Video Transcript:
“Cinderella” by the Brothers Grimm was published in December 1812 in Grimms’ Fairy Tales. Many people grew up reading the story or watching the movie, Cinderella. A young woman with a heart of gold watches her world turn upside down when her mother dies, and her pained father remarries another woman. Cinderella becomes trapped within a stepfamily who does not love or appreciate her. Enslaved by her evil stepmother and stepsisters, Cinderella dreams of going to the ball and meeting the Prince. With the help of a few mice friends and her fairy Godmother, Cinderella’s dream comes true. However, the story reads quite differently in the Brothers Grimm version. Their stories were typically darker in nature to evoke a sense of warning, especially in younger children, as a cautionary tale to frighten children into doing the right thing. In their short story “Cinderella” the Brothers Grimm utilize Christian symbolism and themes prevalent in Biblical texts as a celebration of steadfast faith and piety, which can overcome those who are cruel and overly tied to the physical world. The Brothers Grimm outline what Christianity should resemble by comparing it to Cinderella.
Christian imagery is seen at the beginning of the story when Cinderella’s mother tells her to be “good and pious, and then the good God will always protect thee” (Grimm and Grimm para. 1). Throughout the story, Cinderella behaves in a way that is both “good” and “pious”, while surrendering herself to slave-like conditions. Because of this, her mother’s promise is fulfilled; God ends up protecting and helping her. This is a direct contrast to the cruelty of her stepsisters and their obsession with the physical world. Possessions are fleeting, and the love of money is a root for all kinds of evil. As a result, this will destroy the stepsisters. However, Cinderella is eventually rewarded for her submission and for retaining a pure heart. Submitting means putting others before yourself or putting God’s desires above your own. Cinderella is a representation of how Christians are supposed to live through Christ. Christians should be fully submitted to God, obeying what he says in the Bible. Submission to God’s authority brings freedom and an unimaginable blessing for those who are obedient, a life in heaven. When the children of God do what is right and just, they benefit from His goodness.
Cinderella frequents her mother’s grave to weep and pray. There, a tree grew as a result of her own dedication to her deceased mother. When Cinderella’s father went to the fair, he asked each daughter what they wanted him to bring back. The two stepsisters, overly tied to possessions, asked for pearls and jewels while Cinderella asked for the first branch that knocked against his hat. He returned with a branch from a hazel tree which she planted at her mother’s grave. Cinderella goes to the tree in her time of need just as Christians do with the cross. The cross is often referred to as a Tree of Life with its fruit seen as a symbol of Jesus Christ. Anyone who eats from the tree will reap eternal life. The cross represents the crucifixion of Christ and how He took the punishments people deserved for their sins. To Christians, the cross signifies the greatest sacrifice ever made and the assurance of salvation. It carries the message of love, finality, and fulfilled promises. People pray to the cross – a symbol of someone who is physically dead but spiritually alive – to seek guidance and assistance. The hazel tree portrays a sign of nurturing and is associated with her mother who understands the true nature of nurturing and supporting. Hazel, the type of tree seen in the story, also means “God has seen” (Sue para. 2). God is omniscient; therefore, he knows exactly what is happening to Cinderella. Her situation did not take Him by surprise, although it may have taken Cinderella by surprise. The tree is a representation of God’s watchfulness and the promise of His protection.
Each time Cinderella is shown at the hazel tree, a white dove is also perched there. The dove grants her “wishes,” guides the Prince back to one he is in search for, and sits upon her shoulders at her wedding. Doves are small and delicate but resilient, and they can survive in a variety of environments, much like Cinderella. They are also a nurturing family of birds found all over the world (Verret para. 4). Their presence over much of the world reflects God’s omnipresence, as well as their nurturing nature reflecting His love. The white bird fills in as an embodiment of God who protects Cinderella. White doves are commonly symbolic of purity, innocence, love, and peace. They mirror Cinderella’s values, wishing for love and peace, and a reflection of her purity, in beauty and in her intentions, drawing her closer to God.
Cinderella’s role as a good Christian is shown as she follows Christian teachings such as honor thy father and mother. These actions are why the white dove grants her prayers, making it seem essential to pray to God if you truly wish to find favor with Him. The dove acted as a guide to the Prince when he tried to ride off with the stepsisters. God speaks to people by his word. He directs, encourages, advises, commands, informs, and reveals how to live through him. Both times the dove prompted the Prince to look down at the blood staining the sister’s white stocking, revealing she was not his true bride. In the Bible, white symbolizes innocence and honesty. By blood staining the white, it depicts a sinful and impure nature. This is contrasting to how Jesus shed His blood for the sins of everyone on Earth, turning them from red to white. This signifies a cleansing from sins to be made righteous in God’s eyes.
The number three often appears in this story and many times throughout the Bible. Cinderella goes to her mother’s grave and prays three times a day. The ball in which the Prince was to find a bride lasted three days. Cinderella cried for a dress and shoes to attend the ball three times. The Prince comes to her house three times to find his love; the person who best fit the slipper. On the third try, he found Cinderella to be the one he was looking for all along. Her life completely changed as she was to become a princess. The number three appears in the Bible 467 times. It typically signifies harmony, new life, and completeness (Bolinger para. 3). Three often resembles the third day in which Jesus rose from the dead. It also represents the trinity: God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. On the third day, God created the plants and trees which connects back to Cinderella’s hazel tree. Saul, an unkind man who was not a man of faith, was rendered blind for three days after meeting Jesus. On the final day, he became a Christian, and God opened his eyes. He devoted his life to God and was no longer blind. Similarly, the stepsisters were blinded due to their wicked nature by the doves that sat upon Cinderella’s shoulders. On the third day Jesus was resurrected; He saved the world by conquering death and rose to new life. When the Prince returned for the third time, he saved the Princess by offering her a new life.
God tells his people to never avenge themselves but leave it to the wrath of God. One shall love their neighbor as themselves. It is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Bible Gateway Passage Romans 12). The blinding of the sisters introduces the Christian belief of sin and its effect. Cinderella is a pious person and is rewarded as such. She is always submissive, never seeking her own vengeance, while her two stepsisters are “vile and black of heart” (Grimm and Grimm para. 2). As a result, they were eternally punished by the white birds permanently blinding them. This punishment is very deliberate and significant as the Bible reads “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot” (Bible Gateway Passage Exodus 21). As the sisters lose both their eyes and have brutally mutilated their own feet, this becomes a clear biblical reference. If the stepsisters change their ways like Saul who became Paul the Apostle and who surrendered himself to God, all is not lost for them, and they can lead a good life in the eyes of the Lord if they choose to repent for their sins.
The Brothers Grimm recurring themes of the Bible represent how steadfast faith overcomes the cruelty of those who are attached to the physical world. By utilizing key Christian concepts in Cinderella, the authors portray how Christians are supposed to live through Christ. Christians should turn to the Lord in their time of need, relying on Him to direct their paths. They are to love their enemies, bless those who curse them, do good to those who hate them, and pray for those who spitefully use and persecute them. Ultimately, God promises to bring justice for Christians and repay others for the wrongs they committed. Cinderella was devoted to her mother and what her mother asked of her, leading her to live a happy life. She did not retaliate on those who mistreated her; God did by eternally punishing them. Good always overcomes evil. Furthermore, the text also serves as a timeless life-lesson for both Christians and non-Christians alike. Faith or not, one can see the importance of perseverance through struggle, and what it means to remain true to one’s character and sense of good despite adversity.
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Featured Image Source:
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