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 Cinderella

media type="youtube" key="vPebYNbmr3c" height="344" width="425"    Cinderella once led a very fruitful life. Although her father was in fact widowed, he did everything in his power to keep his daughter safe and happy. However, he soon remarried, connecting Cinderella with a cruel step mother and two equally unforgiving step sisters. Soon after, her father deceased, abandoning Cinderella with her step family who used her as nothing but a slave. They forced her into taking care of all house work and made sure to make her life as unbearable as possible, talking down on her and never allowing her to leave the palace in which they lived. Finally, Cinderella escaped from her "prison" for a single night, traveling to a royal ball. There she met Prince Charming and quickly fell in love. However, Cinderella was forced to return home no later than midnight, otherwise her identity of the poor, desolate woman she was would be revealed. Both Cinderella and her loving prince were heartbroken when they were parted. Prince Charming then searched the kingdom for his lover, using nothing but the glass slipper that she had left behind as his guiding tool. Soon, Cinderella was found. Shortly after, she and Prince charming were wed and "lived happily ever after."



Snow White

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Sometimes, beauty will not always work in one's favor. Princess Snow White acts a perfect, deserving example. The Queen of her land became overwhelming jealous of Snow White's beauty and caring nature. Outraged by the insecurity washing through her, she ordered a huntsman to take Snow White deep into the forest where she was to be murdered, demanding that he bring her heart back as proof of the task having been accomplished. However, this kind huntsman could not find the strength within him to follow through with the command. Instead, he urged Snow White to escape into the forest, insisting that she never again return home. He would bring a pig's heart back to the Queen instead. Grateful for the advice, Snow White did as she had been told. Soon, she came across a small cottage where it was revealed to her that it belonged to seven dwarfs who worked at a nearby mine. There she lived, away from the Queen and out of harms way while also befriending and becoming part of the lives of the seven generous dwarfs. However, the Queen later learned that Snow White had not been killed and was in fact leading a very joyful life. In response, she used magic to transform herself into an old hag, playing the false role of a kind woman. The Queen offered Snow White a red apple, secretly poisoned. Unaware of the spell, Snow White gratefully accepted the gift. After falling into the apple's unseen fatality, Snow White fell into a deep sleep, only to be awakened by a true loves kiss. When she was found seemingly dead by her seven friends, they placed her in a coffin and tearfully brought her to her burial. Before any other steps could be taken, however, a kind prince heard of Snow White's unfortunate condition. He then rushed to her side and became instantly overwhelmed by her beauty. He then gently pecked Snow White's deep red lips, awaking her from the sleep. Snow White and her savior instantly fell in love and lived the rest of their lives "happily ever after."

Pocahontas

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Pocahontas, daughter of the tribal chief, always proved herself to be adventurous and passionate about all surrounding her. She was happy, and held little desire to change anything about her life or the tribe in which she lived. However, like everyone else, Pocahontas was soon forced to grow up and make life changing decisions. Kocoum, a fierce and very skilled warrior, asked the chief to hold his daughter's hand in marriage. He accepted happily and was pleased to inform Pocahontas of the good news. However, Kocoum was very serious and did not hold the same excitement that filled his wanted lover. As a result, Pocahontas was in no rush to be married to him. Instead, she proceeded to live life to its fullest and took little time to worry about marriage. Soon, she discovered a large group of English explorers, establishing the "new world' and in search for gold. Shortly after, she met John Smith, a highly respected explorer who was fascinated with the land. Pocahontas was at first very afraid of him and his people. Their way of life was clearly very different than that of her own. However, he soon earned her trust. As she and John Smith got to know each other, they we taught of each others different cultures and values. It did not take long for them to fall deeply in love. However, while their relationship grew, the differences between their groups of people began to grow more intense. Neither culture could accept the other and they were soon considered enemies. After a misunderstanding caused one of the Englishmen to murder Kocoum, John Smith was taken by Pocahontas' people and sentenced to death. Although Pocahontas believed that there was not anything that could be done to stop her people, she fought to save her lover. In the end, she convinced both her own tribe and the Englishmen that neither group wanted their existing hatred. Before her message was fully understood, however, John Smith was shot by one of his own people in a successful attempt to save Pocahontas' father from a bullet. Although he survived, John Smith was quickly rushed back to England to seek medical treatment. He and Pocahontas were regretfully separated, but knew that their love would never die, and one day, they would be reunited to live "happily ever after."



Sleeping Beauty

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Princess Aurora, daughter of King Stephen and Queen Leah, was loved across her kingdom and blessed by all around her. As only a very young infant, Aurora was introduced to Prince Phillip to whom she was betrothed. Very shortly after, at her christening, Aurora was blessed by three good fairies, Flora, Merryweather, and Fauna. First, the baby Princess was blessed with the gift of beauty, followed by the gift of song. However, before her third blessing could be granted, Maleficent, an evil fairy expressing her hatred towards not being invited to the christening, appears to give an unwanted "present" to Aurora. With pleasure, she casted a spell across the Princess, stating that on the day of her sixteenth birthday, she would fall upon a spinning wheel on which she would prick her finger and die. Merryweather, still able to bless Aurora, could not undo the spell, but was capable of lessening its fatal destiny by instead allowing her to simply fall into a deep sleep until awoken by a true love's kiss. Still horrified by what the future would hold, the King and Queen banished all spinning wheels from the kingdom. For her own protection, Merryweather, Flora, and Fauna instead raised the beautiful Princess. Years later, on the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Aurora, renamed Briar-Rose, was singing in the forest while picking berries. Prince Phillip, now a charming young man, overheard her voice and was overwhelmed by its beauty. Following the tune into the woods, he was once again put face-to-face with Princess Aurora. Although they did not recognize each other, they quickly fell in love. However, realizing that she must return home, "Briar-Rose" was forced to leave her lover, promising that they would meet again. After her arrival home, the three fairies revealed to Aurora her true identity and abandoned royal life. They then took her to the palace of her mother and father where she was introduces to both her own family and her betrothed's family. Unfortunately, Maleficent eagerly took advantage of her magic and lured Aurora away up to a vacant room of the castle where a spinning wheel awaited her. Fascinated by the foreign object, the Princess did indeed touch it, pricking her finger on the spindle and completing the spell. Prince Phillip soon heard of her tragic conditions and ran to her side, passionately kissing the lips of his lover. The Princess was instantly awoken and she and Prince Phillip were free to live "happily ever after."

 All of the above Disney fairytales are stories that end with the same general message. "And they lived happily ever after..." Movies such as these are commonly viewed by young children and never seem to fail in raising the hopes of finding "real," fairytale love. In each of the story lines, endless compassion is found effortlessly and in a matter of only minutes. This simply adds to the expectations of young viewers. While Disney promotes the message, many parents become encouraged to do so as well, buying Princess dolls for their children as well as huge amounts of books and bedtime stories also emphasizing the idea. However, by doing so, parents are only adding to the approaching disappointment that is almost always recognized as children grow to be teenagers and young adults. While facing heartache it becomes nearly impossible to look at Cinderella and feel any sense of its wanted happiness. Princesses and Princes only add to the sorrow faced by every person at some point throughout their life while in search for a happy ending.