A Damsel in Distress
In the classic version of Cinderella written by the Brothers Grimm, Cinderella was a damsel in distress. In the very beginning her mother dies and then by the next spring her father remarried. When her father remarried she had evil stepsisters that would constantly pick on her and make her chores more challenging than they needed to be. When it was time to go to a ball, the step family said Cinderella could not go and Cinderella wanted to. She went to her tree that was at her mother’s grave and the bird gave her a gorgeous dress to where to go to the ball. Cinderella went and spent the whole time with the Prince for each day of the ball. Each day she got a new dress. The step family was jealous of “the girl” that got the attention of the Prince. The last day of the ball Cinderella left in such a hurry she lost her shoe and the Prince had everyone try it on the village. The birds at the tree kept telling the prince it wasn’t the girl when he would leave with one of her stepsisters who cut off their heel or toe. The Prince found Cinderella, the shoe fit and they lived happily ever after. Cinderella was saved from the awful life she had with her stepmother and stepsisters. The Prince rescued the damsel in distress, Cinderella.
In the contemporary version, Disney’s Cinderella, Cinderella again was the damsel in distress. The father is absent and never mentioned in the story. Just like in the Brothers Grimm version, Cinderella was not treated well by the stepsister and stepmother. Cinderella was made to do all the chores for the household. In both versions, Cinderella could not go to the ball. Just like in the Brothers Grimm there were animals that helped her. The animals and her fairy godmother got her to the ball where she spent the night with the Prince until midnight. At the end of the ball she ran off leaving her glass slipper. The Prince had everyone in the village try on the shoe and found that it fit no one. When they got to Cinderella’s house, the step family said there was no way it was her, but the Prince insisted that she try the shoe on. Cinderella tried it on and the glass shoe fit. Cinderella was rescued by her knight in shining armor and was no longer a damsel in distress.
Although Princess Peach from Super Mario Bros is not from a fairy tale, she is still an example of a damsel in distress. The damsel in distress is getting taken and locked up. She has an evil step mom just like in the versions of Cinderella, but one thing about Princess Peach is her dad is her archenemies. Princess Peach is often rescued by Mario, which is similar to the Prince saving Cinderella from her step family.
Damsels in distress are part of most fairy tales. There is always someone to rescue them. Damsels in distress are also found today in literature, movies and artwork.
