Cinderella
Cinderella
An evil stepmother, two wicked stepsisters… a kind girl whisked away by the handsome prince. Once upon a time and happily ever after. Can't be wrapped up neatly into 4 pages. More complex plots, still lead to that same happy ending. Higgins, Mama Elena, and the stepmother all serve as obstacles between their respective lead heroines and happiness. Transform to overcome Each lead heroine battles her tyrant in a different way, but ultimately all three women overcome the obstacle and secure their happiness. Cinderella, Eliza, and Tita all face different dilemmas. Cinderella's problem is her unhappiness under the rule of her strict and demanding stepmother.
After reading Shaw's ambiguous ending to Pygmalion, most readers fantasize about the union of Professor Higgins and Eliza. But far from being Eliza's "Prince Charming," Higgins embodies all the characteristics of the evil mother figure in older versions of the Cinderella story and in the more recent novel, Like Water for Chocolate. The way he underestimates Eliza, the way he prevents her from finding happiness, and the way he takes advantage of her status makes him much more comparable to Tita's oppressive Mama Elena and Cinderella's evil stepmother than to Cinderella's charming prince. Higgins' treatment of Eliza keeps her mentally oppressed in a nearly insurmountable inferior status. Eliza will always just "be a flower girl to Professor Higgins. (Shaw, Act V)" He underestimates her strength, and is convinced that, alone, she would "relapse into the gutter.(Shaw, Act V) " He takes Eliza for granted, expecting her to fulfill his goals for her yet never acknowledging her achievements; never stopping "to thank her, or pet her, or admire her, or tell her how splendid she'd been, (Act V)." . What makes Eliza's struggle particularly convoluted is the fact that Higgins also serves as a romantic figure for her. Eliza could potentially live happy with Higgins if he were willing to change, but the obstinate Higgins makes it impossible for Eliza to continue loving him. He refuses to abandon his ways and make Eliza happy, yet tries to stop her from finding happiness elsewhere with Freddy, a suitor who actually loves and adores her.
Similarly, Mama Elena refuses to abandon her ways and traditions. After suffering through her own "frustrated love (Esquivel, p.138)" the spiteful Mama Elena will not allow Tita to find happiness with Pedro. Like the prototypical fairy tale evil stepmother, Mama Elena demands complete...