Cinderella & Donkeyskin

In Tartar’s article Introduction: Cinderella, she states that “Again and again, mothers are the real villains, extracting promises that end by victimizing both father and daughter” (pg. 105). For me, this statement establishes the connection between Cinderella and Donkeyskin. I think that it is somewhat empowering to juxtapose Cinderella, the damsel in distress and Donkeyskin, the proactive heroine. In both tales, the (good) mother unfortunately initiates what becomes a series of cataclysmic events. In Cinderella, Cinderella’s mom dies and her weak willed father is in oblivion of “love” (damn near emasculated in my eyes) or removed from the story all together and unable to respond to the mistreatment of his daughter. In Donkeyskin, the mother’s impending doom either restricts her from lucidly outlining the conditions of her husband’s remarriage or leaves her request open to (loose) interpretation by the King. Either way you look at it, it is ultimately the mom’s fault for the calamities that befall her husband and progeny. Luckily, in both stories, redemption prevails. Cinderella’s piety and supernatural help helps her prevail and Donkeyskin’s initial help from the supernatural coupled with her culinary skills and ingenuity earns her happiness. Although all fairy tales have phantasmagorical elements, I would have to say that Donkeyskin is a tad more realistic than Cinderella. It seems more believable that a girl would have to create her own happily ever after than the happily ever after stumbling upon her. Donkeyskin possesses that proactive element and derivatives of Donkeyskin do so as well. Gold Teeth for example is an Italian adaptation of the Donkeyskin tale that begins with the same fate that plagues the family, the mother’s seemingly innocuous request that is interpreted strictly and (unfortunately) shamefully. Supernatural forces guide the daughter to delay the marriage and ultimately help the daughter in her travels after escaping. She still endures some assault as a flea skinned girl but ultimately triumphs in the end because of her culinary skills. As with most of the Donkeyskin stories, the royal kings and queens are too preoccupied with their positions and are unnaturally “perfect.” It is that perfection that prevents them from adhering to their obligatory parental duties. Consequentially, their intense and manipulated love drives them to think illogically and make ghastly decisions. Similarly, Cinderella’s dad is too blinded by love or manipulated by new wife to stop the madness before it happens. This is principally why I think that these tales can be read cooperatively as they both begin with similar motifs, spin those motifs in directions that instigate immorality but fortunately work out in the end.