Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo Cinderella's Heronine’s Journey
The story of Cinderella fits well with Victoria Lynn Schmidt’s version of the heroine’s journey, providing an example of how a female protagonist grows through challenges and ultimately triumphs. By using Schmidt's template, we can see how Cinderella’s transformation is not just about finding a prince, but about overcoming hardship and discovering her inner strength. The heroine’s journey helps us understand Cinderella’s personal growth and how she moves from feeling powerless to finding her own sense of control.
In the beginning, Cinderella’s life reflects the Illusion of the Perfect World. She lives a peaceful and happy life with her father, believing that everything will stay this way forever. However, her world changes when her father dies, and her stepmother takes control. This marks the Betrayal of Realization, where Cinderella understands that her perfect world is gone. Her stepmother begins to abuse her, and as Cinderella grows older, the abuse only worsens with the involvement of her stepsisters. This betrayal forces Cinderella to see that the life she once knew is over, and she is trapped in a new, harsh reality.
As the story progresses, Cinderella reaches the stage of Awakening and Preparing for the Journey. When she hears about the prince’s ball, Cinderella hopes that this event might bring her some happiness. She makes her dress, thinking her stepmother will let her attend since every girl in town is invited. However, in The Descent—Passing the Gates of Judgment, her stepsisters destroy her dress, and her stepmother locks her up, preventing her from going to the ball. This is a crushing moment for Cinderella, as her small bit of hope is destroyed, leaving her feeling defeated and trapped.
The story takes a magical turn in The Eye of the Storm, where Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother appears and transforms her into a beautiful princess. This gives her the opportunity to attend the ball, where she is admired by everyone, especially the prince. For a short while, Cinderella experiences joy and freedom as she dances with the prince, but she must leave before midnight. This temporary happiness ends as she returns to her harsh life at home, leading to Death—All is Lost. Cinderella believes her dream of happiness is only temporary, and she is once again trapped in a life of servitude, with no hope for escape.
However, Cinderella’s journey does not end there. In the Support phase, her animal friends come to her aid when the prince is searching for the girl who left the glass slipper behind. Their help allows Cinderella to try on the slipper, leading to Rebirth—The Moment of Truth. When the slipper fits, it reveals that Cinderella is the mysterious princess from the ball, and she is recognized for who she truly is. This is the turning point of the story, where Cinderella’s true identity is revealed, and she finally escapes the life of abuse and oppression she has suffered for so long. The final stage, Return to the Perfect World, occurs when Cinderella marries the prince and leaves her stepmother and stepsisters behind, entering a new life of freedom and happiness.
By examining Cinderella through Schmidt’s version of the heroine’s journey, we see how the story is not just about finding love, but about personal growth, resilience, and transformation. Cinderella does not simply wait for a prince to rescue her; she finds her strength and hope along the way, even when her circumstances seem impossible. This narrative is a common theme in many Disney films, where female protagonists like Snow White and Rapunzel also face difficult challenges but emerge stronger and more self-assured. These films follow the heroine’s journey, which helps explain why they resonate with audiences and remain popular throughout the years. Cinderella is a perfect example of Victoria Lynn Schmidt’s heroine’s journey, much like many other Disney movies. Schmidt’s template likely draws inspiration from classic fairy tales. Maybe that’s where she got the template idea from?
Nice post Shriya! I like how your interpretation of Cinderella goes beyond the idea of resuscitative love by highlighting how Cinderella uses her own strength to shape her own destiny. I appreciate how you show that the happiness she experiences in the Eye of the Storm contributes to the Death step, where Cinderella becomes more conscious of the miserable reality that she lives in. As a side note, I think your title is really fun and unique.
ReplyDeleteHiya Shriya, this analysis of Cinderella's plot fitting into Victoria Lynn Schmidt's diagram is well-described. The support of Cinderella's feelings also helps to tie in this claim, like when Cinderella feels "defeated and trapped" after the Passing the Gates of Judgement part of the diagram. The connection at the end with Cinderella possibly being the inspiration for Schmidt's diagram is very intriguing to think about. I give this review 9/10 Fairy Godmothers because you posted this 3 DAYS LATE.
ReplyDeleteHey Shriya, great post! I didn't realize how closely Cinderella followed the journey until you outlined it, but it pretty much fits perfectly. Like you mentioned, I think a lot of old Disney princess movies fit the framework really well. What I find interesting is that although the main character does go through a lot of growth (making friends, personal growth, resilience, etc.) ultimately their final happiness and perfect world are centered around a man. This is true for Cinderella, but also for Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White... almost all of them. It's just interesting to consider.
ReplyDeleteGreat analysis! I appreciate how you emphasized that the movie is truly about her finding her identity and pushing through various challenges rather than just a love story. My post was about Frozen, another Disney movie, and they are definitely similar in their representations of the heroine's journey. While there tends to be an emphasis on some form of a love story, the main character really has an emotional development through the tasks that they endure, making the movie more captivating and powerful.
ReplyDeleteI loved how concise yet rich your description of the step of the Heroine's Journey were in relation to Cinderella! Your attention to deeper meanings within the movie are incredible! On the surface, this movie is all about finding romance, but as you described, it has the undertones of a story about personal growth and finding strength. Not a movie I'd expect to follow the Heroine's Journey!
ReplyDeleteThis was really cool! I never really gave enough thought to Cinderella's personal journey, just to how she was perceived and her transformation from a mistreated stepdaughter into someone people respected. I really liked that you pointed out how Cinderella's journey didn't need to be centered around a man and how the most important part of her transformation was her inner strength.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of the heroine's journey in a "traditional" Disney film, where their struggle is to get with the prince, etc., is really interesting! I know there's some criticism with the older films being kind of anti-feminist in a way because they push the heroines to yearn for a man, but I think the way you laid it out makes an argument that it can still align with the journey of empowerment and such.
ReplyDeleteI think you did a great job in your analysis of Cinderella’s journey using Schmidts template to show how her transformation is about resilience and independence, and not just romance. The Eye of the Storm moment is pivotal for her growth emotionally which makes the Death phase feel even more significant, especially since she has to face the reality of her life afterwards as well. Your comparison to other Disney characters following a similar arc also creates an interesting perspective. Good job.
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