Cinderella: Alternate Interpretations

This afternoon, I picked up my daughter and 3C from pre-school. As they settled into their car seats they each picked up a book and began flipping through. Goof girl said, “Do you want to look at Cinderella? Well you can’t, I’m looking at it.”

Naturally I rebuked my daughter and told her that was no way to talk to a friend and that she should share the book.

“I can’t help it,” my daughter explained, “I’m like the wicked step-sisters.”

“The step-sisters are awful – you don’t want to be like them.”

“They are beautiful.”

“No,” I retorted, “they aren’t. And more importantly, they aren’t nice. Being nice is really important.”

“They are more beautiful at the beginning. They get the nice clothes and jewelry…”

She’s always liked the bad guys – from Robby Rotten to the White Witch in Narnia. But identifying with the wicked stepsisters in Cinderella? Is there a feminist take on this? I mean, at least her identity isn’t wrapped up in seeking a handsome prince?

Or is my daughter, as I’ve always suspected, possessed?