There are currently eleven members of the official Disney princess lineup, including Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel, and Merida. For this post, I will also be including Anna and Elsa of Disney's Frozen.
In the very beginning, during the times of "classic" Disney, the Disney princesses included Snow White, Cinderella, and Aurora. This is where I have the most issue regarding femininity. In their respective movies, especially Snow White and Aurora, these princesses are portrayed as motherly and fragile; almost waiting for the prince to save them. Instead of taking initiative, Snow White and Aurora are unconscious and completely depend on the men to save them. This shows young girls that they need a man to save them- that they are unable to save themselves. Cinderella improves this by actually having her take the action and be developed as a character; but she is still shown as the 'ideal' woman- a housewife.
Moving on to the Disney Renaissance, we have Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, and Mulan. This is where we see Disney try to fix what was clearly wrong with the previous films; they actually flesh out these characters and turn them into the heroines of their respective movies- becoming more empowering as the films advance in time (they are listed in order of the release of their movies), eventually leading to Mulan, who may be one of the most empowered young women of all pop culture.
Mulan was special in that she was the first Disney princess to challenge the gender roles and break that stereotype. She dresses as a man, fights for the men she cares about (her father, but later Shang), and perseveres to accomplish anything, even if the odds are stacked against her. She continues the 'saving the man' idea that Pocahontas started (props for Pocahontas) and all-in-all shows society what a women can do.
The most recent Disney princesses, using Pocahontas and Mulan as examples, are excellent role models; a huge step up from their classic predecessors. Rapunzel from Tangled is brimming with personality and energy- in a way that makes her a lot like young girls. She is also creative and outgoing, both excellent traits to possess, and she won't let Mother Gothel control her- taking action against her and standing up for Flynn and herself. She even gets the benefit of saving the man.
Tiana, the protagonist of "The Princess and the Frog", is possibly the best role model of all of the Disney princesses. She, unlike the other princesses, believes that the only way to accomplish your dreams is through hard work and perseverance. Her dreams of opening a flourishing restaurant are only realized after she works hard for them. She even criticizes Naveen for not working, and inspires him to do so. She shows that through hard work, even the poorest of the poor can achieve their dreams.
Merida is about the most stubborn character I have ever seen in a movie. She won't let people tell her what to do, or how to act, or who to marry. One might say her life motto is 'I'm an independent women who don't need no man'. In fact, she is one of the only Disney princesses who aren't married. Instead, she lives life as she sees fit and marches to the beat of her own drum. She is a great influence on young girls, teaching them to be strong and independent.
Lastly, Anna and Elsa of Frozen are also good characters. Anna is very similar to Rapunzel, but gets props for punching Hans in the face when he was a jerk. Elsa, on the other hand, is very unique and realistic in her portrayal of insecurity. Everyone has their fears, their insecurities, their battles- but it is those that overcome them that are truly strong. Elsa shows this in Frozen. Also, she has no plot involving a romantic relationship with a man, and she even prevents Anna from marrying too early. While Frozen may not directly be testing cultural limits like Pocahontas, Mulan, or Brave did, it did portray women in a position of strength and independence, and that is what little girls need to see.
The reason why the movies are like this most likely stems from the time at which they were released. Women in history were almost always inferior to men, and as the years go on, that has changed, even in the smaller year differences, like the hundred-year time frame these Disney movies are situated in. As society changed, the movies changed, so as women became more independent and empowered, Disney princesses did the same.
videos used:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHR9wOv3hJ4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWXWwA3XoQo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EIFWjLYNWA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moSFlvxnbgk
Mulan was special in that she was the first Disney princess to challenge the gender roles and break that stereotype. She dresses as a man, fights for the men she cares about (her father, but later Shang), and perseveres to accomplish anything, even if the odds are stacked against her. She continues the 'saving the man' idea that Pocahontas started (props for Pocahontas) and all-in-all shows society what a women can do.
Tiana, the protagonist of "The Princess and the Frog", is possibly the best role model of all of the Disney princesses. She, unlike the other princesses, believes that the only way to accomplish your dreams is through hard work and perseverance. Her dreams of opening a flourishing restaurant are only realized after she works hard for them. She even criticizes Naveen for not working, and inspires him to do so. She shows that through hard work, even the poorest of the poor can achieve their dreams.
Merida is about the most stubborn character I have ever seen in a movie. She won't let people tell her what to do, or how to act, or who to marry. One might say her life motto is 'I'm an independent women who don't need no man'. In fact, she is one of the only Disney princesses who aren't married. Instead, she lives life as she sees fit and marches to the beat of her own drum. She is a great influence on young girls, teaching them to be strong and independent.
Lastly, Anna and Elsa of Frozen are also good characters. Anna is very similar to Rapunzel, but gets props for punching Hans in the face when he was a jerk. Elsa, on the other hand, is very unique and realistic in her portrayal of insecurity. Everyone has their fears, their insecurities, their battles- but it is those that overcome them that are truly strong. Elsa shows this in Frozen. Also, she has no plot involving a romantic relationship with a man, and she even prevents Anna from marrying too early. While Frozen may not directly be testing cultural limits like Pocahontas, Mulan, or Brave did, it did portray women in a position of strength and independence, and that is what little girls need to see.
The reason why the movies are like this most likely stems from the time at which they were released. Women in history were almost always inferior to men, and as the years go on, that has changed, even in the smaller year differences, like the hundred-year time frame these Disney movies are situated in. As society changed, the movies changed, so as women became more independent and empowered, Disney princesses did the same.
videos used:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHR9wOv3hJ4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWXWwA3XoQo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EIFWjLYNWA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moSFlvxnbgk
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