Symbolic Messages in Cinderella

As with many other fairy tales, the symbolism in Cinderella plays a very important role, especially when directed at the fairy tale's primary audience - the children. With Cinderella, the symbolism begins from the very first lines and has to do with the message of how to react to the loss of a parent. From the dying woman's conversation with her daughter, it is obvious that the child is asked to believe in the existence of God and in the existence of afterlife. In order to deserve God's favor, the child must be "good," and this also will assure the love and favor of the mother who, although dead, will be looking down upon her daughter.

Goodness, however, is not the only thing the dying woman asks from her daughter on her deathbed. She also asks her to be pious, which is a word that may be unfamiliar to children today, but was in wide use at the time the story was written. Today, the word 'modest' would successfully act as a substitute. As a symbolic message, to be modest to a child does not mean to deny herself the pleasure of things she might want, but rather to make sure that her wants are not unnecessarily extravagant. This message is reinforced later on by the fact that the two evil stepsisters ask their stepfather for dresses and jewels - things they already have plenty and have no real use for more.

Cinderella, on the other hand, asks for the first branch that knocks her father's hat off his head. This request carries multiple meanings. First, the branch serves as a symbol of attracting father's attention, since he has to stop and come back for his hat, as well as to break off the branch. The second meaning is in the search for closer connection with the father because it involves him directly into action, such as breaking off the branch, instead of him doing what he probably does all the time for other girls, which is shop for them. Finally, Cinderella's request means to attract father's attention by its uniqueness and thus reestablish the connection between the father and his obviously neglected daughter.

Cinderella's request, as well as what she does with the branch when she receives it, symbolizes her love for both parents, because she tries not to overburden her father by asking for expensive gifts and remembers her mother by planting a branch on her grave. It also sends a message of what the true parental love can do to a child, with a branch symbolizing the child. The child, even hurt before, will grow up strong and healthy emotionally if nurtured with love, just as the broken branch, planted and nurtured with love, grew up into a beautiful tree.

Another message, expressed in Cinderella's relationship with animals, is to be nice to animals. This message is probably more attributable to our time than to the time the story was written, because at that time the animals helping Cinderella, and with them being God's creatures, the message was that God actually helps Cinderella.

Another important message is to never lose hope. Despite all the abuses that Cinderella must endure and all the tears she sheds, in the end, things turn out well for her and bad for her enemies. There is probably a double message here, as well, because it also calls for the child not to do bad things in return to those who abuse her because eventually they would receive their punishment one way or another. Finally, Cinderella's behavior after each ball sends a message of how the child should keep her modesty just because at the moment she receives the most attenti