Fables often bring about interesting morals that help to shape the way persons shape their actions. The story of “Cinderella” shows readers that good will always triumph over the evil of the society. Cinderella is symbolic of the number of challenges that children face in the society today. Many children have been left in the care of step-parents because of death, divorce, or personal choices on the part of one biological parent. The challenge is great as a number of step-parents face conflicting emotions in dealing with their biological children and the new child. In addition, some step-parents become jealous of the relationship between the new child and the biological parent and this leads to disastrous effects. Having disobeyed her stepmother by going to the prom, Cinderella faces severe punishment as she no longer goes to school and this leads to Child Protective Services intervention and the removal of her step mother from the home to show that good always triumph over evil intentions.
The story of Cinderella is often told by many parents who wish to remind their children of the evil in the society. Many children fear the thought of losing a parent and finding a new mother or even father who hates them immensely For our Carona, the early morning shouts in the house wakes her to the reminder that despite the age old stories of Cinderella, she was now living the life of the perfect modern day Cinderella. She knew the voices of each bellowing and knew what each meant. She had to help her two step sisters to get ready for school. She had to wash their cars. She had to go to the store for fresh orange juice for her step-mother and her step-sisters. She had to clean the house and do the laundry. It was a typical Friday morning the only difference today would be that she had all day to do the chores. She was banned from school. Finished! Done! Never going back! This was all the doing of her step-mother.
Everyone in the neighborhood knew her story. It was simple. Carona lost her mother early in her life. She was often told that her mother went to live with the angels. But, she still does not understand why her mother left her to be with the angels and has not returned. At seventeen years old, Carona knew that her life was not perfect. Her new mother is overbearing and constantly reminds her that her place in the society should be given to someone else. Carona knows that her step-mother does not like her, but she cannot understand how any mother could dislike a child. After all, she had two step-sisters and there was an abundance of love between her step - mother and her children. Her father had died three years ago and this only caused more problems for Carona. She wished endlessly for a miracle. Little did she know that God was about to change her nightmare and make her life better.
Carona recognized her earthly hell. She knew one day she would get away from it all, but three weeks ago she had defied all the rules that she had silently embraced since the arrival of her “new mother.” She had gone to the prom. She smiled as she thought back to that wonderful night and realized that even though she had been grounded and even though she could no longer go to school, she would never trade that night for any other nights in the world. She met an older boy who was not a student of her school, but he was his sister’s date. He had been fascinated by her ramblings about history and law and politics. She danced all night and he did not let her go for a minute. He wanted her telephone number, but Carona could not bear the thought of telling him that in this modern society she was not allowed to access to a telephone so she took his telephone number and hoped that she would get a chance to call him one day. She hoped she would see him again, but if she never saw him, she would always remember the way he listened to her intently as she spoke.
The doorbell rang and interrupted her thoughts. It was 7:30 a.m. and she assumed that it was Joe who had come to pick up her step – sisters. She quickly opened the door with her regular plastered smile. It was the smile that she reserved for the lanky blonde boy who could never see the evil in her sisters. She opened her mouth to release the practiced “Good morning” ritual, but her mouth closed instantly. It was the boy from the prom and he was not alone. He spoke to her as though they had never met. And she looked at him without hearing any words. The only thought she heard was the sounds of magic. The sounds that only law enforcers could bring the sounds that brought her sweet music. She did not realize that her step-mother was standing at her side crying. How did she get here so soon? No one had called her. Or had they called and she did not hear? Finally, the handcuffs came out and she heard those magical words: “Mrs. Lambie, you are under arrest for child endangerment and child neglect. You have the right to remain silent” Was this happening? She then focused on the voice besides her telling her that after the prom, he had asked his sister about her and she told him of the situation at home. He was older and she saw that now. He was also in his uniform. She did not realize it at first, but now she saw that he was a police officer. He had checked on her through his sister and realized that she had not been coming to school. It was not the ending she had hoped for because she thought she had met her prince Charming and indeed she had, but he would not sweep her off into the sunset and live happily ever after Instead, he swept her off to foster care, which was much better than living in hell. And now she knew that evil would never survive in a world of good.
Reference
Adapted from Grimm, Jacob & Willhelm, “Cinderella” Eds. National Geographic Society
(1999), Web 10 Mar 2016 < http://www.nationalgeographic.com/grimm/cinderella.html>
