Representations Of Femininity In Three Walt Disney Animated Features
“Behind the Fair Façade”
Representations of Femininity in Three Walt Disney Animated Features
Bachelor Thesis
Bethany Schouten, 3278972
Media en Cultuurwetenschappen
Genderstudies
Supervisor:
Domitilla Olivieri
May 31st, 2011
“Behind the Fair Façade”
Representations of Femininity in Three Walt Disney Animated Features
Bachelor thesis by Bethany Schouten, 3278972
Index
Introduction 3
Methodological and theoretical Framework 4
Corpus 9
The Research: SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS 11
The Research: THE LITTLE MERMAID 18
The Research: THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG 24
Findings and Interpretation 31
Identity Formation 35
Conclusion 38
Literature …show more content…
There are little to no relevant changes in the representation of femininity.
In the 1980s and 90s the female protagonists were designed to be wilder, more intelligent and more impudent. THE LITTLE MERMAID (1989) stars Ariel, who shows ‘new’ features in her assertiveness and independence, but embodies submissive characteristics as well. I will compare certain elements of THE LITTLE MERMAID to BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1991) who’s heroine, Belle, was promoted by Walt Disney as ‘modern’, ‘active’ and even ‘feminist’. I will study whether Ariel (and Belle) really is more independent, or if these traits are just restricted to a certain part of the film. Finally, I shall analyze THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG (2009). This animated feature presents the first black Princess in Walt Disney history. To end, I shall compare my results and analyze whether the stereotypical image of femininity has changed, specifically what elements have been altered and which have remained the …show more content…
Throughout the film it becomes apparent that Snow White only has one thing on her mind: being found by her Prince and marrying him. A scene which illustrates this desire is when the evil Queen/witch gives Snow White the poisonous apple and tells her it is a wishing apple that will make all her dreams come true. Snow White takes the apple and pronounces her deepest desire: “I wish, I wish......and that he will carry me away to his castle where we will live happily ever after.” She has no agency in doing this though; she waits until the man she loves to find her. It seems as if the message that is being sent out is: the only thing for a ‘good girl’ to do is to take care of others, clean and find a husband. This is a recurring theme in Walt Disney animated features, especially in the older features, exemplified by CINDERELLA and SLEEPING BEAUTY, where the Princesses wait by to be swept off their feet. But also in the more modern films such as THE LITTLE MERMAID, it is the protagonist’s wish to marry the man she loves. Even in the features BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG where the female protagonists want nothing to do with a man at the beginning of the film, they eventually conform to the standard by marrying Prince Charming. One gets the impression that getting married is the only desire a women could have. This desire seems to be
Representations of Femininity in Three Walt Disney Animated Features
Bachelor Thesis
Bethany Schouten, 3278972
Media en Cultuurwetenschappen
Genderstudies
Supervisor:
Domitilla Olivieri
May 31st, 2011
“Behind the Fair Façade”
Representations of Femininity in Three Walt Disney Animated Features
Bachelor thesis by Bethany Schouten, 3278972
Index
Introduction 3
Methodological and theoretical Framework 4
Corpus 9
The Research: SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS 11
The Research: THE LITTLE MERMAID 18
The Research: THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG 24
Findings and Interpretation 31
Identity Formation 35
Conclusion 38
Literature …show more content…
There are little to no relevant changes in the representation of femininity.
In the 1980s and 90s the female protagonists were designed to be wilder, more intelligent and more impudent. THE LITTLE MERMAID (1989) stars Ariel, who shows ‘new’ features in her assertiveness and independence, but embodies submissive characteristics as well. I will compare certain elements of THE LITTLE MERMAID to BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1991) who’s heroine, Belle, was promoted by Walt Disney as ‘modern’, ‘active’ and even ‘feminist’. I will study whether Ariel (and Belle) really is more independent, or if these traits are just restricted to a certain part of the film. Finally, I shall analyze THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG (2009). This animated feature presents the first black Princess in Walt Disney history. To end, I shall compare my results and analyze whether the stereotypical image of femininity has changed, specifically what elements have been altered and which have remained the …show more content…
Throughout the film it becomes apparent that Snow White only has one thing on her mind: being found by her Prince and marrying him. A scene which illustrates this desire is when the evil Queen/witch gives Snow White the poisonous apple and tells her it is a wishing apple that will make all her dreams come true. Snow White takes the apple and pronounces her deepest desire: “I wish, I wish......and that he will carry me away to his castle where we will live happily ever after.” She has no agency in doing this though; she waits until the man she loves to find her. It seems as if the message that is being sent out is: the only thing for a ‘good girl’ to do is to take care of others, clean and find a husband. This is a recurring theme in Walt Disney animated features, especially in the older features, exemplified by CINDERELLA and SLEEPING BEAUTY, where the Princesses wait by to be swept off their feet. But also in the more modern films such as THE LITTLE MERMAID, it is the protagonist’s wish to marry the man she loves. Even in the features BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG where the female protagonists want nothing to do with a man at the beginning of the film, they eventually conform to the standard by marrying Prince Charming. One gets the impression that getting married is the only desire a women could have. This desire seems to be