Writer 69876 A Critique on Judith Rossners I Am Cinderellas Stepmother and I Know My Rights

The essay I Am Cinderellas Stepmother and I Know My Rights is a satiric piece by writer Judith Rossner which appeared in the April 19, 1987 issue of The New York Times. In it, she lets Cinderellas stepmother speak in defense of her decision to sue the Walt Disney Company for unfairly depicting her and her daughters as having overly cruel tendencies while portraying Cinderella as an immaculate, saintly figure. Rossner wanted to present the overlooked side of Cinderellas stepmother who felt compelled to protect her public image and those of her daughters. She went on to claim that Cinderellas stepsiblings were simply psychologically affected by the death of their remote, undemonstrative and lavish father, thus making them constantly anxious and moody. She also pointed out that it was Cinderellas choice to tend the fireplace and remain filthy. In addition, she claimed that the Prince was actually a drunk, a seductor, and a shoplifter and was not the least worthy of her beautiful daughters. All these misrepresentations led to the filing of the lawsuit again Walt Disney Company. In effect, Rossners piece represented a mothers voice that was defending the good name of her daughters. The author presented point by point pieces of evidence that support the reason for Cinderellas stepmothers filing of a lawsuit against Disney. In the article, the author tells the reader that Cinderellas siblings were not as cruel or as ugly as they were portrayed in the movie. It was also pointed out that Cinderella was not as noble as she seemed and that the Prince wasnt exactly the charming version that he is popularly known to be. While the piece succeeded in being humorous and in providing a new insight into the popular fairytale, I feel bound to disagree with the points that Rossner raised to defend Cinderellas stepmother. Firstly, while it is but right for a mother to defend her daughters, she must do so only

within certain bounds, that is, making sure that what her daughters are doing are actually right. Even mothers must not turn a blind eye to their daughters own mistakes and shortcomings. Furthermore, she claims that it was Cinderellas choice to remain unkempt and dirty. I believe that as Cinderellas stepmother, she shouldve taken it upon herself to raise Cinderella as her own, and thus correcting whatever improper practices Cinderella allegedly had. The same goes for the relationship that blossomed between the Prince and Cinderella. If she felt that the Prince was such an inappropriate young man, then she could have guided Cinderella properly. Apparently, she never discouraged any of her daughters, least of all, Cinderella, in proceeding with affairs with the Prince. This simply shows her own shortcomings as a voice of reason for the daughters that needed her guidance. In conclusion, the text had its highs and lows. I must admit that it is a very entertaining article, presenting a fresh take on the realities behind the fairy tale. It succeeded in putting the fairy tales villains on a new light thus allowing readers to reconsider how they viewed fairy tales in consideration of all the characters and not just the protagonists. However, the author failed to provide sufficient evidence in support of the evildoings of Cinderellas stepmother and stepsiblings. Indeed, a mother will fight for her child until the bitter end. However, this was the main shortcoming that the author faced in defense of Cinderellas stepmother. That is, Cinderella was her daughter too. Thus, she shouldnt have sacrificed putting one of her daughters in bad light just to defend her other daughters.