What kind of paragraph is the following? While Cinderella herself manages to squeeze a "happily
ever after" out of her own ending, does she remain happy?
Since aging has always been difficult to portray positively
in Western culture, the brief "happily-ever-after" ending of a
fairy tale allows it to conclude quickly and neatly.
Additionally, because fairy tales were originally written for
adults, it seems reasonable that once the moral or lesson
of the story is presented, there is little reason to continue
the story. Readers are left to determine what the happy
ending means and imagine for themselves what a happy
future might entail for fairy-tale characters.