Author Bethel Grove
  • Home
  • Bethel's Books
    • Redeeming the Beast
    • Beyond Your Wardrobe
    • Are You Ready to Be Baptized
    • Are You Ready to Take Communion
    • Are You Ready to Repent (Again)?
    • Low Content Books
    • Other Books
    • Amazon Author Page
  • Lion's Eyes Reviews
    • Blog
    • Books in Review
    • Movies in Review
    • Broadway in Review
    • Quick Reviews
    • Rating Systems
    • Review Requests
    • What is a Book Launcher?
    • Goodreads Profile
  • Simple Youth Ministry
    • SYM Home
    • SYM Resources
  • Teen Girl Youth Ministry
    • TGYM Home
    • TGYM Resources
  • Other Projects
    • LOTR Fanfiction
    • Spoken Word
    • Personal Blog Posts
  • Gumroad Store
  • Services
    • Book Launch Services
    • Self-Publishing Coach
    • Beta Reading Services
  • About
    • Meet Bethel
    • Programs and Affiliates
  • Contact
Picture

Why I Want to Be Like Cinderella

3/20/2015

2 Comments

 
With the release of the new Cinderella movie, I want to take the opportunity to talk about this incredible character and what I love about her. But to illustrate why I love her, I think I need to talk about the arguments that many have used against her. Back in my teen years, I used to love the Cheetah Girls movies. I loved their music and their sisterhood. One of the songs from their first movie was Cinderella, and although I still like parts of it, it does illustrate the flaws that many in today’s culture find in Cinderella’s character.
This song is very much in line with feminist arguments that we can do it all ourselves and don’t need a man. I have a problem with people blaming Cinderella for creating the problem. I don’t see that in her at all. In fact, she is probably one of the strongest heroines Disney has made to date, especially with the way she is portrayed in the new movie. There is so much more to her than her love story or her happily ever after, more than most people realize. As I watch the original movie as well as the new one (I went on opening day!), I have come up with a list of five qualities she has that make me want to be like her.

1)  Her Kind Attitude

In the new film, this is presented as an attribute she learned from her mother. It is true that her kindness is presented as one of her greatest attributes in almost all of the different versions of her story. Some of her critics would present this as one of her greatest weaknesses, because she allowed her stepmother and stepsisters to walk all over her. Although it is true that her kindness was used against her in this way, kindness is not a weakness and should not perceived as such. The desire that her mother placed in her to be kind turned into so much more. It made Cinderella compassion, selfless, and gave her a heart for both people and animals.
Picture
It was important for her to have a selfless heart when she was faced with loving those that were difficult to love. He continued to be kind and selfless, even when she received no kindness in return and when those receiving her kindness did not deserve it. This kindness she had towards all was inspiring to those who knew her, and it should be inspiring to us too.
Picture

2)  Her Courageous Heart

The new film presents this as another tract she learned from her mother. Having courage was also quite crucial to all that Cinderella would face. As if facing the death of both her parents wasn't hard enough, she also had to face losing everything else and being disowned by the rest of her family. That is a lot to have to face at such a young age (she was only nineteen when she went to the ball). These experiences could have been quite negative, but she turned that into courage to face whatever life brought her way. She never faltered or gave into fear. That's pretty amazing and very inspiring to children and adult alike.
Something that stands out to be about Cinderella’s courage is that she was not necessarily bold or brave. These tracts are sometimes made synonymous with courage, but that may not be completely true. She had the courage to stand up for herself but chose not to on many occasions. It reminds of the quote about courage from The Princess Diaries, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something is more important than fear.” In this way, Cinderella almost showed more courage by not standing up to her stepmother, because she overcame her fears and sadness but made the judgment that honoring her parents’ wishes was more important that being right. That’s an important lesson for all of us. 

3)  Her Hopeful Outlook

Cinderella didn't have much to hope for. Her life was bleak and difficult. Her parents were dead and the only other family she had hated and abused her. Her only real friends where animals. They had even resorted to only calling her a terrible nickname. But she still had hope. Even when things looked darkest, she clung to a hope that a better day was to come. Even when she was at her lowest low (after her stepmother and stepsisters damaged her mother’s dress) and she claimed she had no more hope, her fairy godmother said, “If you had lost all hope, I wouldn't be here, yet here I am.” Cinderella had even more hope in her soul than she realized. As Christians, we should have just as much hope, because ours is a Living Hope.
Picture
Although I don’t completely agree with the line of the song “No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dreams that you wish will come true,” I do think there is a grain of truth in it. As Christians, we should never assume that God will always fulfill our greatest wishes. That’s just not true. There are some dreams that will probably never be fulfilled in this life. However, I think that what a Christian should do is put their hope and trust in the Lord, not in their dreams. Because once your heart is in line with the Lord, He will give you dreams that are in line with His will. Those are the ones He’s more likely to fulfill. But even if he doesn't He will teach you to be satisfied in His hope, and that is so much better than any dream that can be fulfilled in this life.
Picture

4)  Her Submissive Spirit

The word submission is looked down on negatively in our culture and our world today. They look at characters like Cinderella and say that her desire to submit meant that she had no backbone and could only be rescued by a man. That is absolutely ridiculous! I believe that it is quite the opposite. There is more decision or opinion involved in submission that most people realize. When you begin to see submission in its correct context, you realize that it comes down to a matter of choice.
The word submit is properly defined in the military sense, choosing to put yourself under the authority of your commanding officer. Even if you don’t agree with what they are doing, you keep yourself under that authority because that is what is being asked of you. This is exactly what Cinderella does. Out of respect for her parents, she places herself under her stepmother’s authority, even though she proves to be less that deserving of that authority. Cinderella has to purpose herself to obey, even when it was hard. We should all learn to do likewise.

5)  Her Forgiving Nature

Cinderella truly had every right in the world to hold a grudge against her stepmother and stepsisters. She have every right to be angry and bitter by the world’s standards. But she did not choose that path. She was patient and understanding about the way they treated her. Her kindness, courage, and hope never faltered through all they did to her, even after they abused her, humiliated her, gave her a horrible nickname, and damaged her mother's dress. 

Her kindness, courage, and hope gave her the ability to keep her heart from the bitterness and angry that is so prevalent in those that have been treated in similar ways. This gave her the ability to forgive, even though it wasn't easy. At the end of the new movie, she actually tells her stepmother that she forgives her. That is truly incredible. I don’t know if I could do that. But I think there is something that children and adults alike can learn from it.
Picture
Picture

It's Not About the “Happily Ever After”

Don’t get me wrong, I love happily ever after’s as much as the next girl or Disney fan. But that’s not why I love Cinderella. To me, Cinderella is so much more than a princess or fairy tale character. She is a character that I want to be like in more ways than one. I will never forget how I came to view Cinderella and her character in this way. About January of 2012, my youth minister at the time was doing 30 Day Disney Character Challenge on Facebook (like all those "30 Day Photo Challenge" things that were popular at the time). When he listed his favorite Princess, he said Cinderella and mentioned her attitude and her heart. But there was one other comment he made about her that stuck out to me and remained with me ever since. He said, “Even if she didn't get her happy ending, her story would be worth telling because of the life she led.”
The more I thought about it, the more I agreed. If Cinderella had been stuck as a servant the rest of her life, or had gone to the ball but never tried on the glass slipper because she was locked in the attic, her story would still be worth telling because of the person that she was. She would have a legacy of kindness and courage that would have honored her parents' name, and that probably would have satisfied her. If I end up with half of Cinderella’s kindness, courageous, hopefulness, submissiveness, or her ability to forgive, then I will be better person, even if I don’t have a happily ever after of my own. That is what I want to strive for in my own life.
Picture
When I did the same Disney Character Challenge for myself, I listed Cinderella as the one of two characters I wanted to be the most like (the other one I've save for another post). After saying I wanted a heart like Cinderella, I said, “I hope and pray to have a testimony that not only reflects a good heart, but that also brings glory and honor to my Savior, and I hope that is a story worth telling someday.” I still hoping and praying this will is true of my own life story. Despite what the Cheetah Girls tried to tell us, Cinderella would be a great person to be like (although I hope to do a little better job of making sure my shoes stay on my feet during special occasions! haha). I hope that some of you are able to follow her example.
Picture
2 Comments
Christopher Redmon
3/21/2015 08:23:38 am

When your a child and your put in a situation were you are given a step parent you don't have any choice over the situation, how you deal with it depends on the child personally and parents skill.

I think Cinderella is sad, like an abuseed child hoping for a miracle to get her out of her situation. I haven't seen the new movie but I'm sure the story is the same.

Reply
Bethel
3/21/2015 11:43:33 am

It's true that this story illustrates a sad reality of what many children face in those situations, but that is part of what makes her story so amazing. It makes the person she become all the more amazing when you look at where she came from. I hope that if I was ever in a similar situation, I could still be as kind, forgiving, and courageous as she was.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Lion's Eyes Reviews is a blog dedicated to reviews of Christian books, most of which are non-fiction, but may also occasionally review movies and musicals. It will also feature the work Bethel does to help launch and promote the works of Christian authors.

    The name is derived from one of Bethel's favorite books, Through the Eyes of a Lion by Levi Lusko. Through these reviews, Bethel hope to give Christians the tools they need to look at the world "through the eyes of a lion" so they can find the courage to "run toward the roar". 

    To find the detailed archives of these reviews, you can check them out here:

    Books In Review
    Movies in Review
    Broadway In Review

    Quick Reviews

    ​
    To understand the rating used in these reviews, click here

    Categories

    All
    Alyssa Bethke
    Apologetics
    Beyond Your Wardrobe
    Bible Studies
    Biography
    Bob Goff
    Books I Don't Recommend
    Books In Preview
    Books In Review
    Broadway In Review
    Caleb Kaltenbach
    Carpe Aeternatatum
    Christian Fiction
    Christian Living
    Coming Soon
    Controversial Topics
    Creativity
    C.S. Lewis
    Dannah Gresh
    Devotionals
    Disney In Review
    Dr. Juli Slattery
    EBook Releases
    EBooks In Review
    Entertainment
    Forgiveness
    For Women
    Friendship
    Gary Chapman
    Girl Talk (Teens)
    Girl Talk (Tweens)
    Grieving With Hope
    Holidays In Perspective
    Interviews
    Jackie Hill Perry
    Jefferson Bethke
    Jon Jorgenson
    J.R.R. Tolkien
    Katie Davis Majors
    Kristen Clark & Bethany Beal
    Lee Strobel
    Lessons From The Bible
    Lessons Learned
    Levi Lusko
    Lion's Eyes Updates
    Love
    Lysa Terkeurst
    Mark Batterson
    Modesty And Fashion
    Movies In Review
    Music In Review
    My Cloud Of Witnesses
    My Generation
    My YouTube Videos
    Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth
    Personal Experiences
    Personal Updates
    Prayer
    Princess Worth Dying For
    Priscilla Shirer
    Purity Movement
    PWDF Updates
    Reading Recommendations
    Reflections On Middle Earth
    Reflections On Middle-Earth
    Relationships/Sexuality
    Running Toward The Roar
    Sarah Arthur
    Singleness
    To The End Of Her Days
    Youth Ministry

    Archives

    March 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014

    RSS Feed


Picture
​Bethel Grove is a Christian young woman who loves to read and write, eat Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blizzards, and disciple teen girls as a youth leader. What started as a hobby of writing book reviews and doing deep biblical studies eventually led her down the path of self-publishing and helping other Christian authors launch their books. She hopes to someday be a vocational youth minister and well-known author.
​Learn more

Bethel's Books

Redeeming the Beast
Beyond Your Wardrobe

Are You Ready to Be Baptized?
Other Books

Lion Eyes Reviews

Book Reviews
Musical Reviews
Movie Reviews
Quick Reviews

Social Media

Author Bethel Grove
Simple Youth Ministry
Teen Girl Youth Ministry

Other Pages

Amazon Author Page
Goodreads Profile
​Gumroad Store
     

    Join Bethel's Inner Circle

    ​Are you interested in following Bethel's journey as an author, book launcher, and teen girl ministry advocate? Then sign up to join her inner circle today to get email updates on her latest projects and ministry journey. 
    As a thank you, she will send you the exclusive short eBook "Why This Millennial Isn't Leaving the Church" for free.
Submit
© 2022 PRINCESS WORTH DYING FOR MINISTRIES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • Bethel's Books
    • Redeeming the Beast
    • Beyond Your Wardrobe
    • Are You Ready to Be Baptized
    • Are You Ready to Take Communion
    • Are You Ready to Repent (Again)?
    • Low Content Books
    • Other Books
    • Amazon Author Page
  • Lion's Eyes Reviews
    • Blog
    • Books in Review
    • Movies in Review
    • Broadway in Review
    • Quick Reviews
    • Rating Systems
    • Review Requests
    • What is a Book Launcher?
    • Goodreads Profile
  • Simple Youth Ministry
    • SYM Home
    • SYM Resources
  • Teen Girl Youth Ministry
    • TGYM Home
    • TGYM Resources
  • Other Projects
    • LOTR Fanfiction
    • Spoken Word
    • Personal Blog Posts
  • Gumroad Store
  • Services
    • Book Launch Services
    • Self-Publishing Coach
    • Beta Reading Services
  • About
    • Meet Bethel
    • Programs and Affiliates
  • Contact