Evolution of Disney Princesses: From Damsels to Strong Women

According to Whelan, Disney is famous for its expertise in creating princess movies. Over the years, Disney has introduced different princess characters such as Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Rapunzel, Tiana, and Merida. There has been a noticeable change in how Disney portrays female characters in their films over time. Initially, Disney followed societal norms by depicting women as fragile and reliant on men for help. However, in more recent movies, female characters have transformed into strong and self-reliant individuals who no longer need male intervention.

In 1939, Disney studios released Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, a retelling of the Grimm fairy tale. The film portrays Snow White's unfortunate circumstances following her father's death - she is forced to live with her wicked stepmother who desires to be the fairest in the land. The stepmother's motivation for wanting Snow White dead stems from her vanity rather than typical motives like power or money. Fueled by wounded pride, she orders her huntsman to take Snow White into the woods, kill her, and bring back her heart sealed inside a box.

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Despite being told to run, Snow White was spared by the huntsman who advised her to escape. When he came back to the castle, he gave the queen a heart from an animal, thus satisfying her. Meanwhile, Snow White found herself scared and alone in the forest. Eventually, she came across a small messy cottage and decided to go inside it. Thinking that men lived there, she took it upon herself to clean up.

With assistance from her animal friends, she successfully tidied up the cottage. Later on, when the Dwarves returned home, they discovered Snow White there and warmly welcomed her as she cooked meals for them.

The Evil Queen disrupts the daily lives of Snow White and the Dwarves after discovering that Snow White is alive. Exploiting Snow White's trusting nature, the Queen personally plans to kill her. By disguising herself as someone else, she deceives Snow White into consuming a poisoned apple, which induces a deep coma. Following a prophecy, the Dwarves relocate Snow White to the forest where she will remain until awakened by True Love's Kiss. Eventually, Prince Charming arrives on a magnificent white horse and breaks the spell by kissing Snow White, saving her from eternal slumber.

The portrayal of Snow White, the first female character in Disney, aligns with the societal expectations of her time. She fulfills traditional feminine roles such as cooking, cleaning, and longing for a Prince Charming to rescue her. A notable characteristic of Snow White is her singing a song that centers around her idealized Prince. The lyrics express her desire to go to his castle and live happily ever after. However, this future remains a mere fantasy as she can only imagine being married.

When Snow White resides with the Dwarves, she opts to remain at home and attends to all the cooking and cleaning while they venture out for work. This viewpoint, which diminishes the role of women, is evident in numerous Disney films. Following Snow White, Cinderella emerges as the subsequent Princess in the series and is initially released in 1950. In this movie, Cinderella, who coincidentally happens to be another Evil Queen/Stepmother's offspring, is coerced into a life of servitude where she must fulfill every demand from her Stepmother along with her two malevolent Stepsisters. Despite her discontentment with this situation, Cinderella simply complies. Eventually, Cinderella becomes aware of a grand ball that will transpire at the palace.

With her Stepmother's permission, Cinderella attends the ball on the condition that she finishes her chores and procures a dress. Similar to Snow White, Cinderella seeks assistance from her animal companions in creating an attire. Regrettably, her stepmother and stepsisters maliciously destroy the gown to prevent Cinderella from attending. This unfortunate occurrence causes Cinderella to weep in the courtyard. However, just as all hope seems lost, her Fairy Godmother emerges and provides aid by presenting Cinderella with an exquisite gown, a fashionable hairstyle, and enchanted glass slippers.

Cinderella has one condition: she must leave the ball by midnight or she will lose her charm. As expected, Cinderella quickly leaves the ball at midnight and accidentally leaves behind a glass slipper. The Prince, who was enchanted by Cinderella, sends the slipper throughout the kingdom in search of the foot that can fit perfectly into it. Unfortunately, when the prince's assistant arrives at Cinderella's house, her stepmother locks her in the attic to prevent her from trying on the slipper for the prince.

In this story, Cinderella's animal friends help her escape the room. Meanwhile, the stepmother and stepsisters try to wear the slipper but fail due to their large feet. Surprisingly, Cinderella comes forward and tries on the slipper, which fits perfectly. As a result, she is taken to the castle to marry the prince. The tale highlights how beauty is important for a woman searching for her prince charming, as shown by the unattractive appearance of the stepsisters and stepmother who have prominent features and oversized feet.

Despite the deliberate actions of the stepsisters and stepmother, Cinderella ultimately marries the prince because of her delicate feet and stunning ball gown. This film also explores conflicting feminist ideals as women purposefully undermine each other. The stepsisters ruin Cinderella's original dress to prevent her from attending the ball, while the stepmother confines her in the attic to prevent her from trying on the slipper. Similarly, Princess Aurora from 1959 experiences a coma similar to Snow White's. Since she was a baby, she has been cursed to prick her finger on a spinning wheel and fall into a deep sleep on her sixteenth birthday.

Despite her parents' efforts to protect her, Aurora is irresistibly drawn to the last remaining spinning wheel in the kingdom, which happens to be located in the castle. By pricking her finger on the spinning wheel, she falls into a deep slumber. Similar to Snow White, only true love's kiss can save Aurora. Prince Phillip must confront Maleficent, who is a sorceress capable of transforming into a dragon. After defeating Maleficent and locating Aurora, Phillip awakens her with a kiss and revives her.

Once again, the central theme of this film revolves around a vulnerable female character who relies on a male protagonist to protect her. Without Phillip's triumph over Maleficent, Aurora would have remained trapped in perpetual slumber within the tower. The subsequent Princess, however, introduces a fresh archetype. Ariel, daughter of King Triton, arrived on-screen in 1989 and differed greatly from her three predecessors. Despite expectations for her to remain at home, Ariel found delight in exploring and scavenging remnants from sunken ships.

Despite her father's discovery and subsequent destruction of almost everything, Ariel persevered in building up her collection. She remained undeterred and continued to observe humans from a distance, longing for the opportunity to join them. On one of her trips to the surface, she witnessed a shipwreck and rescued a man who was unable to board a lifeboat. After swimming him to shore and departing before he woke up, Ariel still craved further interaction. In her quest for more connection, she sought out Ursula, the witch, and struck a deal: in exchange for her voice, Ariel would receive legs enabling her to be with the prince.

Despite the existence of certain conditions, Ariel finds herself in a situation where she must make the prince fall in love with her and marry her within a limited timeframe. Should Ariel fail, Ursula will gain permanent ownership of her. With full knowledge of the risks, Ariel signs the contract, sacrificing her voice and is transported to the surface to be reunited with her beloved Prince Eric. Upon arrival, she is quickly discovered and taken to the Prince's castle. Successful in capturing his heart, Ursula attempts to disrupt the wedding by impersonating Ariel using her stolen voice. Ultimately, Ursula is defeated and Ariel and Eric live happily ever after as a married couple.

Despite displaying a more self-reliant female character with her own thoughts and desires, this movie still revolves around Ariel's yearning for a man. Although she has always desired to explore the surface, it is only upon encountering Eric that she takes action to make it feasible. In doing so, Ariel directs all her attention towards a man instead of pursuing her individual dreams. This does not imply that a woman cannot accomplish her aspirations while being in a relationship; rather, Ariel's ambitions shift from simply wanting to leave the water to desiring companionship with Eric. In contrast, Belle is the first princess who is not born into royalty.

The protagonist of this tale is not born into royalty, but instead the daughter of an inventor. She possesses a love for books, a thirst for knowledge, and aspirations of a life beyond her humble village. What distinguishes her is that she is Disney's initial princess to exhibit curiosity in academics, symbolizing progress towards promoting positive feminist messages in Disney Princess Films. One fateful day, Belle's father Maurice embarks on a journey to showcase one of his inventions. Intrigued by this endeavor, Belle chooses to trail him and ultimately uncovers him imprisoned within an ancient castle nestled deep within a forest. In this somber environment, Belle encounters the Beast for the very first time. To secure her father's freedom, she strikes a deal with the Beast and consents to take his place as his new captive.

Despite Maurice's objections, Belle decides to stay in the castle. As Maurice goes back to the village to inform the townspeople about Belle being held captive, Belle must adjust to life with the Beast. Eventually, the villagers take Maurice seriously and gather evidence to confirm that Belle is indeed imprisoned by the Beast. Led by the man who desires to marry Belle, although she does not share his feelings, the villagers organize a rescue mission to the castle. Once they reach their destination, a fierce battle erupts between the villagers and the castle inhabitants, forcing the villagers to retreat and seek safety with Gaston. Subsequently, Gaston and the Beast engage in a fight.

Gaston is defeated and Belle admits her love for the Beast. The curse on the castle is lifted, and everyone, including the Beast, returns to their human forms. Belle breaks the traditional female Disney mold by being smart, driven, and curious. She values her independence and has no interest in settling down. Instead, she yearns to travel, learn, read, and explore as much as possible. Belle's bravery shines through when she selflessly offers to take her father's place as prisoner. She is also the first princess who doesn't require a man's assistance to find happiness.

Belle, once a captive in the Beast's castle, ultimately develops feelings for him and achieves her own happy ending. Unlike other men, the Beast gains Belle's trust and admiration by conversing about books and subjects that captivate her. This distinguishes their relationship as special. It is important to mention that Belle is the first princess who engages in significant discussions with her prince before marrying him. Without Belle's courage, the castle's inhabitants would have remained imprisoned as furniture and dining room decorations.

Following the release of Beauty and the Beast in 1991, Aladdin debuted in 1992 as Disney continued to promote feminist ideals through their films. While not the protagonist, Jasmine exemplifies this commitment. Initially, she resists the notion of marrying before her birthday and yearns for personal freedom hindered by her father's strict governance. Frustrated, she disguises herself as a commoner and ventures into Agrabah's streets where destiny intertwines her path with Aladdin's.

Aladdin and Jasmine are taken to the castle after being caught. However, Aladdin manages to escape and returns as a Prince with the help of the Genie's magic. Although Jasmine develops feelings for "Prince Ali", she eventually realizes that he is actually Aladdin. Tragically, Jafar, a former suitor, also discovers Aladdin's secret and kidnaps both Jasmine and the Genie. Now without the Genie's assistance, Aladdin must find a way to rescue Jasmine. While not as progressive as Belle, Jasmine shows more support for feminism compared to the first three princesses.

Jasmine actively challenges her kingdom's traditional social customs, deliberately making it difficult for her father to find a suitable partner for her. However, despite ultimately needing rescue from Aladdin, this does not diminish her strength as a woman. In fact, she plays a crucial role in helping Aladdin defeat Jafar, which is a significant departure from the first three princesses who relied on their princes for salvation. This also represents Disney's progress in promoting gender equality by featuring Jasmine as the first non-white female character with a prominent position in their films. Shifting focus to Pocahontas, she is the daughter of the tribe's chief and possesses an liberated mindset, independent spirit, and unrestricted voice.

She values the nature around her and despises the Englishmen for damaging it in their quest for gold. She educates one of the men, John Smith, on the importance of showing respect to the Earth and safeguarding it. While she is not the first to defy her father or challenge gender roles, Pocahontas is the first to truly contribute to transforming the beliefs of an entire group of people. At the start of one of the most progressive pro-feminism Disney movies, we meet Mulan. She takes her father's armor and enters battle for China, despite it being against the law for women to serve in the military.

Despite disguising herself as a boy and receiving the same intense training as her male counterparts, Mulan's true identity as a woman is revealed after she sustains an injury. Surprisingly, rather than betraying her, the General allows Mulan to stay behind with her horse and find her own way back home. This unexpected decision enables Mulan to witness the Huns' plan to attack and subsequently warn the army upon their arrival in Beijing. Despite facing dismissal, Mulan plays a key role in defending China against the attack and is celebrated as a hero. In a final twist, the General seeks Mulan's hand in marriage, an offer she gladly accepts.

Another Disney film that promotes positive feminism is The Princess and the Frog. Tiana, the first African-American female protagonist in these movies, is depicted as hardworking and ambitious. Her dream of owning a restaurant is temporarily interrupted when she transforms into a frog while trying to rescue Prince Naveen from the same spell. Together, they collaborate to find a cure for the curse. In the following princess movie, Tangled, we are introduced to Rapunzel.

Rapunzel, who believed the woman raising her was her mother, has been locked away in a tower her entire life. However, it turns out she was stolen from the castle as a baby. Her captor, Mother Gothel, took her because Rapunzel's hair has magical healing powers that keep Mother Gothel young. But when a thief breaks into the tower, Rapunzel sees an opportunity to escape and explore the real world she has always longed for. Joined by her companion, Flynn, Rapunzel manages to navigate through a bar and reach the kingdom safely, despite the fact that Flynn is a wanted man for his thievery.

Soon, Rapunzel discovers the truth about her past and realizes that she was taken away as a baby from the King and Queen. Mother Gothel tries her best to keep Rapunzel trapped in the tower, as she believes that Rapunzel's beauty lies solely in her long, golden hair. However, Flynn cuts off her hair, transforming it into short and brown instead. This allows Rapunzel to find a husband who loves her for more than just her appearance, sending a powerful message to young girls. The latest Disney princess is Merida from Brave, who, like Jasmine, is a 16-year-old girl facing similar challenges.

Traditionally, it is customary in her land for young people to marry early. Merida's mother constantly reminds her that she is engaged to someone connected to her father. However, Merida rebels against this arrangement and accidentally transforms her family into bears. In order to reverse the curse, she embarks on a journey with her mother to find a remedy. Upon their return to Dunbroch, Merida brings about change among the clans by advocating for the freedom of choice in marriage for the children. Notably, Merida breaks the mold as the first Disney female protagonist without a romantic interest in the film, emphasizing the idea that a woman's worth should not solely rely on having a companion to assist her along the way.

Merida and her mother Elinor must collaborate to resolve their issue, without male assistance. Disney Studios has made significant strides in how they portray women in their movies. The evolution from helpless and unconscious princesses to confident, self-reliant warriors indicates that their progressive approach will continue to be increasingly assertive. By illustrating that women can thrive without relying on men, Disney is conveying a empowering message to young girls worldwide.