The Little Glass Slipper

“She could not bear the good qualities of this pretty girl; and the less, because they made her own daughters appear the more odious.”

The narrator reveals the stepmother's jealousy towards Cinderilla, magnifying her own daughters' repulsiveness in comparison. Perrault juxtaposes the stepsisters and Cinderilla to establish Cinderilla’s goodness and the stepsisters’ cruelty and repugnance.

“When she had done her work, she used to go into the chimney-corner, and sit down among cinders and ashes, which made her commonly be called Cinder-breech […]”

The image of Cinderilla sitting among cinders and ashes creates a stark contrast between her dirty and neglected state and the stepsisters’ superficial elegance. The derogatory nickname "Cinder-breech,” which roughly means "cinder-bottom,” emphasizes Cinderilla's lowly position.

“‘For my part,’ said the eldest, ‘I will wear my red velvet suit, with French trimming.’ ‘And I,’ said the youngest, ‘shall only have my usual petticoat; but then, to make amends for that, I will put on my gold-flowered manteau, and my diamond stomacher, which is far from being the most ordinary one in the world.’”

This quote exemplifies the story’s exploration of social class and materialism. Cinderilla's stepsisters, representing the privileged elite, prioritize their appearance and expensive attire. Their obsession with outward beauty and status reveals their shallow nature and their belief that external wealth defines their worth.