Personal Integrity Is Well Depicted in the Story of Cinderella - Essay Example

Cinderella is the hero in this case with her character changing from a poor and plain woman to a rich and powerful princess. She starts from a very cruel point of treatment, especially by her stepfamily. In the story, Cinderella is a woman of reliance, employing her integrity to succeed in life. Even after the death of her real mother and father, she has to survive, but her survival is full of human virtues such as being kind and gentle

            The story starts with a widower, Cinderella’s father, who had married a woman characterized by pride and arrogance among other vises. This woman became Cinderella’s father’s second wife. The woman had two daughters who like herself, the two daughters practiced human vises. Hardly did Cinderella’s father know that he was bringing trouble to his home and more specifically to his beautiful daughter. The man had had a beautiful daughter through his first wife, who by now had passed on. This girl in contrary to the two stepdaughters was full of goodness, kind heart, and sweet temper. This girl was Cinderella. Now that her mother had died, she had no one to lean on other than her father. She was strongly missing the gentle care and love of a mother, which her father could hardly provide to her (Anderson, pg.58). In order to survive, Cinderella had to adopt the prevailing situations of hatred and hard work. She was not used to such difficult times but she had to apply her integrity to the situation

            Problems hardly ended with her tough daily chores. After hard day of work, Cinderella would then return to her room, now a barren and cold room. She would have nothing to do or anyone to talk to other than curling herself near the fire place as she tried to get worm. Her stay close to the fire point in her lonely room made her arise covered in dirt and cinders. The case of cinder caused her nickname, “Cinderella.” She however protected her stepfamily from the anger of her father. She knew that her stepmother and her step sisters were ill-mannered but she was always kind to them. She only decided to adapt to their commands and mistreatments towards her. She was only hopeful that a time shall come when she shall have some freedom and be able to live by herself. No matter how long it takes, she shall be alright (Erhard, Jensen and Zaffron).

            What seems to be a turning point in her life happened when the Prince decided to invite all the young ladies within his land to a ball. The prince was planning to select a beautiful wife of choice from these ladies. Without her knowledge, the stepsisters gleefully decided to plan their wardrobes for this ball. To turn her back, the two stepsisters told Cinderella that maids were hardly allowed to attend the ball since they could hardly be invited. Cinderella also had to adapt to this situation, but this time, she felt great pain that made her cry painfully. Miraculously, her Fairly Godmother appeared to her. The Fairly Godmother started to transform Cinderella into the young lady she was from her immediate condition of being a house servant. This transformation was done to get her to the ball just like any other girl.

She now gained much power that she could even change a pumpkin into not only a carriage but a golden carriage. She also turned mice into horses, lizards into footmen, and a rat into a coachman. The Fairly Godmother changed her clothes from rags to beautiful clothes in the form of a beautiful gown. She now wore a very delicate pair of slippers made of glass. She was now fit to enjoy the ball but she was warned that she had to return before midnight since after then, the spell would end. She is very loyal and decides to stay by the orders of returning home before midnight (Dundes, pg.21). Her stepsisters could not even notice her during the ball. Another ball was organized and she attended with similar help. The prince liked her, but Cinderella also was carried out by the same feelings towards the prince this time she left one of her slippers after she was caught up by the midnight time deadline. Her misfortune turned out to be the fortunate thing in her life. When all the other women had failed to fit into the lost glass slipper, Cinderella asked if she could try. It was confirmed to have been the beautiful girl. Through her kindness and loyalty, she forgave her stepsisters and her stepmother after marrying the prince and becoming the prince.