This thesis discusses the intersections of class and the lack of social mobility in three versions of Cinderella from the seventeenth century. The works covered are are Giambattista Basile's "La Gatta Cennerentola" ["The Cat Cinderella"] (c.1634), Charles Perrault's "La Petite Pantoufle de Verre" ["The Glass Slipper"] (1697), and Marie- Catherine D'Aulnoy's "Finette Cendrone" ["Clever Cinderella"] (1697). The seventeenth-century versions of Cinderella all reaffirm the existing class system. In each of these versions the message is that the ruling elite must maintain or regain to their status. We can see this by the ways in which the characters gain and lose status in their respective narratives. Ultimately, the early modern Cinderella story is one that supports a hereditary class system. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection