Without the Fairy Godmother

Abstract

Once upon a paradox . . . an opening more appropriate for the tale of Cinderella considering the difficult position she is in. Time and time again, Cinderella's transformational journey from maid to princess has been adapted to an ever-changing audience. In 1812, the Brothers Grimm published a collection of fairy tales, titled Children's Household Tales, for a nineteenth-century German audience. The story of Aschenputtel depicts a beautiful young woman as she magically fulfills her dream of becoming a princess. Erica Silverman put a Jewish twist on this classic in her 1999 picture book titled Raisel's Riddle. The similar stories of Raisel and Aschenputtel reinforce ideas of womanhood through their significant roles in the home and driving desire to marry a wealthy prince. At first, both must obey a strong female character and become responsible for running households on their own. Despite their pure hearts and beautiful faces, neither Raisel nor Aschenputtel can capture the love of a prince without magical intervention. Their domestic duties create an unattractiveness that leaves them only dreaming for marriage. Ironically, they must inhabit this stained social position to fulfill one area of womanhood: the domestic queen. However, this domestic work negates any efforts to fulfill the criteria for women to be beautiful and poised enough for marriage. All that is womanly remains tied to marriage for Raisel and Aschenputtel. They become undesirable through their physical labor as women but must leave their true identities behind to earn their happily ever afters.