Cinderella

Cinderella is a folk tale about a girl who, after enduring harsh treatment from her stepmother, is aided by a magical benefactor, attends a royal event, and ultimately marries into royalty. The story’s most recognizable elements include transformed goods or beings that enable attendance at a ball, a magical makeover, and a token—often a glass slipper—that ensures the heroine’s final recognition and reward.

The tale exists in many cultures with a range of motifs. In Europe, early written versions include Giambattista Basile’s La Gatta Cenerentola (1634) and Charles Perrault’s Cendrillon (1697), which popularized the glass slipper. The Brothers Grimm published Aschenputtel in 1812, preserving darker details such as severed toes or bleeding feet in some variants. A notable non-European variant is Yeh-Shen from China, dating to the 9th century, which features a magical helpers and a distinctive slipper-like token.

Cinderella has inspired extensive adaptation across media, including the 1950 Disney animated film, stage musicals, and numerous modern retellings. Scholarly discussions often emphasize themes of virtue and hardship, social mobility within a rigid social order, and the role of magical aid in enabling personal transformation. The tale remains a touchstone in discussions of gender, class, and agency, while its moral framework continues to adapt to contemporary values through varied retellings.