Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty — these are the very first (first generation) Disney princesses who paved the way for those who came after them. For me, Cinderella is my favorite princess of all, regardless of the generation. There are many reasons for this, but the biggest one is her determination.Â
Cinderella may not have had to fight in a war like Mulan, or travel across the ocean like Moana. She was also not put in charge of a kingdom like Elsa, or trapped in a tower like Rapunzel. Even though she did not do any of this, she had to take on a lot of mental and physical strain due to her step-mother and step-sisters. She was constantly put to work doing all the physical labor, only to be yelled at for it not being good enough.Â
Yet, she still stayed and did not give up on herself. When she saw a possible way out of her situation, the prince’s ball, she did everything in her power to get there. With the help of her fairy godmother, she got a dress and transportation to live her life in the way she wanted. She was determined to help herself even when everyone was tearing her down.
Cinderella, similar to the other first generation princesses, also showed another level of kindness. She did not have to put up with her step-mother and step-sisters attitudes, she did not have to be polite to them, and she did not have to be kind to the mice that were in her room. She did though. She treated every person and every animal with an immeasurable amount of kindness, even when undeserved by them. She never got anything positive in return from her step-sisters and step-mother, but that never deterred her from continuing to show them kindness.Â
Kindness and determination are two very important characteristics that every individual should have. Cinderella shows us how to have both of these qualities even when times are tough, and the recipients do not always deserve it. Personally, Cinderella is my favorite Disney princess because I am constantly reminded to be kind and determined when I think of her. No matter what I am facing, I can always show kindness and keep pushing through my own challenges.