How is Cinderella important in the novel, This Is How It Always Is?

Cinderella is the archetypical example of the scullery maid who turns into a princess. She represents the "immediate and complete" transition Penn wishes for Poppy (282).Penn hopes that hormone blockers and sex-reassignment surgery will magically give Poppy a body that aligns with her gender identity, and references the Cinderella story to advocate for this course of action. Eventually, however, Penn recognizes that the transition granted to Cinderella does not exist in the real world and is "not even desirable" (282).