Froggy Tales

In 2009 Disney released its last princess movie, titled The Princess and the Frog. The film receive much attention, not only because it was ending the Princess era, but also for Tiana being the first African American princess in the history of Disney. The movie is centered in New Orleans in the 1920's, opening with Tiana's mother reading her and her white best friend, Charlotte the story of The Frog Prince. Tiana's mother works as a seamstress to Charlotte and her father. Disney again puts a strong emphasis on the father figure in this movie. Tiana and her father were very close, and planned on opening up a restaurant together until he passed away years later. He was a hardworking, diligent man who supported his family and these values were instilled in Tiana. As she grows up, she works two jobs nonstop in order to buy the building for her restaurant. 

It is announced that a prince is coming to town and will be staying as a guest at Charlotte's mansion. Charlotte, who has always dreamed of living a true fairy tale is more than thrilled, already imagining Prince Naveen proposing to her. She gets everything in life handed to her, never having to work for anything. Charlotte is an intriguing character herself, a true embodiment of female stereotypes, though not in the same way as Snow White. Charlotte shares the same girlish looks and waiting for her own prince to come and whisk her away, but she is also a very loud, hyper, and emotional character who doesn't think twice about getting what she wants and how she goes about it. Despite being a little spoiled, Charlotte proves herself throughout the movie as a strong supporting character and a loyal friend to Tiana, and she also takes initiative to try and make the prince fall in love with her anyway she can.

On the opposite side of the scale, Tiana has been forced to work two jobs for the majority of her life in order to save up money to open the restaurant her and her father dreamed about. She is extremely independent with no need for assistance from anyone. She wants to be able to control every aspect of her life rather than have it decided for her like we saw from other female leads in previous movies. At one of Charlotte's parties, the businessmen negotiating with Tiana for the restaurant building tell her that someone has bid higher and unless she can find the money, she will lose her dream. They say, "a woman of your background would have had your hands full trying to run that place all by herself!" This implies that not only race is being looked down upon, but her gender as well. They view her as incapable and naive rather than taking her seriously.

When Tiana takes a moment to away from the party she kisses a frog claiming to be Prince Naveen, and she herself is turned into a frog and her entire life gets flipped upside down. The Voo-doo man who turned Naveen into a frog is trying to get Charlotte to marry an imposter Naveen in order to get to Charlotte's father's money. 

Tiana and Naveen escape into the swamp to try and figure things out. They fight well into halfway through the movie, blaming each other on their circumstances. Tiana thinks that Naveen has absolutely no work ethic and for someone who has done nothing but worked her entire life, she can't agree with getting life handed to you on a silver platter. She executes every plan to get out of the swamp and keeps the prince from harm on multiple occasions. Though, Naveen thinks that all the work has made Tiana forget how to have fun and over the course of their time together, they both begin to learn what they've been missing. With the help of an alligator and a firefly, the group travels through the swamp to find Mama  Odie who is said to have the answer of how to turn them back into humans. 

Mama Odie is another supporting female, but she also has a very strong personality. She's seventy years old, blind, and lives in the swamp. Odie is incredibly eccentric and urges the two frogs to try and find what they need rather than what the want, hinting in a round about way that perhaps being human isn't what they need to be considering. They're determined though, and Odie tells them that Charlotte's father is the Mardi Gras king, making her a princess, so if they want to turn back into humans, Charlotte will need to kiss Naveen before midnight. Eventually, the Naveen and Tiana manage to return back to New Orleans in one piece. Before they are able to find Charlotte, Naveen wants to tell Tiana that he has fallen in love with her. He arranges a tiny dinner and even makes a ring for her, but in the end, can't manage to say it. Back on land, Naveen is kidnapped and held hostage while the impostor Naveen sets out to marry Charlotte. Tiana sees them together and misunderstands the situation before running off. She blames herself, knowing she never should have trusted him, and should have been focusing only on her dream. Raymond, the firefly, catches up to her, revealing the truth, and the Tiana has to fight the Voo-doo. Ultimately, she defeats him by herself and as a frog no less, reinforcing that she is more than capable of taking care of herself on her own. 

Tiana finds Naveen and Charlotte too late, and they are forced to stay frogs forever. It isn't a tragedy for them though, because they confess their love and decide that it's okay as long as they have one another. This is one piece of the movie that is reminiscent of previous traditional princesses. Naveen and Tiana only knew each other two or three days and yet they both fall madly in love without taking much time to get to know one another, though they did hate each other in the beginning. It hints at Beauty and the Beast in that respect. Mama Odie marries the two frog and when they kiss, the spell is broken, because Naveen kissed a princess, so they are both turned back into humans. They get married officially and begin work on Tiana's restaurant, building it up slowly with their own hands and hard work. The two, of course, live happily ever after.

"Two for flinching!"

Another character-driven animated tale from Disney, the 2001 film Atlantis: The Lost Empire once again features a male-dominated cast of characters. However, of the handful of females who exist among the main and supporting characters, all stand out as women who shatter the gender norms enforced by the society of their time and of our society in general. Set in 1914, over two decades prior to the release date of Disney’s Snow White, Atlantis features three female characters in particular who are the polar opposites of the 1937’s ideal princess.

 

The audience’s first encounter with one of the film’s female characters follows Milo’s failure to convince the museum staff to fund an expedition to search for the Shepherd’s Journal, the key to finding Atlantis. When he arrives home, dejected, he finds Lieutenant Helga Sinclair waiting in his house, wearing a slinky, seductive dress and dropping sarcastic comments left and right. She embodies a typical femme fatale character type, immediately presenting herself as a sexy, capable, and even dangerous woman. After convincing Milo to return with her to the home of her employer, she briefly vanishes from the film. When Helga finally reappears, she is dressed in a military uniform and supervising the preparations for the upcoming Atlantis expedition funded by her employer. Helga’s sudden switch from dangerous temptress to stern military woman lies completely within her character, but it is clear that she prefers to function in the latter sense. She is revealed throughout the movie to be a morally dubious character, interested in looking out for her own interests. Although she shows unclear emotions of pain or sadness immediately following the sinking of the submarine and a great loss of life, she remains otherwise emotionally detached, doing her duty to look out for those under her command but refusing to soften to the plight of Atlantis. Whereas female characters are traditionally shown as ruled by their emotions, either on the surface or buried beneath fake apathy, Helga’s character makes it clear that her personality and decisions are governed by her brain rather than her heart. She can be just as callous as her male counterpart, Commander Rourke, with whom she stands until he makes it clear that he views her as the inferior partner. Defiant to the end, when Rourke throws her from the dirigible in order to lighten the load and aid his escape, Helga retaliates by shooting the dirigible down and foiling his plan.

 

Helga is not, however, the only woman in a position of power on the multi-million dollar expedition to Atlantis. Audrey Ramirez is introduced as the Chief Mechanic, responsible for maintaining the various vehicles used in the search for the lost empire. Not only is Audrey a woman, but she also a woman of color—of a Puerto Rican background—and a teenager, the youngest crew member to hold such a position. Despite all these factors, Audrey defies any societal expectation one might have of her, approaching her profession with obvious skill and enjoyment. Just as Helga’s character can be pegged as the femme fatale, Audrey’s character might be pegged as the tomboy, as she embodies no hint of traditional femininity, instead choosing to fit in as “one of the guys.” She wears baggy overalls that obscure her figure, she routinely punches Milo, and she isn’t afraid to get up close and personal when working on the engines. These characteristics are explained in the discussion of her backstory, when she reveals that her father always wanted two sons: one to become a champion boxer, and the other to run his mechanic shop. Instead, he ended up with two daughters, both of whom ended up following his dreams for them, becoming successful females in traditionally male-dominated fields. Although Audrey rejects a great deal of traditional femininity, she does show a greater sense of caring and adherence to a moral code than Helga, changing sides before the final struggle in order to aid the people of Atlantis. However, this sense of caring never becomes a weakness, for Audrey holds her own throughout the film, doing what she believes is right and giving it everything she’s got.

The main female lead, however, is the Princess Kidagakash, known as Kida. Unlike previous Disney princesses, Kida is a skilled warrior and leader of her people, making it clear from the beginning that it is her responsibility to revive her dying culture. Kida’s title does not merely set her up as the stepping stone for the future king; her father specifically mentions that his position as ruler will fall to her upon his death, and that she will govern Atlantis as the queen. Because she is expected to one day be the leader rather than to one day marry the leader, Kida demonstrates herself to be a decisive, responsible character, tackling problems as they arise rather than aspiring to become a docile symbol in the background of the royal leadership. Kida is intelligent, questioning the faults in her society and her father’s reluctance to move forward, and she actively works to learn about the culture’s forgotten past in order to preserve its future. When the expedition from the outside world reaches Atlantis, Kida immediately recognizes Milo’s skills as a linguist, and she approaches him to help her decipher the texts that have been lost to her people following the Great Flood.

When Rourke reveals that his involvement in the mission is as a mercenary, seeking out the mysterious Heart of Atlantis to sell as a power source to the highest-bidding nation, Helga captures Kida at gunpoint and forces Milo to lead them to the Heart of Atlantis. When they encounter the large crystal, suspended like a miniature sun in an underground cavern, Kida is drawn to it, merging with the crystal as it senses the danger to the city. After Rourke has locked Kida and the crystal away, planning to transport them back to the surface, the King reveals to Milo that the same fate befell Kida’s absent mother, who merged with the crystal and was thus able to protect the city from the Great Flood, saving the civilization and its people by submerging it and hiding it away. However, Kida’s mother remained bonded with the crystal for too long, losing herself permanently within it. In order to rescue Kida from this fate, Milo leads a team to steal her back from Rourke, a rescue that does and does not fit in with the actions of the traditional Disney hero. Milo is not a warrior like Kida, but a scholar, and he cannot singlehandedly save the girl. He relies on the help of his friends, and it is through the actions of many that Kida is restored to Atlantis. However, the explosion of Rourke’s dirigible during the rescue attempt causes a volcanic eruption to take place, which would wipe out the city without Kida’s intervention. Freed from her prison, Kida uses the power of the crystal to save Atlantis and its people, following in the footsteps of her mother. After the city is saved, she is restored to her body, and with the death of her father (following Rourke’s earlier attack on him), Kida becomes the Queen of Atlantis.

The relationship between Kida and Milo is much more subtle than many other Disney relationships, and it is implied that they take it slow, getting to know each other rather than rushing into a marriage as is typical in the Disney canon. They share many onscreen interactions, and toward the end of the film they are seen to hug and to hold hands, but perhaps alone of all Disney couples, they do not share the climactic onscreen kiss. Furthermore, their relationship is built entirely on the equality between them and their mutual respect for one another. Milo does not embody the traditional brawny male, and Kida does not embody the traditional docile woman. They instead respect each other’s intellect and differing skills, and they each take on aspects traditionally associated with femininity or masculinity. Milo’s relationship with Kida does not detract from her authority as the queen; although he is the male, the monarchy of Atlantis is based on ancestry rather than gender, and Kida is unequivocally recognized as the leader of her people. Perhaps this strength of character is ahead of its time, however, as Kida is not recognized in the official lineup of Disney Princesses.

“I’m a damsel, I’m in distress, I can handle it. Have a nice day!”

The 1997 film Hercules is a very character-heavy film, populated largely by male characters who move the action forward. Meg, the love interest to the title character, fulfills the Disney requirement for a female lead to accompany the male lead, while the Muses provide the movie’s narration. However, other than these women, the story is largely dominated by male characters. Hercules is different from many of its animated predecessors in that the main character’s mother is neither dead nor inexplicably absent; in fact, Hercules has two: his biological mother, Hera, and his adoptive mother, Alcmene. Neither of these characters is particularly prominent—Hercules’ interaction with his adoptive parents is mainly shown through moments with his father, and Hercules speaks only to Zeus during his quest to become a hero, meeting Hera only once as an infant at the film’s beginning and once as an adult at the end of the film. The establishment of strong relationships with father figures while neglecting the mother-child relationship is a trend that Disney continues in the animated film, Mulan, which was released the following year.

The film also takes a unique artistic approach, with character and design decisions that differ noticeably from many of Disney’s earlier films. The female character designs tend to exist in extremes, with female characters who are either inhumanly thin or exaggeratedly fat. Although other female characters in the Disney canon have had odd issues with physical design, they are particularly prominent in Hercules. The Muses demonstrate these extremes best, as four of the five are impossibly thin, while the fifth is fat and, subsequently, makes up a lot of the comic relief. She cannot be taken seriously because of her weight, nor can she be seen as a desirable body type, so any mood-lightening moments become her responsibility. The fifth muse becomes an object of amusement, while the other muses are viewed as desirable. Meg, as the love interest, also falls into the impossibly-thin body type, because a Disney love interest cannot be seen as unattractive in any way. In order for the perfect romance to unfold, the love interest must be traditionally beautiful, and Meg’s tiny waist takes the societal obsession with thinness to the extreme.

As a character, however, Meg is the most fiercely independent of any Disney female lead before her, and she has a depth of character that many others lacked. Meg’s romantic history, for instance, is different in that she has a romantic history; she is not innocent and does not spend her days dreaming of true love like many of her predecessors. Meg’s previous relationship is specifically mentioned during the movie, as Hades reminds her of her obligations to him: “You sold your soul to me to save your boyfriend’s life. And how did that creep thank you? By running off with some babe. He hurt you real bad, didn’t he, Meg?” When Hercules first encounters Meg, she is not the helpless, naïve damsel of earlier Disney films. She has been hurt in love in the past, so she does not view Hercules as her hero or a possible love interest. She is wary of falling in love again, and she has decided that no one can be trusted, so she must look out for herself. Her aspirations are in no way adherent to traditional gender roles. Meg is not looking to find a man, get married, and live happily ever after. Her goals are to serve out her sentence, free herself, and look out for number one. Although she grows to like Hercules eventually, she is initially very cautious, and it takes her a long time to get to know him and open up to the idea of falling in love again.

When their relationship does begin to form, Meg again breaks gender norms by taking control of the relationship. Although she is willing to take a chance and explore a relationship with Hercules, she is not the sort of woman who is content to remain the passive partner. Meg is confident, experienced, and the aggressor of the relationship, taking charge despite Hercules’ role as the man and the literal hero. During their interactions and courtship, Meg is always the one to approach Hercules, and she is the one who flirts and makes any suggestive comments that are made between them. In one scene, she attempts to discover Hercules’ weakness (at Hade’s request) by crawling into his lap and attempting to seduce him, to which Hercules responds with panic and uncertainty. He is the sheltered and inexperienced partner, while Meg knows what she is doing and does not hesitate to take charge.

Part of Meg’s independent nature lies in her resourcefulness and her ability to take care of herself. Although Hercules does fulfill his role as the hero by going to the Underworld to restore her soul and save her life, this action is only necessary because Meg has sacrificed herself for him. During a battle with the Cyclops, Hercules is nearly crushed by a falling column, but Meg pushes him out of the way and is instead the one who is crushed beneath the pillar. Not only does Meg save his life, but she gives her own to do so, a heroic deed by the film’s own definition. This is an important event in the Disney canon. While earlier male Disney heroes take the sole responsibility of saving the love interests’ lives, Hercules saves Meg only after Meg sacrifices herself to save Hercules. This establishes their relationship as an equal partnership, in which neither is superior to the other, despite the traditional male/female power imbalance. When the movie ends with the couple’s kiss, it is clear that Meg has not come to this point out of the need or expectation of marriage. She enters into the relationship because it is something she wants to explore, despite her painful romantic past, and not because she has been pressured into it or because she dreams of a fairytale version of true love. Meg’s actions are governed by Meg herself, and never by what anyone expects of her. When the couple shares their climactic first kiss at the end of the movie, it is again Meg who is in control, a first for any Disney kiss.

A Tale as Old as Time

Beauty and the Beast is another one of Disney's classic films that begins to emerge out of the mainstream damsel in distress notions and into featuring a stronger, more capable female lead. Belle is an eccentric, intelligent young woman who prefers to read rather than find a husband, unlike other traditional Disney princesses. She lives in a small village where everyone recognizes her for her outstanding beauty but also for her peculiarity. Belle doesn't fit in with the townspeople. They view her as odd because "her head is always stuck up in the clouds" or "she always has her nose in a book." Belle loves to read fairy tales about finding Prince Charming, but it's difficult to say she is actually looking for her "prince" herself. She seems quite content with the way life is, living with her inventor father, Maurice. She does display certain characteristics that echo more traditional gender roles for women, such as being the caretaker to her father, but Belle demonstrates repeatedly that she won't be pushed around by anyone.

Enter Gaston. The true villain of the movie. He is a traditionally handsome, very egotistical hunter who lives in the village. He has his sights set on Belle to become his wife, not because they know each other, but because he believes she is the only one as good looking as he is, so that makes her worthy to be his bride. He is the epitome of strong male stereotypes. Aggressive, demanding, tough. Nuray Sakalli-Ugurlu says in her article "According to traditional stereotypes, men are supposed to be leaders who are assertive, dominant decision makers in romantic relationships, whereas women are supposed to be submissive, passive conformists." In Gaston's perspective, these ideas are true. Not once does he consider Belle's feelings on marrying him, but automatically assumes she will. He's Gaston, after all, so who wouldn't want to marry him? Belle on the other hand does not abide by these standards and instead acts very strong-minded about the issue. When he propositions her, Belle immediately rejects him, repulsed by the idea of being stuck as his wife. She ducks out of the way when he tries to kiss her and he lands in a pile of mud. Gaston, though offended and annoyed, certainly does not give up his pursuit for her affections and later it comes back to bite him.

The interesting piece to this is that there are three young, blonde village girls constantly fawning over Gaston, every bit of the perfect stereotypical white female. They are each highly sexualized and in one scene even push a water pump down with their breasts instead of their hands. Gaston rarely pays them any attention, but rather uses them to make himself look good. The bar in town is very distinctly male, with animal mounts covering the walls, drinking and fighting, and only men are inside except for these three girls Disney credited as "Bimbettes". Perhaps Gaston is merely intrigued by the challenge Belle presents for him.

Maurice, Belle's father, invents a chopping machine that he takes to show off at a fair. Along the way, he gets lost in the woods and attacked by wolves. He stumbles across the Beast's castle in desperate need of help. The Beast finds out that his servants allowed Maurice to come inside and furious, he locks the old man away in a dungeon. Phillipee, Maurice's horse, returns to the village without him, alarming Belle and she goes off to find him. Upon arriving to the castle, the servants are all distinctly aware that a girl is there, because that is the only way to break the spell. When Belle finds her father, she offers to take his place to free him, and the Beast steps into the light so she can see her. She is shocked, but still stands her ground, demanding to stay at the castle if her father can be freed. This is particularly significant, because unlike the princesses before her, Belle is taking initiative and putting herself in what could presumably be a dangerous situation. The Beast finally agrees and sends her father away without letting them say goodbye, which only furthers Belle's loathing for him. This is one of the first times we see the two leads hate one another before beginning a romantic relationship, which is much different compared to the love at first sight themes of the earlier films.

The Beast and Belle fight and argue quite a bit. He demands her attendance at dinner, and she refuses. He orders her to stay out of the west wing, and she disobeys, finding the rose that holds the spell over the Beast. He becomes enraged that she has found his secret and Belle escapes the castle to get away. Again, unlike previous female leads, she is not playing helpless and waiting around for someone to come rescue her, but taking matters into her own hands. In contrast though, she does get attacked by the same wolves that attacked her father, suddenly casting her into a more victimized role and the Beast saves her, but not without sustaining an injury. Back at the castle, Belle tends to his wounds. Despite the way she breaks the status quo of female stereotypes, she is not without these qualities that show she can be domestic when the need arises. It is interesting though that while she is treating his wound, the Beast acts more like a child rather than the dominant, aggressive qualities from before. He whines and complains about cleaning the injury and Belle, though still maintaining that sense of domesticity, becomes the dominant person in this particular interaction, picking away at his stubbornness to in order to help him.

This is where the relationship between Belle and Beast shifts. They start getting to know one another and slowly become friends over the course of her time spent in the castle. This is the first time we see a romantic relationship build and blossom because they two take the time learning about each other rather than immediately falling in love and riding off into the sunset. Belle and the Beast even started out hating one another, so it's a huge improvement on Disney's part to see a more realistic way a relationship starts rather than the romanticized way they had been perpetuating. In a sense, Belle is helping him to rediscover his humanity. He's been stuck as a Beast for so long and has been keeping company with nothing but his anger and self-pity. Belle is a positive influence on his attitude and behavior and the audience can see the drastic change she encourages in him. 

 One night, the Beast allows Belle to look through a magical mirror to see her father. He is stumbling around in the woods, terribly sick, and despite it being the last night to earn Belle's love to break the spell, the Beast frees her to go save her father. In The Little Mermaid Ariel was the one who was forced to sacrifice everything for her love, but in this case, the Beast is giving up ever becoming a human again so Belle can be happy. Back at the village after Belle finds her father, the town wants to lock Maurice away because they think he's gone mad, claiming there is a Beast. Belle uses the magic mirror to clear her father's name, but also says regardless of his appearance, the Beast is her friend and very kind.

In a fit of jealousy, Gaston riles up the mob and charges into the woods, determined to kill the Beast. The servants at the castle manage to push back the mob and keep them out, but Gaston goes after the Beast personally. The Beast doesn't have the will to fight back because he's depressed that Belle left, but when she returns to the castle, he begins to. He's about to kill Gaston, but then chooses not to because he's been changed into a better person; however, Gaston takes advantage of the moment and stabs him, but then slips and falls to his death. Belle arrives, finding the Beast incredibly hurt. She tells him that she was intending to come back and she loves him as the last petal on the rose falls. The Beast is returned to his human form as well as the servants of the castle since the spell was broken and the movie fades out with the two of them dancing in the great hall, seemingly very much in love. 

Beauty and the Beast did manage to keep some of the more traditional gender roles intact within the plot, but the very opinionated, strong-willed female lead is really what drove the story. She broke of the conformity of damsels in distress, instead always taking action when in a bad situation rather than waiting for someone else to help. She also did not fall into the themes of love at first sight, rather choosing her own lover only after taking the time to get to know him. Belle is a much more progressive role model for the younger audience than previous female leads who rarely showed much in the way of thinking for themselves. 

Making a Man Out of Who?

In 1998, Disney released one of the most progressive movies to date relating to gender stereotypes and female protagonists. Mulan is the story of a Chinese girl who goes off to war in her father's place, disguised as a male solider. At the start of the movie, Mulan is running late for her appointment with The Matchmaker, the woman in charge of arranging courtships for coming-of-age girls. Within the first fifteen minutes, the audience is distinctly aware of a woman's place in traditional Chinese society as compared to a man's place, and one of the things I noticed about this movie was that most of the time women were referred to as girls, which is more deeming, or when someone did say "woman" it as an insult. As Mulan is writing notes on her arm, she recites a few verses of her oath as a woman. "Quiet, demure, graceful, polite, refined, poised, punctual." These are some of the rigid expectations society places on the women of China and what they believe is a perfect bride for their future husband, though it is interesting that Mulan does not appear to display these qualities herself which breaks the status quo. Repeatedly, it is said that the only job of the woman is to "bear sons" in order to bring honor to her family.

One line in this song says, "How can any fella say 'No Sale!'" which implies that woman are property rather than human beings, only there to serve the men to whom they marry. Mulan doesn't seem thrilled about meeting her Matchmaker, but she does not openly oppose it either, probably because this is the traditional way for a young girl to honor her family. The song also refers to the girls as "perfect porcelain dolls." This is another example of the girls being portrayed as objects to look at because of their beauty. They are there to be objectified by their husbands and that is the place of women in this time period. "There is a tendency for women to be shown as subordinate to men, as decorative objects, or as alluring sex objects" (Artz). The Matchmaker is quick to begin docking points off Mulan's test, first when she is "speaking without permission" after her name is called and then again when she tries to interrupt while pouring tea and The Matchmaker states, "to please your future in-laws, you must demonstrate a sense of dignity and refinement...and silence!" Much like in Ariel's case, Mulan is being pressured to keep her mouth shut and stay silent, emphasizing that her thoughts and opinions are worthless. This is another great instance where the girls are being portrayed as inferior and many times it is just as much by men as it is by other women. After things go horribly with The Matchmaker, who tells her she will never bring her family honor, Mulan is embarrassed and ashamed to face her father when she returns home. 

When the Emperor's advisor arrives to Mulan's village announcing that the Huns have invaded China, one man from every family is required to join the war. Mulan's father is injured from a past war and would surely die if he went. When he steps out to accept the scroll, Mulan jumps in, protesting that her father has fought for China already and should not have to go. The advisor retorts, "teach your daughter to hold her tongue while in a man's presence." Her father says that she has dishonored him but later that night at dinner, Mulan still cannot stay quiet about the issue. After she is done serving her family tea, she speaks up again. Her father tells her, "I know my place, it is time you learned yours." Both of these incidents reflect again how rigid the Chinese society was in regards to women and their place among men.

Later that night, Mulan steals her father's armor, cuts her hair, and rides off to join the army as impersonating a male solider in order to save her father's life despite knowing that if she is found out, she will be killed. When she arrives at camp, she tries desperately to fit in with what she thinks are male norms such as punching a guy to say hello, spitting, sticking out her chest to seem tough, and slapping a guy's butt, but she ends up stick out more than ever, even accidentally starting a riot. The song "I'll Make a Man Out of You" plays through the course of training and Mulan struggles to keep up with the guys. Then, when Captain Shane tries to send her home, she gives it once last chance.

"Did they send me daughters, when I asked for sons?" Reinforces the idea that women are incompetent.

She retrieves the arrow no one could figure out how to reach from atop a wooden post, proving herself to the men and her captain. It's a significant moment because she gained the rest of the soliders' respect as well as showed the audience that just because she is a woman does not mean that she is incapable of doing anything a man can do. 

This song plays a big role in switching the perspective from women-to-men to men-to-women and helps emphasize the clearly drawn gender roles. Within the song, ladies are perceived as fawning after big muscles, caregivers, and cooks. When asked for her opinion, Mulan suggests, "how about a girl who's got a brain, who always speaks her mind?" And the guys all respond, "Nah!" Again, perpetuating the ideals of a woman in one particular role rather than being a capable member of society. 

When their army runs into the army of the invading Huns, all hell breaks loose, and it is Mulan and her quick, clever thinking that saves everyone's lives. Being completely outnumbered and only with a certain amount of canons, she instead causes an avalanche to take out the Huns rather than only killing a few and dying out in the mountains. She is injured in the battle though and after it's over everyone finds out she's a girl. It's an offense punishable by death and the advisor (who was hiding under a rock during the battle while Mulan was saving everyone) demands that Shane kills her. The Captain spares her life, but they leave her behind in the mountains. 

Some of the Huns survive and move on to invade the Imperial city. Mulan sees them and follows to warn Shane and the others. Despite having saved them all, no one will listen to her now because they know she's a girl again. She's proved herself as a hero and a loyal solider, but those accomplishments are negated by her gender. She's right, of course, and when the Huns attack the palace, Mulan comes to the rescue again. She gets the boys to dress up like women in order to sneak inside. This again emphasizes the role of women and sexuality in society and how they used beauty to catch the Huns off guard. The guards thought that they were only women, therefore not a threat, so they lowered their defenses. 

At the end, Mulan is the one who saves everyone again for a second time in the same day. Not only did she do this despite everyone telling her she was useless because of her gender, but she also achieved it while still sustaining a severe injury. That is incredibly significant, especially considering that without her, the Huns could have easily won and taken over China. One of the most pivotal moments is at the end. The advisor is still trying to make Mulan pay for her crime, but the Emperor not only dismisses her crimes, but bows to her for being the savior of China. When Mulan turns around, the entire city is bowing to her. After all the struggling and discrimination she faced in the movie to that point, it was amazing to see that not only did all of China recognize her as a hero, they finally, for the first time, respected her. This is one of the first times we see such a strong, capable female lead who is also the hero of the story. Mulan is an empowering, independent, leader, and she is also a woman; I think it sends a great message to young girls that they should never feel restricted or limited by what societal norms are placed upon them. 

"Outside the Palace Walls"

While some Disney films feature casts full of female leads and supporting characters, Aladdin  represents a tendency toward male-heavy casts and one feature princess or “damsel in distress” character. As is common in the Disney animated canon, Princess Jasmine has an absent mother who is assumed to be deceased. Not only does this leave Jasmine without a role model or someone to understand her dreams and dilemmas, but it also leaves her isolated in a world dominated by men. Jasmine cannot escape this environment, as she is essentially kept prisoner in the palace that is her home. Although her father means well, keeping her within the palace and attempting to marry her off in order to ensure that she is protected, Jasmine is not given the chance to explore the world, make friends, or assert her independence. In her father’s eyes, her dreams of freedom and aversion to finding a suitor are unnatural, and he has no idea of how to understand and deal with his daughter because “her mother wasn’t nearly so picky.”

Although Jasmine is not given much freedom over her own life, she has a clear idea of the life she wants to live, and she is able to very accurately observe the injustices in the treatment she receives. When she notes these injustices, she refuses to sit around and be a victim, but rather rebels and asserts her authority over her own life by following her own path to the best of her ability. Unlike earlier Disney films, which often encouraged women to leave action and heroics to the men and merely wait around to be rescued and find romance, the films of the 1990s and 2000s give rise to stronger, more independent women. Certainly, there are flaws in Disney’s refusal to completely abandon traditional gender values in their stories, but these women are much improved over the sleeping princesses who await true love’s first kiss as the highlight of their lives.  When Jasmine recognizes that she is being held back and objectified because of her gender and her status as princess, she openly rebels, putting the offenders in their place and refusing to go along with the plans they’ve made for her.

In the viewer’s first meeting with Princess Jasmine, it is revealed that she has firmly rejected every suitor who has come to ask her hand in marriage. In the most recent case, not only did she turn down the suitor, but she also flipped the balance of power in her favor, giving herself the authority to reject him. The prince is not only frightened by Jasmine’s pet tiger, but he is also humiliated when the tiger rips the seat from his pants, exposing his underwear. Jasmine’s mocking attitude further injures his pride, and he storms off in a huff, no longer intending to seek her hand. This rebellion is a response to her father’s insistence that she marry at a young age in order to ensure her own security and to comply with the laws regarding royal marriages. Princess Jasmine is given no opportunity to leave the palace, meet her own friends or love interests, or find a job. However, because she is a woman, she also has no chance of becoming the Sultan or taking on a position of power within the palace. She is merely a decoration and a tool through which men can lay claim to the throne, qualities that set her up as marriageable material. However, Jasmine is not content to merely marry the first handsome prince who comes along. She wants to choose someone who loves her and who she loves in return, and if she cannot find someone who fills these requirements, she refuses to get married at all. By asserting her will in this situation, Jasmine openly rebels against the traditional roles of her Disney Princess predecessors, refusing to base her life and dreams around the institution of marriage and the role of the wife and mother.

Princess Jasmine takes particular issue with the lack of control she seems to have over her life. When she initially meets Aladdin, she alludes to her unhappiness within the palace walls, where there are always “people telling you where to go and how to dress.” She does not even have these basic freedoms over her own life that average people take for granted. Because she refuses to “just stay here and have my life lived for me,” Jasmine flees the palace, only to find herself in a world she has no knowledge of. Having never left the palace before in her life, Jasmine immediately finds herself in trouble with a vendor who threatens to cut off her hand after she takes an apple without paying. Aladdin is drawn to her, first because of her beauty, and then because he notices that she is in trouble. Despite her attempt at independence, Jasmine’s lack of knowledge of how to function in society places her into the position of victim, and she must be rescued by Aladdin. While Jasmine has been sheltered all her life, Aladdin is a street-wise man who can show her the world, offering her a chance at freedom and adventure. Although Jasmine and Aladdin fall in love according to the film’s narrative, the way she rushes the relationship makes one wonder whether she is truly in love with him, or if she is merely attracted to the freedom and escape he represents.

Throughout the course of the movie, Princess Jasmine also struggles with the objectification with which she is viewed by male characters. Prior to discovering Prince Ali’s true identity as Aladdin, she becomes furious when she discovers him in a conversation with her father about her marriageable status. Jasmine snaps at them for planning her life without her consent, making it clear that she is “not just some prize to be won.” She will not allow herself to be a pretty object in a collection, and she refuses to enter into marriage negotiations with someone who does not care to take the time to get to know her. She shows further disgust at Jafar’s attempts to use her as a pawn in his quest to become Sultan, refusing to marry him despite her father’s (enchanted) orders. Although Aladdin is the hero of the film, ultimately responsible for banishing the villain, saving the princess, and restoring order to the kingdom, Jasmine does her part to contribute to Aladdin’s rescue attempt after Jafar’s hostile takeover. When she realizes that Aladdin is trying to sneak in and retrieve the Genie’s lamp, she uses her sexuality to her advantage, pretending to fall under a love spell and shamelessly complimenting Jafar before finally kissing him and agreeing to become his queen. Even after Jafar notices Aladdin’s presence, Jasmine does not merely give up and leave the men to fight. Instead, she makes her own attempts to steal Jafar’s magical staff and to recover the Genie’s lamp, causing enough trouble for Jafar that he is forced to trap her within a giant hourglass in order to get her out of the way.

While Jasmine is not the hero of the movie, she nonetheless contributes as a character rather than as a plot device. She is not merely the damsel in distress or the love interest with which Aladdin is rewarded in the end. A significant emphasis is placed on the fact that Aladdin is her choice rather than her destined prince, and despite the romantic ending, Jasmine maintains her independence and strength of will throughout the movie. She never accepts Aladdin’s lies about his identity, she refuses to let other people plan her life, and she takes part in the final battle rather than waiting on the sidelines. Although she is not always able to accomplish her goals, Princess Jasmine always puts up a fight, and while she is not a perfect role model, she is effective in her attempts to live outside the gender stereotypes of her society.

The Rescuers

Much like the plot of Sleeping Beauty, the 1977 film The Rescuers is largely driven by female protagonists and a female villain. Although the majority of the supporting characters are male, the actions of the female characters drive the plot forward from every direction. Bernard, the sole male lead, falls into the role of the hero with some reluctance, but his uncertainty and cautious nature often place him in the background, while the more decisive and action-oriented female characters keep the audience’s attention. In many ways, this film displays a much more progressive view of women and gender roles. While limitations are still in place based on the traditional cultural values adhered to by Disney, these limitations are balanced with strength of character and are much less debilitating than those imposed on previous Disney females.

The film’s plot is set into motion by Penny, a young kidnapped orphan girl, who sneaks out in the middle of the night to send a message in a bottle, pleading for help. This initial act displays the character’s agency; rather than waiting around for her fate to unfold, as Snow White or Cinderella would have done, Penny rebels against her captors and takes action. Having failed earlier escape attempts, she recognizes that she needs assistance and she takes the initiative to gain it. Penny fights for her freedom throughout the film, refusing to simply sit back and take what life throws at her. Even when she is frightened, she shows defiance toward her captors and refuses to give in to fear. As a whole, she shows more initiative than past female leads, many of whom were twice her age and valued only for their beauty and obedience. This shift perhaps represents a change in societal values, as well as the expectations of an “ideal woman.”

Penny’s captors are Madame Medusa and Mr. Snoops, a duo intent on using Penny to navigate the small, dangerous passages of an abandoned mine that contains the world’s largest diamond. Medusa proves herself to be the brains of the operation, ordering the obedient and incompetent Snoops to do her bidding in a manner that openly defies the traditional power balance between a man and a woman. Snoops follows Medusa’s plan but contributes very little, doing menial tasks while she plots and prepares. In their relationship, Medusa is superior in terms of intelligence, aggression, planning, and authority as a whole. However, it is suggested that Medusa’s power corrupts, as her overall character design does not suggest an individual one would aspire to emulate. Medusa is not traditionally beautiful, nor is she shown to have good moral or social qualities. Her greed and selfishness drive her actions, and her self-imposed isolation is broken only by her bumbling companion, a kidnapped orphan, and her two pet alligators.

When Penny’s cry for help is intercepted by the Rescue Aid Society, the mouse-version of the United Nations, Miss Bianca volunteers to take the mission. Over the course of the search for Penny, Miss Bianca demonstrates her own intelligence and bravery, fearlessly finding clues and following leads in her search for the missing girl. She is also the higher-ranking partner in the investigation, having chosen Bernard, the RAS janitor, as her companion in the mission. Not only does she have greater authority and experience, but she chooses who she will work with rather than allowing the choice to be made for her, thereby maintaining the upper hand. Despite these qualities, Bianca does have moments of naïveté and carelessness that require Bernard’s intervention. Although he is merely a janitor rather than a RAS member, Bernard is the man, and the film automatically expects him to show bravery and strength suited to a traditional male lead, which requires a female victim in need of rescue. Bernard and Bianca are also seen to develop romantic feelings as the film unfolds, as Disney films rarely allow male/female interaction without reinforcing heteronormative expectations. However, despite some flaws in execution, the film displays a much-improved sense of agency in its female characters, all of whom take charge when confronted by trouble rather than waiting around for someone to assist them.

The Foolish Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid is by far one of the most noticeable films perpetuating the stereotypes of women that Disney produced. It is interesting that a little more than ten years prior, Disney released The Rescuers which showed less traditional female leads in the past and yet this movie sets back the progress of more modern gender roles several decades, reminiscent instead of the Cinderella and Snow White era. The entire plot revolves around the idea of sacrificing everything for a man. Despite this being one of my favorite movies as a child, I can now see how absolutely ridiculous the concept of this 1989 film is. Ariel is a sixteen year old mermaid princess and one of seven daughters to her father, King Triton. She longs to be part of the human world and spends her days collecting artifacts from the surface. During one particular surface visit, she notices Prince Eric on a ship, and true to Disney fashion, immediately falls in love with him. A storm hits and Ariel rescues Eric from drowning, bringing him to the beach. She sings him back to consciousness but then disappears as he wakes up; Eric swears to find the girl who saved his life. Triton had forbidden visits to the surface, fearing the humans because of fishermen, and when he finds out about Ariel rescuing the prince, he destroys her collection of artifacts in a fit of rage and Ariel swims off.

A pair of eels then take Ariel to visit their master, the sea witch Ursula, who strikes up a deal with Ariel. For the price of her voice, she can have human legs for three days, but in that time she must receive true love's first kiss from Eric, otherwise she turns back into a mermaid and her soul belongs to Ursula. During her time on shore, Ariel can't seem to manage to get Eric to kiss her. Without her voice though, he cannot recognize her as the girl who saved him. Ursula then disguises herself as a girl named Vanessa and puts a spell on Eric, forcing him to fall in love with her. The next day Ariel learns that Vanessa and Eric are to be married that day on a ship. Heartbroken, she wanders off, crying, but her seagull friend reveals that Vanessa is actually the sea witch and they chase after them. Her animal friends attack the ship which leads the magic spell to be broken and restores Ariel's voice as well as breaking the spell on Eric. Ursula kidnaps Ariel and in order to save her, King Triton offers his soul in place of his daughter's. Ursula then claims his powers and a fight breaks out. Eric  ends up stabbing her with the broken end of the mast on the ship and kills her. Everything goes back to normal and he washes up on the beach as Ariel watches afar from the ocean. Triton sees how in love his daughter is with him and turns her human again. Ariel and Eric are married and of course live happily ever after.

The morals being portrayed in The Little Mermaid are essentially telling little girls that giving up everything you love and care about for the sake of a man is absolutely normal and even approved of. Ariel doesn't just sacrifice her voice to be with Eric. She also must give up her family and friends as well as her life under the sea. In the song below, Ariel is even conscious of the gravity of her decision, saying, "If I become human, I never see my father or sisters again." Ursula counters with, "that's right, but you'll have your man." Ariel is also only sixteen years old and yet in the end, her father allows her to get married to a man she's known for less than seventy-two hours. This is sending a message to young girls that not only can you find your "true love" at that age, but also be mature and responsible enough to make that sort of life-changing decision.

It is interesting because Ariel is shown as being a little more independent than Snow White and even Princess Aurora. She runs off on her own a lot and demands to be treated as an adult by her father. She has a bit of a habit of being a little mischievous and getting herself in trouble too. Contrasting that though, those same gender stereotypes are still being perpetuated. For instance, this video is a perfect example of how a lady is seemingly supposed to behave in regards to her man:

"You'll have your looks, your pretty face. 
And don't underestimate the importance of body language, ha!

The men up there don't like a lot of blabber

They think a girl who gossips is a bore!

Yet on land it's much preferred for ladies not to say a word

And after all dear, what is idle babble for?

Come on, they're not all that impressed with conversation

True gentlemen avoid it when they can

But they dote and swoon and fawn

On a lady who's withdrawn

It's she who holds her tongue who get's a man!"

(ST Lyrics)

Obviously Ursula, the leading female villain, is telling the girl that she cannot win over her man if she's talking, suggesting that physical attributes and sexuality are more important when it comes to relationships, and more specifically for the woman to be attractive enough for the man. There is definitely an uneven balance of power here because the woman is again being shown in a submissive position next to the man. She has to do all the work, make all the sacrifices, be beautiful enough all for him (there's a sense of always needing to improve your looks), whereas the male lead is often good-looking and shown with strong features but rarely has to make sacrifices for his partner. Eric could have just as easily joined the merpeople instead of making Ariel give up her entire life to be with him. The decision was completely assumed as well. No one questioned who would be the one to give up their life for the other person, it was just automatically assumed the girl would do it. Even Ariel and her family all unconsciously agreed to this choice without even taking a moment to discuss the options. If a girl wants to live happily ever after, she must do what will please her husband. 

Sleeping Beauty

By 1959, Disney’s take on lead female characters had improved somewhat, as evidenced by the women of the animated film Sleeping Beauty. Although the title character remains confined by roles deemed appropriate for women in the time period, she does represent a stronger, more opinionated woman than the docile and girlish Snow White. However, it is the supporting characters who most effectively break the gender stereotypes of the 1950s, demonstrating independence and power beyond even what is shown by the male lead and supposed hero of the film.

Despite the tendency to focus on male-dominated stories within the highly patriarchal society of the 1950s, the plot of Sleeping Beauty is driven by its female characters. The film opens at the birthday celebration of the infant Princess Aurora, where the three good fairies—Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather—are in the midst of offering gifts to the newborn. They are interrupted, however, by the appearance of the evil Maleficent, who places a deadly curse upon the baby in retaliation for her exclusion from the celebration. The good fairies’ third gift is then used to change the terms of the curse, allowing the child to be put into an enchanted sleep rather than being killed by the prick of a spindle on her sixteenth birthday.

The princess is then sent to be raised in secrecy by the three fairies, placing her into an all-female environment during her childhood years. Nearing her birthday, the princess happens unknowingly upon the prince to whom she is betrothed, and she falls in love with him. However, she is pained when she returns home and the fairies reveal her true identity and the plan to return her to the castle, as she believes that she will never see him again. When she returns on the eve of her birthday, Maleficent tricks her into touching the spindle of a spinning wheel, plunging her into the enchanted sleep. It is not until the prince battles Maleficent and kills her that he is able to reach Aurora, and she is awoken by his kiss.

 

Throughout the film, Aurora often behaves in a fashion that conforms to gender roles of the time period. "...Typical characteristics for women are piety, submissiveness, and domesticity" (gender stereotypes). She is seen as desirable for her gifts of beauty and song, and despite her isolation, these qualities attract the prince. Much like Snow White, Aurora falls in love with her prince mere moments after meeting him, and her desire to marry him is never questioned. However, while her decision to marry him is rushed and based on limited information, Aurora makes it clear that her voice matters in regard to her marriage. Unlike Snow White, who hopes only for a generic prince to find her, Aurora reacts with anger and sadness to the news that she is betrothed to Prince Phillip. She does not realize that the prince is the same man she met in the woods, and she is unwilling to give up her choice of a husband for someone—even a royal—who has already been chosen for her.  Although this strength of will is weakened by Aurora’s enchanted sleep, which keeps her from being able to grant the prince consent when he kisses her and places him in a position of ultimate power, she still expresses her own opinions and decisions with more authority than Snow White.

While Prince Phillip is granted power over Princess Aurora through the enchanted sleep, the power balance of the overall film falls largely in the favor of female characters. Initially, her dark magic gives Maleficent power over Aurora, but this curse leads the prince to seek her out and destroy her in the end. However, the prince’s victory over Maleficent is made possible by the three good fairies, whose spells allow him to escape from her dungeon and give him the weapons he needs to keep himself alive and kill Maleficent. Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather do not physically engage in the battle, likely due to stereotypes marking women as nonaggressive and men as the heroes of battle, but they do cast the spells that keep the princess and the court safe, as well as spells that weaken Maleficent and protect and strengthen Phillip. Essentially, the final battle is a test of strength between the fairies and Maleficent, in which Phillip is a tool of their power rather than the all-conquering hero.

Snow White and the Seven Creepy Old Men

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was produced in 1937 and has claim to being the first full-length movie Disney created. The story revolves around a young girl named Snow White who is living with her evil stepmother, the Queen, after her father dies. The Queen is jealous of Snow White's beauty, and when a magic mirror tells the Queen that Snow White is the "fairest in all the land", she plots to kill her stepdaughter. The man sent to kill her allows Snow White to live and she escapes to the woods, stumbling upon a cottage. Snow White cleans the house up and when the dwarfs come home from the mine, they allow her to stay because she cooks and cleans. The Queen finds out later that Snow White is still alive and tricks her into eating a poisonous apple which puts her in a deep sleep, seemingly dead.  The dwarves do not bury her because of her beauty and when a prince arrives, he kisses Snow White and she awakes. The two ride off into the sunset, living happily ever after.

It is clear even from the summary of the movie that the thirties played a huge role in impacting the world of media at that time, specifically eluding to the roles of women in that decade. In her article Susan Ware quotes on the defined roles of each gender in the thirties, “the men, cut adrift from their usual routine, lost much of their sense of time and dawdled helplessly and dully about the streets; while in the homes the women’s world remained largely intact and the round of cooking, housecleaning, and mending became if anything more absorbing.” 

 

Women were the ones in charge of all the housework and Snow White was an embodiment of a typical housewife living in the 1930's. The dwarfs only let her stay upon her agreement to do all the housework and cooking while they were at work in the mine each day. It is also important to point out that Snow White never  held a true job of her own beyond cooking and cleaning and neither did the dwarves ever do the housework themselves, which is why it was so messy when Snow White first came across their cottage. This suggests that the work cannot and will not be done unless it is done by the hands of a woman.

Another key component to the ideal housewife is waiting for her husband to come home. The seven dwarves were hardly marriageable material in the eyes of Disney and throughout the movie, Snow White is waiting for her Prince Charming to arrive. Once he awakens her from the sleeping spell with "true love's kiss" they go off together to live in his castle, presumably happily ever after. Her quiet disposition and domesticity places her in an inferior position compared to the male gender, including not only the prince, but the dwarfs as well. They marvel at her impossible beauty and perfect manners but Snow White hardly presents herself as a person who can think for herself, too engrossed with the idea that her only purpose in life is to wait for her Prince Charming to find her. This is a common theme among Disney movies, of the female lead falling head over heels with a man whom she may have never even met before, but in this particular film, Snow White was especially reflecting on the gender stereotypes of women in the 1930's who were constantly waiting hand and foot on their husbands. These are some of the root ideas of gender roles in the thirties and it is easy to see how it was reflected in this film.

Bibliography

Bibliography

Artz, Nancy, Jeanne Munger, and Warren Purdy. "Gender issues in advertising language." Women and Language 22.2 (1999): 20-26. Web. 7 Jun 2011. <http://proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/docview/198812038?accountid=9783>.

"Disney Movie List." Disney Movies Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Jun 2011. <http://www.disneymovieslist.com/disney-movies.asp>.


"Gender Stereotypes." N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Jun 2011. <http://people.unt.edu/jw0109/misc/stereotype.htm>.


Sakalli-Ugurlu, Nuray. "How do romantic relationship satisfaction, gender stereotypes, and gender relate to future time orientation in romantic relationships?." Journal of Psychology 137.3 (2003): 294-303. Web. 6 Jun 2011. <http://proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/docview/213832023?accountid=9783>.


"ST Lyrics." The Little Mermaid: Poor Unfortunate Souls Lyrics. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Jun 2011. <http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/classicdisney/poorunfortunatesouls.htm>.


Ware, Susan. "Women and the Great Depression." The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American  History. N.p., 2009. Web. 7 Jun 2011. <http://www.gilderlehrman.org/historynow/03_2009/historian4.php>.