There is an assumption that a fairy-tale reflects cultural trends in community development that change across time. The do not only make shifts to social environment, but also tap into consciousness of individuals, particularly to that of children who are obsessed with the plotlines and magic that story’s heroes work.
At this point, there is a serious concern about the positive impact that Disney’s Cinderella has on little girls’ understanding of what qualities a woman should possess. It is also the problem with the emerging stereotypes among children who explore possibilities to become wealthy people.
Girls’ overwhelmed interest in Cinderella’s adventure make them more vulnerable to reality. Perceiving them as princesses, they strive to wear pink dresses and tiaras believing that these things are inherent components of an authentic princess. Disney’s image of a poor girl who has managed to marry a handsome prince and liberate herself from cruel and evil stepmother distorts the veritable state of affairs.
In reality, stepmothers are not necessarily evil and girls do not always marry princes. After all, wearing pink and behaving pretentiously does not mean to be a princess. Orenstein states that new paradigms of femininity differ significantly from those presented in Disney’s stories and, therefore, mothers should pay attention to their daughters’ upbringing.
Similar concerns are expressed in Yolen’s discussions of fairy-tales and Disney’s Cinderella, which is a distorted variant of an original version. The current version depicts Cinderella as a poor, helpless, useless, and suffering heroine who is only recognized after revealing her identity to a prince. In fact, such an aspect in retelling the story of a poor girl does not contribute to shaping positively oriented identities among girls since these clichés and stereotypes do not exist in reality.