As a role model for our daughters, Disney’s Cinderella leaves something to be desired.  It’s something I’ve thought for a while, but I was reminded of it this week when Dancing With Fireflies mentioned the need for strong female role models in YA fiction. Apparently, it isn’t much better in juvenile fiction, either.

The Movie

To be fair, Cinderella isn’t all bad. With her kind heart and perseverance, the eponymous lead is miles ahead of the passive female characters in many stories, and the plot, with its heavily female cast, easily passes the Bechdel Test.  When I first saw it in a movie theater at the age of eight, I enjoyed it. As an adult, though, it bothers me. Consider:

• Cinderella has a goal, but that goal is essentially to find and wed a wealthy man. This may have been acceptable in 1950 when the film was first released…