1. Cinderella
Around the World…

2. The History of the Cinderella Story
There are over 3,000 versions of the Cinderella story in almost every different culture around the world
The oldest Cinderella story is the Chinese one, pre-dating the French one almost 1,000 years.

3. The History of the Cinderella Story
Ø      The French version is widely believed to be the first one.
-It started among the peasant class
-Cinderella first wore fur shoes, called Mukluks, which were changed to glass ones because the fur shoes would never have fallen off after the ball
-The stepdaughters cut off toes and bunions, filling up the slipper with blood.
-The King also punished the stepmother and stepsisters for disobeying his orders by sentencing them to dance to death wearing hot iron boots (a popular form of torture in the Middle Ages)
-When the famous French writer Charles Perrault wrote his version, he left out the final revenge and made the sisters and mother change personalities to being kind after Cinderella takes pity on them.

4. The History of the Cinderella Story
It was used as a teaching story for young women…
-Young women are taught that in order to attract THE MAN, they must do whatever is wanted of them whenever it is asked, or no matter how unreasonable or unpleasant.
-The second lesson is that all young women should be servile. Cinderella is defined as a sweet, docile, servant type character who happens to be very beautiful—that beauty is just hidden in rags.
-“She has no imagination, initiative, strength, cleverness, or anger.” She accepts the abuse with a silent hidden sadness—a smiley wimp.
-She is completely dependent on an irrational magic that no rational adult would believe in. Women were supposed to be irrational beings anyway—so it takes a Fairy Godmother to make her situation change—that and lots of money to which no proper female has any access to.

5. The Overall Message is: “You are dependent, you need to be small and weak (dainty), have physical beauty, and the consumer-trappings money can buy to make that beauty visible to others. Above all, be docile, servile, nice, and don’t make a fuss!”

6. Based on the information about resistance, which do you believe was more effective: spiritual or physical resistance?
Defend your answer with facts about Holocaust resistance.