Cinderella
I think most everyone knows the story of Cinderella, made famous by Walt Disney after making its big debut on screen in 1950; the movie was so popular that it was again released five times within a thirty-seven year span. In 1970, Anne Sexton wrote her own version of Cinderella. In this work of art, she speaks of how a 'Cinderella' lives in every day life, whether it is the plumber who wins the lottery, or the milkman turned real estate agent. She then proceeds to tell her version of the Cinderella story, a little morbid, but after reading her biography, quite understandable. Anne Sexton was a model until 1953 when she gave birth to a daughter and began to suffer from postpartum depression. She experienced numerous mental breakdowns and attempted suicide once on her birthday, following the birth of her second daughter, in 1955. Her doctor encouraged her to pursue her past goal of becoming a poet. It is said that poetry was the only thing that kept her alive as long as she did. In 1974, four years after Cinderella was published, she committed suicide. Today, Anne Sexton, along with fellow poets Sylvia Plath and Robert Lowell, is known as a 'confessional poet'. It is said that she is included in that group because
This shows us how much she misses her mother and how she perceives little things as being precious, just because it was a gift. In this version, she runs to her mother's grave and "cried forth like a gospel singer" (Kirzner, 855) begging her mother to help her. Just then, the dove dropped down a golden dress and little gold slippers; in the fairy tale, it was a white dress and clear slippers. All of this sounds wonderful, sure, but where's the catch? Cinderella had to be home before the strike of midnight, or her spell would expire and her true identity would be exposed to everyone at the Ball. He gave it one last try, of course, and "Cinderella fit into the shoe like a love letter into its envelope" (Kirzner 856). By this, we can infer that the white dove she speaks of is probably the spirit of her mother. Now, as every fairy tale ends, Cinderella and the prince live happily ever after. They danced the night away, engulfed in each other arms, both of them loving every minute of it. In this story, the prince walks her home; she disappears back into her house, the Prince gets an axe and broke it open, yet she was nowhere to be found. These 'events' repeated themselves for three days, and on the third day, the Prince covered the palace steps with wax so that Cinderella's shoe would become stuck. She then goes on to tell us how Cinderella planted that twig on her mothers grave. None other than your two wicked stepsisters and cruel stepmother! What do you do? Well, if you are Cinderella, you find your Fairy Godmother, tell her your dilemma and watch her work her magic! With a wave of her sparkly wand, and the words "Bibbidi Boppiti Boo", she turned a pumpkin into a miraculous coach and buggy and Cinderella's poor, rag-like clothes into a beautiful gown. The version of Cinderella that Anne Sexton gives is much different than the fairy tale we all know and love. Picture this; the Royal Ball is approaching, it's your one opportunity to impress the Prince in hopes that the two of you will fall in love, but one thing remains standing in your way of that chance.
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Acceptance Essays
