Evolution of Disney Princesses
Emily Ferrell
Jamie Peterson
College Writing 11011-034
15 March 2013
The Disney princess movies are American classics. Like them or hate them, fairytales are common knowledge in America. Why is it so important that Disney drills viewer’s heads with these fairytales, specifically young girls? While all of the Disney princesses offer viwers obvious good morals and life lessons, there are underlying messages in each innocent tale. America is attempting to shape the female youth with their friendly children’s tales. However, as women’s rights are evolving in America, the Disney princesses are evolving too.
Disney keeps gender roles separate and concrete in their movies. The explanation for this behavior is the affect it has on the viewers of the films. In the older princess movies such as Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty women’s place in society was clear: you can get a husband if you are beautiful and women should find it enjoyable to cook and clean. Disney is painting a portrait of the perfect woman as being submissive and dependent on other people, mostly men. In the more recent movies such as The Princess and the Frog and Frozen independence and ambition are two focal characteristics of the newer princesses. The evolution of Disney Princesses is due to the change of women’s place in society over time. With each movie the princesses can be directly correlated to the time period and women’s social standing. “Skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony.” Snow White, the princess who began it all. She is described as being the most beautiful in all the land, and it seems that this is her most desirable quality. This movie is teaching little girls that as long as they are pretty, boys will want them. Young girls that see Snow White see that she’s beautiful, she’s kind, and she is treated unfairly. But underneath all of those truths, there are some other things she teaches the youth. When she begins living with the seven
Jamie Peterson
College Writing 11011-034
15 March 2013
The Disney princess movies are American classics. Like them or hate them, fairytales are common knowledge in America. Why is it so important that Disney drills viewer’s heads with these fairytales, specifically young girls? While all of the Disney princesses offer viwers obvious good morals and life lessons, there are underlying messages in each innocent tale. America is attempting to shape the female youth with their friendly children’s tales. However, as women’s rights are evolving in America, the Disney princesses are evolving too.
Disney keeps gender roles separate and concrete in their movies. The explanation for this behavior is the affect it has on the viewers of the films. In the older princess movies such as Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty women’s place in society was clear: you can get a husband if you are beautiful and women should find it enjoyable to cook and clean. Disney is painting a portrait of the perfect woman as being submissive and dependent on other people, mostly men. In the more recent movies such as The Princess and the Frog and Frozen independence and ambition are two focal characteristics of the newer princesses. The evolution of Disney Princesses is due to the change of women’s place in society over time. With each movie the princesses can be directly correlated to the time period and women’s social standing. “Skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony.” Snow White, the princess who began it all. She is described as being the most beautiful in all the land, and it seems that this is her most desirable quality. This movie is teaching little girls that as long as they are pretty, boys will want them. Young girls that see Snow White see that she’s beautiful, she’s kind, and she is treated unfairly. But underneath all of those truths, there are some other things she teaches the youth. When she begins living with the seven