Is Fate Predetermined?

Is Fate Predetermined?

“Everything in the fairy tales appears to happen entirely by chance-and this has the strange effect of making it appear that everything happens by fluke, that everything is fated” (Byatt, A.S. The Annotated Brothers Grimm. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc, 2004). Throughout this paper I will be making a comparative analysis to Byatt’s theory using the Brothers Grimm version of Cinderella, as well as giving a brief overview of some of the key symbols and details incorporated into the story. Is Byatt’s hypothesis accurate? If so, it would imply that Cinderella’s fate was predetermined, but if not, would it just be sheer coincidence? This leads me to wonder…in fairy tales, does the underdog always come out on top? Another side I will explore is that of karma. Does karma always come around to punish those who unjustly punish others? By examining different key elements in the tale, I will determine whether karma is an inevitable consequence to the battle between the good and the evil.

Cinderella struck me as the kind of woman who would use her misfortunes as fuel to better herself and her life. Cinderella appreciated the small things in life. An example of such would be when Cinderella’s father was going to the fair and asked his children what they wished for him to bring back, the two step-daughters requested beautiful dresses and pearls, while Cinderella replied “Father, break off the first branch that brushes against your hat on your way home and bring it to me” (P. 116). Cinderella then took the hazel branch he brought her and planted it on the grave of her mother. Her freshly fallen tears watered the branch and it grew into a beautiful tree. She was loving, caring and valued things for their sentimental value, not for financial worth. But if there were ever two complete opposites, it would be Cinderella and her step-mother and step-sisters. Her new step-family only saw value in materialistic possessions and in objects with monetary value. The sisters are described as “two daughters with beautiful faces and fair skin, but with hearts that were foul and black” (p. 116); they were cold hearted and malicious where Cinderella was warm and kind hearted. The white doves also played a key role in the evolution of the story. They were personified with their ability to speak and complete “human tasks”, such as help Cinderella dress for the festival and verbally communicate with the other characters. As a reader, it appeared the doves played the role of “Guardian Angel” when it came to Cinderella and the prince. The presence of the doves is what prevented a disastrous conclusion to the story. But, as concerned as the doves were with protecting the soon to be newlyweds, they were equally intent on punishing the villainous. This is shown at the end of the tale when the two sisters decide they want to share in their new sister’s good fortune after her marriage to the prince. The doves took it upon themselves to punish the sisters by pecking their eyes out as a means of punishing them eternally for all their wrongdoings. I personally found this to be both incredibly amusing and unexpected as I am most familiar with the typical “happily ever after”, modern day version of the tale. Ultimately, Cinderella wins out in the end by getting the prince and away from her horrid family, but is that predestined because she was weaker party in the beginning?

The story is introduced in heartbreaking spirits with the death of Cinderella’s mother. It is opened with, “The wife of a rich man fell ill one day… then she closed her eyes and passed away” (p. 115, 116). The inclusion of him being a rich man sets the stage for the materialistic nature of the new additions to the family. Another symbol of wealth used in the story is the golden shoe the prince used to find his future princess, Cinderella. The annotations for the story state, “… the golden shoe cannot stretch to fit its wearer” (p. 125), which is one of the reasons for the shoe being made of gold. Furthermore, gold is also said to be “…often associated