According to Vinge, Phoenix in the Ashes was inspired by an old folk song, "Take Me Out of Pity." It also owes much to both "Cinderella" and "The Ugly Duckling." Although at least one of Amanda's sisters is kind to her, she is the family outcast who works much harder than her sisters just to survive.

As a result of her hard labor, she is, like Cinderella, often tired and harried.

Like the title character in "The Ugly Duckling," she considers herself unattractive because she is too thin by the standards of her society and because she is too old now to be attractive. She blossoms when the "right" man obviously finds her physically attractive, wants her despite her lack of dowry, and is even willing to pay a bride price for her.