Cinderella and Her Sisters. The Object and Subject of Envy

Cinderella, huddled in her black corner of soot and ash, personifies all human suffering. As an embodiment of inner and outer nobility, she becomes the object of envy for her cruel stepmother and ugly stepsisters. Ann and Barry Ulanov explore, based on this well-known story, the psychological and theological aspects of envy and kindness. Presenting their interpretation of the fairy tale, the authors repeatedly shift from internal questions to external ones and back: from how the male and female components complement or hinder each other, to how individuals build relationships with people of their own and opposite sex, how they conflict, compete, and create harmonious unions.