I have a problem with the people who have a problem with Disney's Cinderella. What started out as an inspiring movie that was meant to motivate oppressed women was turned into a "non-feminist" movie that people are now saying would discourage young girls from becoming strong women. I am a strong woman, and one reason is that of Disney's Cinderella. Disney's Cinderella did not teach me that I needed a man to save me from oppression; Disney's Cinderella taught me that we are strongest when we have a strong sense of self, a strong attitude of positivity, and a strong sense of community.

First of all, Disney's Cinderella portrays a beautiful young girl who is forced to become a servant in her own house. Cinderella has no control over this situation. During this time, Cinderella's only choices were to either run away from that home and potentially be forced into human trafficking, slavery, or prostitution, OR she could be a servant in her own house where she was safe.

Personally, I would have chosen to be a servant in my own house too. Running away during that time would not have generated a safe and secure home. She was also quite a young girl when it first started, and she was never paid. She could not save up enough money to achieve independence from her evil stepfamily.

Second of all, this oppression is a real phenomenon, and the only way to handle it is with a positive attitude and sometimes daydreaming. This is exactly what Cinderella does. I have personally been in situations where I have basically no choice but to daydream out of unfortunate circumstances and keep a positive attitude. Instead of submitting to persistent hatred that would have embedded destructive habits that would have damaged her, Cinderella keeps a positive attitude that generates love and friendship. This is an important lesson to learn, and it was a lesson that I learned from this movie.

Third of all, when people are envious of other people, they will try to oppress those people. The stepmother did not want Cinderella to go to the ball because Cinderella was competition for her own biological daughters. The movie encapsulates an accurate portrayal of human character because it sheds light on how and why people are oppressed and how they can escape that oppression. Being a feminist means that we should believe that women should be just as empowered as men. Nothing is more empowering than the knowledge of how to overcome emotional and psychological obstacles as well as physical ones.

In fact, the prince was also subjected to enforced gender roles. He did not mistreat Cinderella; he was forced to dance with women at the ball because his father demanded that he get married for the sake of the royal family and the kingdom. He did not reject Cinderella once it was known that she was a servant in her own house. His only concern was finding the woman that fit the shoe that was left behind, regardless of social status. His only concern was love.

Also, Cinderella was strongest because of her community. She befriended the vermin within her own house, and they loved her so much that they made her a dress. She also had a fairy godmother that was able to help her also get to the ball. No man or woman is an island, and Disney's Cinderella portrays how we are strongest when we have a community. Being a feminist does not necessarily imply that women are only strong when they alone or do everything alone. Humans are not psychologically wired to do everything alone. We are strongest when we have a strong sense of self and positivity that cannot be eroded away by people who want to oppress us.