In Cinderella,  it's believed that, through magic and marriage, one can go from rags to riches. This statement has been a part of many childhoods; but how accurate is it?

Ever notice something many fairy tales have in common? If not, let's look at the conclusions of both Sleeping Beauty (Brier Rose) and Cinderella. In both stories, the princess gets her happy ending by marrying a wealthy prince. In Cinderella, however, the main character does not start out as a princess (like Brier Rose). She is a peasant woman, living with and serving her family as a maid. It is when she is found by the prince that it's said she discovers true happiness. This belief was shared by the Brothers Grimm, as well as other adaptors of the story. Not surprisingly, most, if not all, of these writers were men. It certainly explains the male superiority expressed in many tales. Cinderella is shown to be a weak servant girl who had no control over her situation. In the tale, it is said that she does nothing to leave the house or stand up the step-mother. In fact, she went to the ball through help from her mother and animals. Cinderella takes little to no action herself. She is merely a damsel in distress. This weakness leaves room for a strong male role to come in and save her from the wicked family. The tale of Cinderella has always been an exaggerated show of gender stereotypes.

In regards to the supernatural aspect, Cinderella adds a religious side to it. Before the woman's mother dies, she tells her to be "good and pious" and that by doing so, the Lord will reward her. Cinderella does so. As a result, her mother's spirit (at the tree), aids her on several occasions. More specifically, when she goes to the ball. Cinderella goes to her mother's tree, asking for a dress to wear to the dance. The dead parent does so, causing a dress and slippers to fall from the tree. This supernatural event occurred each night of the ball. The birds also aid her once again in the end, warning the prince that neither of the step-sisters was the one he danced with. The magical interference ultimately leads Cinderella to her happy ending with the prince. While not accurate, it provided children with a set of morals: be a good person, show your love for God and you will be rewarded. This influence came from the Grimm Brothers' religious backgrounds. Both Wilhelm and Jacob were raised into Roman Catholicism. Along with that, Christianity was a dominant religion, causing the message to resonate with people more.

All in all, the rags to riches moral taught in Cinderella is inaccurate and made impacts--both positive and negative--on soiciety.