of age? Sadly, I don’t know of any.

The first story in the Mother Goose book surprised me, for it was the tale of Cinderella. It varied slightly from the versions I have seen previously. Most notably, in this version Cinderella wholeheartedly forgave her stepsisters. She forgave them fully, not just in word but by her deeds as well. Cinderella brought them to live at the palace after she and the prince had been married, and she arranged for each of them to marry affluent men in the kingdom.

At first, when I saw the first story in this little book was Cinderella, I glanced down at my son and thought perhaps I’d skip it for the next one. Find one more suitable to a man. But I thought better of it.

Children need stories of princes and princesses. Classic tales told in a traditional manner reinforce family values, instilling in them codes of conduct and virtue that strengthen them in life. Cinderella’s story shows my son what kind of a woman to admire and what virtues to look for in his future wife. There is wisdom to be gleaned from these old fairytales. Wisdom that is often neglected and forgotten in the modernization of story that we often see today.

Q: Do you make a point of sitting down to read to your children?

Cinderella: a true heroine

AuthorAppleton on April 6, 2015

My wife made the suggestion that she take our 3-year-old daughter to see Disney’s remake of Cinderella. Inevitably it ended up being a family trip. The local theatre in town has a Tuesday all-day special price that we’ve taken advantage of before. Coming into this film having already loved Maleficent, I was curious if Disney could succeed in turning another classic cartoon into a worthy live-action film.

Cinderella’s character is honorable in this story and, I think, extremely likeable as well. The supporting cast of actors and actresses filled their roles almost seamlessly. The one exception, I felt, was the fairy godmother. Same actress as the Queen of Hearts in Disney’s live-action Alice in Wonderland. Her personality was so strong that it jerked me out of the fairytale, albeit for only a few moments. Even then I can barely complain as she did play her part well.

So, did Disney succeed in reviving the old classic? I think they did. The overarching theme of love and forgiveness at all costs is a noble part of this story.

Disney seemed to steer away from incorporating non-traditional-family-values into the film. The only point I found a bit “preachy” was how Cinderella convinced the hunter to let the stag get away. All of the big film studios seem bent on convincing us that the life of man is of equal value to that of the beasts and creatures of this world. It is not.

God made the beasts for man, and sacrificed beasts for man. Yes, we need to value the lives of the creatures in this world. Life is a precious gift that is too often taken lightly. Perhaps this is Cinderella’s intent. Perhaps merely a reminder that we are so absorbed in ourselves that we devalue the creation around us.

Cinderella takes us to the heart of God’s love (though God is not mentioned in this story) by offering us a noble heroine who rises above the scum around her to be a truly good person. I think the greatest message behind this movie is that a great hero or heroine rises above their circumstances to do the right thing… no matter what the cost. We need more fiction exemplifying these values.

Question: What was your impression of Cinderella?