Defining Beauty: A Critical Multicultural Analysis of Anthropomorphic Cinderella Characters

This study is an examination of picturebook retellings of Cinderella tales featuring anthropomorphic characters. Using critical multicultural lenses, researchers analyzed the texts for the ways beauty was depicted. Findings suggest that the nonhuman characters were subjected to standards of beauty that mirror those of our current societies, namely fairer hair and skin, as well as slenderer bodies, being deemed preferable to other types. Additionally, the researchers noted that anthropomorphic characters were often expected to sacrifice key elements of their identities in order to conform to gendered expectations. The researchers therefore suggest that educators push for critical conversations when sharing such texts in their classrooms in order to help young readers interrogate the stories and discuss the ways they may perpetuate negative stereotypes.