The Cinderella Story.            Home

Under the scrutiny of codependency.

        If we start on the rational presumption that Cinderella was a “Princess – personality” trapped in a harsh step-family environment, then the traditional story can be expanded more accurately under the guidance of a codependent equation.

        The fact that Cinderella was the Mother’s step-child means that Cinderella had to have seniority in that family because the first is the precedent as is the first born and first wife, see Genesis 43:33 or first to arrive, first on a job, first to be or do anything has precedent and therefore seniority. Other people like the step-sisters and step mother could try to challenge that power and position away from Cinderella but it would then be a constant struggle on their part because the one with true “seniority” never has to do anything because that power and position of the first is automatic and self sustaining.

         Therefore viewing Cinderella as being the subordinate person in that family is not only a false perception as it is not sustainable under scrutiny.

         Also the father of Cinderella had given Cinderella the duty of serving and to be hospitable to the step-family since the father did marry the woman and thereby adopted the 2 step-daughters. So Cinderella’s servitude was voluntary or in servitude of her father’s wishes and could not have been any true coercion or by force from her step-family because Cinderella had most of the true power in such circumstances. And it was the father’s house and Cinderella’s home first and foremost and the step-family were the outsiders moving in, so Cinderella had the seniority with any servants or neighbors or even familiarity with the building and the property and that equates to dominion.

         Another source of power and position comes from Cinderella doing the physical labor, even if that was more as an over-seer of the servants or if she did get down and dirty with the laborers because the daughter of the master can never be over looked in any case. And it is reasonable to see that the father remarrying a new wife with 2 children of her own shows that the Man was surely financially stable or even well off and likely did have servants, so Cinderella would inherently have had seniority and her birth right power over any servant even new servants regardless of anything the step-family were to say or do, because both power and weakness can never be hidden from subordinates and such qualities are never ignored by subordinates. “Not no way and not no how.” So still Cinderella could be degraded or undermined by others but her position and power would always stand firm. And even more-so is that the person doing the physical labor is always inherently in command of those that do not do the work. Any competent supervisor knows that reality but not all in command are competent. The best managers and foreman on any job knows the workers must be catered to or else the job becomes imperiled because those that do the work are truly in command over all others. Much like a baby that cries is giving out the orders but the physical power lies elsewhere. So Cinderella having a “Princess” character and her seniority and doing the work gave her the real authority in the house, and even if the step-mother gave out the orders and demands then the step-mother was always subject and dependent on the cooperation and agreement from the servant Cinderella. To be the leader then one must be as a servant. Matthew 20:27

         Given these circumstances then the claim that Cinderella was physically beaten or physically abused by the step family is highly unlikely and must be discredited given this more realistic appraisal – that Cinderella was a willing servant and thus the master of her own domain. As like in the sad times of the African slavery in the USA then the hard working slaves with skills would not be beaten or abused, and there are reports of many African slaves that did take power this way and could earn their freedom and received assorted perks, like Sally Hemming which became the virtual mistress of the Thomas Jefferson's home. So any suggestion that Cinderella resisted her step family and being beaten for it is not consistent with the premises that Cinderella was a “true” Princess in rags and not just some ignorant girl that got lucky with a wish.

         Next comes the Prince, in that he had everything on-the-line at the Ball, in that his parents were supervising and it was a big public event and a lot of money spent on the Ball with all the best citizens attending, so the Prince was very overly extended. When Cinderella came to the Ball then she was on a type of joy ride, while the Prince was confronted with the magic, and Cinderella would see herself only as one in the crowd (the magic did not increase her ego or her self esteem) while of course every other person saw her as the exceptional brilliant one. Being presented as extraordinary, then Cinderella had to feel humbled when acting in the Princess role – just as any proper Princess would feel.

         And what all the stories leave out is that the crowd in the town and outside the Ball who had seen the golden carriage and the unusual valets and the exceptional horses, and at midnight many are said to have seen it all disappear into mice and rats and an out-of-place pumpkin, so the next day reports had to be about strange wonders and marvels and magic, and a report of a maid in shabby clothing seen running from the scene.

         After the Ball then Cinderella had no regrets at all without even regretting the sudden departure, as surely she only had happy and exciting memories. But the Royal family had a major catastrophe going on. The Prince felt the urgent need to find that lost and run away Princess and that problem became compounded as he found out more and more of what had been seen outside the Ball, like about the spectacular carriage and reports of the unusual Princess that the Palace guards were far too intimidated to follow their protocol of asking the visitor’s name for giving her a proper introduction and announcement upon entering the Ball. It happened that she had arrived late and the carriage stopped at the farther doorway, and that Princess walked in all alone without an escort as if she owned the place. So every aspect made the events more puzzling to the Prince as the full extent of the catastrophe unfolded before the entire Kingdom. There was no way of keeping the marvelous events secret because by morning sunlight it was the subject of talk by everyone all around.

         Cinderella had to have expected her step-family to have recognized her both at the Ball and again after the Ball, so when they failed to recognize her then the greatness of her accomplishment must have became her personal private secret, so at that point any last codependent bonds were broken and thereafter her soul was then free even though she was still physically trapped in that family relationship.

         So a slipper was lost and found but not every woman tried it on because the Prince knew the lost girl’s eyes and her voice and the search was surely directed at the aristocratic upper class since the lower common public were not even invited to the Royal Ball. So when the Prince did find Cinderella then he did not have to put the slipper on her foot in order to identify her to himself, but he did so anyway just to establish the fact as proof to any doubter that might appear or argue that this Woman was not the one.

         Cinderella had a rich father and an uppity step-mother so Cinderella being in rags was her false identity. A woman had to lie by claiming the lost slipper was her own, and surely in many cases the Prince did see and easily knew which ones were not his lost Princess, and the slipper was more used as a way of proving a woman of being false instead of a way of testing to see which one was the lost Princess. So the Prince had more than just a lost love as this was a National and monumental challenge and everybody knew about it, and a few were trying to deceive the Prince by claiming to be the lost Princess. Of course at the same time far more people were trying to find out about what really happened to the golden carriage and the strange horses while rumors of magic happenings were all around.

         Now we do know that the Prince does find Cinderella and she is perfect for him and he loves her dearly, but this time the Prince had to supply the carriage and the other dressings of Royalty had to be given to Cinderella, and they all had to start calling her by her new Royal title, and even the King and Queen were unable to resist this new Princess as their new daughter-in-law even if they did want to resist it – and no one knew for sure if they wanted to resist or not. There onward this new Princess was covered by rumors of magic and fame so no one, and not even her in-laws, would ever challenge her position ever after.

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Reference:                                                                                                          Back to Homepage

Movie #1: “Cinderella” with Leslie Ann Warren, Link it HERE .

Movie 2: “Ever After” staring Drew Barrymore  Link it HERE .

Movie 3: "Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella" staring Brandy Norwood, Link it HERE .

 

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