Rhetorical Analysis of Cinderella PDF

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Rhetorical Analysis of a famous version of Cinderella. While the content may not be relevant, this essay provides an excellent model to follow for a rhetorical analysis....

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Sean Mitsein ENGL101012 9-15-20 A Rhetorical Analysis on “Cinderella” by Anne Sexton “No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true.” These words spoken to Cinderella, in Disney’s famous retelling of the Brothers Grimm tale, illustrate her desire to accomplish her condemned dream: live the “happily ever after” life and marry Prince Charming. Does this dream translate into the real world, too? Anne Sexton would tell you that it does not. Why? Because she herself lived the “happily ever after” life and married a “prince charming.” Yet, she was still unhappy and battled mental illness, which eventually led to her downfall. She was a famous, affluent poet who had everything she could have asked for but Sexton wanted to illuminate a broader message about fairy tales, especially the ones Disney retold: that life is superficial and will never bring you happiness. At the time of publication for Sexton’s version of “Cinderella”, women were trying to break the chains set upon them by society: spend your life trying to be the perfect housewife and marry a “prince charming.” In this rhetorical analysis of “Cinderella” by Anne Sexton, I am going to look at how the author uses vivid imagery, irony, and self-reflection to have an effect on the audience and the overall purpose of the text. The author of this piece of literature is Anne Sexton. She was known for her confessional style of writing, not withholding personal opinions and saying what was on her mind. The author has an effect on the audience because if the audience has any knowledge about Anne Sexton, they know that she is known for sarcasm or mockery within her work. She is a renowned poet as well. The audience subsequently respects the text as high-level work but also reads it in a different way. Non-factual statements made by Sexton are taken with a grain of salt, as she is offering an opinion as opposed to stating a fact. This causes the reader to somewhat form their own opinions about the text and what Sexton is attempting to say about it. The text is read in a more sarcastic tone and forces the reader to question certains aspects of life. Because of Sexton’s tendency to be brutally honest and give her personal opinions through her style or writing, it gives the text an ironic feel: yes you are reading a unique fairy tale but aren’t they all just the

same? Questions like this arise when you are reading Sexton’s “Cinderella” poem because of the way she writes; confessional. The audience targeted is the generation of the Vietnam war, as Sexton’s version of Cinderella was published in 1971. Specifically speaking, the women who sought the “ideal” life with a husband, house, and kids were an intended audience. She was also writing to female writers, because in the 1960s and 70s, female writers were trying to achieve literary recognition equal to their male peers. By Sexton commenting on a cultural staple (Disney’s Cinderella), Sexton is trying to make a point that anyone, regardless of gender, can question anything about society. And, because she is a woman, she is leading the way for her fellow female writers. The effect this has on the audience is that women are forced to question if they want the “happily ever after life.” The piece is more relatable and helpful for women of that time period to read, as it speaks out against the superficiality of the “standard” lifestyle women were taught to strive for (housewife). The overall effect on the text is more or less the same, in that it is time-specific and targets a specific group of people and forces them to question things they have been told to do their whole life. Anne Sexton’s Cinderella was published in 1971 in the book “Transformations”. This was a collection of retellings of fairy tales written by the Grimm brothers. Because these poems, especially Cinderella, were retellings, as opposed to the exact story, Sexton’s personal viewpoint is nestled in there along with the original story. Her decision to include all these poems in a collection shows her intent to disprove common fallacies presented in the Disney fairytale retellings. Sexton’s decision to publish this book was perfect for the time. Throughout the 50s, 60s, and a little bit of the 70s, women were taught to learn how to clean and cook for their future husbands and kids. That was the ideal life. In Sexton’s Cinderella, the “superficiality” of this lifestyle is exposed. This causes the audience to question their lifestyle and future endeavors. This was Sexton’s intention which made it completely appropriate for her to publish her book at that time. This text is affected because after reading Cinderella, one will question what “happily ever after” really means and if it is achievable or not. Through her writing and sarcasm within the text, Sexton’s text

makes the reader question aspects of life that were once well-respected and followed. The genre of this piece of literature is a poem. Anne Sexton relates the story of Cinderella while also subtly commenting on how cliche the story is and how all fairytales are the same. Because it is a poem, the effect on the audience is that they will read the piece more carefully, and in that try to determine what the more subtle meaning of the poem is. This is because, generally, poems are shorter with less words. The effect that this has on the text is that it makes the Disney retellings of Cinderella seem much longer and drawn out than Sexton’s poem. The other effect the poem has on the text is that there are clues as to what Sexton is trying to say within the poem, causing it to be less fantastical, due to the Disney retellings of fairy tales being more monotonous and predictable in their plot. The context of this piece is set in the Vietnam War. Women were protesting more and more during this time, for their rights and also their fellow women in the Vietnam War. In the literary world, women were trying to reach the level of male writers. Sexton’s version of Cinderella is targeted at these women and intends to say that the typical lifestyle presented in the 50s and 60s that many women seek is superficial and fake, and by having that fairy tale sort of life, you will not be happy, as is the case with Sexton herself. Her statement is powerful because she jabs at Disney, a cultural powerhouse, and their depiction of life, saying that all you need is to find your Prince Charming. And she is doing it as a woman, which inspires her fellow writers to challenge social and cultural norms. As Sexton makes a strong point about stereotypes of the ideal life for a woman at the time, her word is powerful because of the person she is; this can be enough to sway certain women’s opinions. The overall effect this has on the text is that it is very bold of Sexton and speaks to her writing style - confessional and opinionated. Her commentary on Cinderella and the stereotypes surrounding women at the time is powerful and would inspire anyone who read it, especially women at the time. These women did not have as much social mobility as men back then and Sexton’s opinions state a strong case that women should desire and pursue their own meaning of a “happily ever after,” and not be influenced by social norms.

The overall voice of the text is slightly informal. Sexton is satirical with this piece and mocking of “classic fairytales.” Sexton retells the story of Cinderella, alluding to a couple other fairy tales as well. At the end of the poem, Sexton offers a little insight into what she thinks of the “happily ever after” ending. She compares Cinderella and Prince Charming as two dolls in a box, subject to be looked at for eternity. This is a good example of Sexton’s informal tone: she writes the traditional story but also adds her opinion which makes the reader question if a “happily ever after” ending is real. The overall effect on the text is that now, the reader has a less fantastical view of the story of Cinderella - it loses its uniqueness. In her own way, Sexton is saying that all these endings are the same throughout every fairytale. Some strategies employed by Sexton are repetition and vivid imagery. Sexton repeatedly uses the phrase “that story” to make the story of Cinderella seem typical and not unique. In terms of imagery, Sexton paints a picture in the reader’s head when she writes, “... [the eldest sister] simply sliced [her heel] off and put on the slipper… the white dove told him to look at the blood pouring forth. That is the way with amputations. They just don't heal up like a wish.” This vivid image of the “blood pouring forth” makes the audience think of the literal feet and their blood. The use of imagery and repetition makes the text more interesting to read and more authentic, as the original Disney version of Cinderella strayed away from this sort of idea a great deal. Sexton is again trying to show the reader that the Disney retelling of Cinderella is unrealistic and too good to be true. Life is not just so simple where you can find a prince charming and be happy for the rest of your life; no, this is not the case in Sexton’s eyes. Sexton clearly is trying to say, through her description and use of blood, that in life there will be pain and sacrifice in order to get what you want. Everything comes at a price. Anne Sexton is trying to show her audience two main ideas: first, many of the fairy tales retold by Disney from the original creators, the Grimm brothers, are fake. Second, Sexton drops subtle clues that she herself is not satisfied with life even though she has the “fairy tale storyline”. Sexton herself had a husband, good job, fame, and a child. Sexton uses sarcasm to finish her version of Cinderella and conveys the superficiality of “happily ever afters.”

The use of imagery and sarcasm makes the text more interesting to read for the audience because it brings some life into the text, as the original Disney version of Cinderella strayed away from this sort of idea a great deal. Sexton is again trying to show the reader that the Disney retelling of Cinderella is unrealistic and too good to be true. Life is not just so simple where you can find a prince charming and be happy for the rest of your life; no, this is not the case in Sexton’s eyes. Sexton is trying to say, through her description of dolls in a museum, that in life, everything will not be perfect and it is okay. It is what you do in life which makes it “perfect.” There is also a self-reflective aspect within the text. Sexton herself had a very good life by society’s standards. She won numerous literature awards, including the Pulitzer Prize; she had a husband, children, fame, and money. She had what people would call the ideal life. Why then would she commit suicide? She struggled with mania, depression, and suicidal tendencies, which influenced her poem “Cinderella”. The text reflected her own struggles in life, as she alludes to the fact that one can have everything they want and still end up not having anything in the end. Happiness is not in the physical, material aspects of life. Sexton had the “perfect” life and in the end she committed suicide. In Cinderella’s case, Cinderella and Prince Charming end up as dolls in a museum, being scrutinized for eternity. This shows the superficiality of fairy tales. Assuming the reader has previous knowledge of Sexton’s death, the end of the poem makes a lot more sense and affects the reader in the way that it makes one think about Sexton is a different light, not so much as a critique of Disney’s retelling of fairy tales, but more as a struggling soul who knows what truly gives one happiness in life. The effect of Sexton’s self-reflection within the text is that it gives the text a more authentic feel. Sexton is not just making claims because she wants to, but because she has experienced it herself. She has experienced the superficiality in the “happily ever after” lifestyle so she is a reliable person to comment on such things. In my opinion, yes, the author is effective in their writing in this text. Sexton shows, through her use of irony and sarcasm, that fairy tales have the same plot and their renowned “happily ever after”

endings are superficial. Sexton is a very good candidate to comment on aforementioned “superficiality” because of the struggles in her own life. She possessed the sought after “fairy tale” life, as she had a husband, children, money, and fame. But, as she makes clear with her commentary in the poem about Cinderella and her Prince Charming being dolls in a museum, “scrutinized forever,” none of these things bring true happiness. Happiness does not come from materialistic objects; it comes from within one’s mind and soul. Sexton’s commentary is therefore valid on the fake aspect of the “fairy tale” ideal, because she herself had it and her mental illness battles overcame her. The text is strong and forces me to think in a different way than before because I never thought of fairy tales in this light: they depict an unrealistic version of life and how it should be. Happiness is found within oneself and cannot be obtained from the material features of life. Sexton makes an appeal to ethos as she is a renowned poet, who is known for her “highly personal, confessional verse.” She won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1967 and many other awards. More importantly, Sexton could speak from experience when it related to happiness and the “ideal” life. She had a husband, child, and money but she battled mental illness which caused her eventual death in October of 1974. She was a woman who was able to speak on experiences of the “ideal” life because she possessed it yet was still unsatisfied. Sexton appeals to logos as she is an example of living the fairy tale life. She has a husband, children, money and fame yet she still battled mental illness and depression. Sexton is able to inject her personal opinions in the story and make claims that her background supports. She also uses strategies, such as intense imagery and repetition, to prove her points that life is not all that simple and that many Disney retellings of fairy tales are the same and possess the same ending. Sexton makes an appeal to pathos when she comments that the “happily ever after” ending is superficial and will not bring you happiness. This “ideal” life for women was fake. Sexton attempted to convey to her audience that there is not a way to “win” life; happiness comes from within each individual and not from a “prince charming”. Sexton draws on the idea that the retellings of Cinderella, particularly Disney’s, are inaccurate when it comes to finding happiness and intends to say that in life, one must fight

for what they want. Regardless if this is achieved or not, it is a lesson that we can learn and become better from. In this rhetorical analysis of the text “Cinderella” by Anne Sexton, I showed how the author used the rhetorical appeals and rhetorical situation to effectively convey her message that the “happily ever after” ending portrayed in fairy tales, particularly Disney’s retellings of such, are superficial and do not bring true happiness. Sexton wrote her essay to show women of her generation that instead of consuming a norm at the time and taking it as what is expected, they should strive for internal happiness and peace of mind. Sexton can attest to this because she possessed the “ideal” life and still battled mental illness. She utilized the rhetorical situations effectively, such as imagery, sarcasm, and self-reflection, to construct a strong commentary that speaks to women and their battle to break free of the chains of stereotypical society. Sexton ends her piece with a powerful image of two dolls, meant to be Cinderella and Prince Charming, in a museum, scrutinized for eternity, excluded from society. As a reader, you understand Sexton’s opinion on such a matter and she rises to the occasion with this exceptional body of work....