Goldfarb 1 Rachel Goldfarb Dr. McLaughlin Multimedia Writing & Rhetoric 24 March 2015 The rince!! "#olution The Di!ne$ %rince!! influence i! undeniable. inderella bac'%ac'! continue to to fill cla!!room! !i(t$)fi#e $ear! after it! initial relea!e* +ro,en remain! the highe!t)gro!!ing animated film of all time* and -alloeen ne#er fail! to bring forth countle!! gon)earing* tiara)toting little girl!. /n thi! %o!ition of %oer* the %rince!!e! ha#e faced much critici!m for their ea' %ortra$al of the female gender. While Di!ne$ %rince!! mo#ie! ha#e traditionall$ %laced omen in negati#e gender role!* there ha! been a %rogre!!i#e !hift in more recent film!. film!. The con!truct of a Di!ne$ %rince!! ha! e#ol#ed o#er time* beginning ith the dam!el in di!tre!! d i!tre!! archet$%e* adhering to the fair$)tale tem%late! of %a!!i#it$ and #ictimage 3ell 112* and mo#ing into inde%endent* em%oered heroine!* illing to fight fight to achie#e their goal!. Thi! e#olution can be e(%lained b$ and %aralleled to the three femini!t a#e! o#er the la!t cou%le centurie!. The Walt Walt Di!ne$ om%an$! multi)billion)dollar !ucce!! can be largel$ accredited to the %rince!! %henomenon. While Di!ne$ ha! e(%erienced !ucce!! in numerou! other %roduction!* none can com%ete ith the o#erhelming %o%ularit$ of the %rince!!e!. Thi! la!ting fi(ation fi(ation i! li'el$ due to the con!tant addition! to the collection* ith ne %eriodic %rince!! relea!e! e#er$ cou%le of $ear!. Di!ne$ !et the %rince!!)mania %rince!!)mania into motion in 1678 ith ith the relea!e of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Dwarfs and ha! continued to %roduce %rince!! film! through 2017 ith it! mo!t recent bloc'bu!ter* bloc'bu !ter* Frozen Frozen.. "ach ne relea!e re!ult! in a re!urgence of the the %rince!! %o%ularit$ e#er$ fe $ear! and ha! created an enormou! and con!i!tentl$ groing fan ba!e.
Goldfarb 2 hildren all o#er the orld atch and re)atch their mo#ie!* !ing along ith them* %rance around in miniature #er!ion! of their gon!* and bring noteboo'! and bac'%ac'! %la!tered ith their image! to !chool "ber!ol. 3ut de!%ite their !ucce!! in the indu!tr$* indu!tr$* the Di!ne$ %rince!!e! are more than 9u!t their their entertainment #alue. "ach %rince!! !tor$ contain! contain! a le!!on or moral for it! audience to learn. :! a re!ult* the!e film! film! !er#e a! mirror! that reflect our culture! culture! !hifting #alue! "ber!ol. :n im%ortant a!%ect of our culture reflected reflected in the!e %rince!! !torie! i! the %erce%tion of the female gender. The %rince!! film! illu!trate illu!trate the general idea! about a oman! im%ortance and %ur%o!e in !ociet$ at !%ecific %eriod! in time time "ber!ol. :nal$,ing the e#olution of the Di!ne$ %rince!! o#er time* e !ee a %rogre!!i#e !hift in the idea! about omen and their role in !ociet$. +emini!m i! t$%icall$ di#ided into three a#e!* each focu!ing on !%ecific i!!ue! and ine;ualitie! e(%erienced b$ omen of the the time. The fir!t a#e !urfaced !urfaced during the !econd %art of the 16th centur$ and a! mainl$ concerned ith omen! !uffrage. !uffrage. +emini!t! of the fir!t a#e or'ed for omen! %olitical e;ualit$.
that ould come $ear! later "ber!ol. "ber!ol. on!e;uentiall$* the earl$ %rince!!e! of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves* Dwarves* Cinderella* Cinderella * and Sleeping Beauty are Beauty are ea' and %a!!i#e* im%o!ing an archaic image of femininit$ on the girl! ho lo#e them Roth!child 75.
Goldfarb 7 The original %rince!! !torie! of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves* Dwarves* Cinderella* Cinderella * and Sleeping Beauty undergo Beauty undergo the mo!t critici!m from femini!t!. femini!t!. The !ame ba!ic %lot i! u!ed for all three mo#ie!? a beautiful oman !uffer! becau!e of circum!tance! out of her control and ultimatel$ find! !al#ation !al#ation in the lo#e of a %oerful %oerful man "ber!ol. =e#eral other characteri!tic! are rec$cled a! ell. :ll three %rince!!e!* %rince!!e!* =no White* inderella* and :urora* :urora* lac' much of a real %er!onalit$. %er!onalit$. The$ are all 'ind)hearted* innocent* and %olite* but not much be$ond that. "ach mo#ie em%ha!i,e! the %rince!!! 9o$ and com%etence in tending hou!e and her %atience in aaiting her %rince Roth!child Roth!child 54.
Goldfarb 4 /n the!e initial !torie!* !torie!* the %rince!!e! are are made !im%le and !ubmi!!i#e. !ubmi!!i#e. De!%ite each !tor$! %rince!! %rotagoni!t* the male character! ta'e dominance o#er the %a!!i#e* %rett$ %rince!!e! Roth!child A0. Thi! can %artiall$ be e(%lained b$ the ha%%il$ e#er after re;uirement. The ha%%il$ e#er after i! a 'e$ element of e#er$ %rince!! film. film. The %rince i! a 'e$ element of e#er$ ha%%il$ e#er after. Tran!iti#el$* Tran!iti#el$* the the %rince become! a 'e$ element of e#er$ %rince!! film. "ach mo#ie %rimaril$ focu!e! on the romantic relation!hi% beteen the %rince and %rince!!. The film! ending! are not merel$ ha%%$@ the$ are ha%%$ in !%ecificall$ romantic a$! Roth!child A0. :! a re!ult* male !u%remac$ !u%remac$ i! %re!ent %re!ent in the!e film!. Men frame the !tor$* !er#e !er#e a! %rimar$ agent! age nt! of acti#it$* and are the %rince!!e! % rince!!e! re!cuer! and reard! Roth!child A1. The %rince!!e! are the !u%%o!ed %rotagoni!t! of the!e !torie!* !torie!* $et the %oer lie! ith the %rince. %rince. -i! de!ire! dri#e the %lot. The action onl$ begin! hen the male de!ire! !omething of the %rince!! Roth!child 81. The !tor$ %rogre!!e! onl$ a! the %rince decide! to to ta'e action. /n addition* he i! ultimatel$ ultimatel$ the one to !a#e the %rince!! %rince!! and bring about the re!olution and !ub!e;uent ha%%il$ e#er after. after. The male character! can be #ieed in in !ome a$! a! more im%ortant to the actual !tor$ than the female character!* and $et the!e mo#ie! are !u%erficiall$ centered on %rince!!e!. The %rince i! not the onl$ character to reduce the the role of the %rince!!. =no White* inderella* and :urora are %ale and %athetic com%ared to the more acti#e and demonic character! Roth!child B1. The e#il #illaine!!e! ca%ti#ate #ieer! ith their du%licit$ and de%ra#it$. While the!e #illaine!!e! are are entertaining to atch* it i! im%ortant to note that the$ are the onl$ di!%la$ of feminine feminine %oer in the!e film!. film!. The onl$ %oerful omen Di!ne$ Di!ne$ %re!ent! to it! audience are maliciou! and ic'ed* and the #illain! ultimate damnation i! ine(tricabl$ lin'ed to the %oer the$ ield ield Roth!child B4. /n the!e earl$ film!* film!* %oer in the hand! of a
Goldfarb 5 oman automaticall$ re!ult! in corru%tion and contem%t. oer hen afforded to to omen turn! lethal? it a! u!ed onl$ to bol!ter their on o#ereening #anit$ and to de!tro$ hat a! %ure and good in the orld Dougla! 26. The!e #illaine!!e! embod$ embod$ e#er$thing the %rince!!e! are not? %oer* inde%endence* agenc$. 3ut the$ ta'e the!e %o!iti#e* %o!iti#e* in!%iring characteri!tic! characteri!tic! and u!e them onl$ to accom%li!h e#il. What me!!age doe! thi! !end to $oung girl!C girl!C 3etter to be %a!!i#e and good and lo#ed than acti#e* if acti#it$ im%lie! being e#il and being hated Roth!child B4. +urther* the!e %oerful omen all !hare !imilarl$ morbid morbid ending!. /n each mo#ie* the %attern re%eat!? the mee'* !ub!er#ient omen are granted a ha%%$ ending* herea! the e#il %oer)ielding %oer)ielding omen are de!tro$ed. "mulate one@ e!che the other? theE theE chance! of a ha%%$ ending increa!e Roth!child B5. The!e %oerful #illaine!!e! #illaine!!e! 9u(ta%o!ed ith the %a!!i#e %rince!!e! im%l$ that omen ith %oer ill !urel$ !urel$ $ield negati#e re!ult!. The !econd a#e of femini!m a! !et off in 16A7 ith the %ublication of 3ett$ +riedan! The Feminine Mystique. Mystique. /n her boo'* +riedan +riedan di!cu!!e! the unha%%ine!! and di!content e(%erienced b$ hou!ei#e! acro!! the Fnited =tate!* challenging the conce%t that omen could onl$ find fulfillment a! i#e! and mother! "ber!on. "ber!on. While fir!t a#e femini!m focu!ed focu!ed more on %olitical ine;ualitie!* the !econd a#e addre!!ed !ocial and cultural i!!ue!. Women made the tran!ition out of the the hou!e and into the or'force. +emini!t! began to under!tand the %!$chological and material im%lication! of !e(i!m and !e(i!t !tereot$%e!* !tereot$%e!* and the femini!t mo#ement hel%ed omen mo#e be$ond !uch thin'ing to e(%and their life o%tion! and im%ro#e their lot! Roth!child Roth!child 61. +emini!t! re9ected the !e(i!t !e(i!t %oer !tructure! of a %atriarchal !ociet$ "ber!on* re!tricting omen b$ confining them to traditional* dome!tic occu%ation!. Women demanded the e;ual o%%ortunitie! naturall$ made a#ailable to men not onl$ in the or'force but al!o in term! of !e(ualit$. !e(ualit$. Ra%e* birth control* and abortion ere highl$
Goldfarb A contentiou! to%ic! of thi! thi! time %eriod. Thi! !econd a#e too' %lace along!ide along!ide the i#il Right! Mo#ement* and mimic'ing the countr$! !hift in idea! about race* %ulled in omen of color and different cultural cultural bac'ground!. Thi! a! a time for all omen to unite. /n the 1680!* !ome femini!t! turned their attention to fair$ tale!* encouraging omen reader! to under!tand the im%lication! and ramification! of !e(i!m and !e(i!t !tereot$%e! in literature* e!%eciall$ literature con!umed b$ $oung girl! Roth!child 61. :fter the relea!e of Sleeping Beauty* Beauty* Di!ne$ too' a %rince!! hiatu!. The$ did not re#i!it the %rince!! !tor$ until the end of the 16B0!* 16 B0!* a! filmma'er! ere !earching for a a$ to reca%ture the magic and %rofitabilit$ of the cla!!ic Di!ne$ animated film! Roth!child 175. Gi#en it! %o!iti#e rece%tion and monumental !ucce!! in the %a!t* the %rince!! !tor$ !eemed li'e an ob#iou! go)to. -oe#er* the con#entional %rince!! had become outdated again!t the bac'ground of !econd a#e femini!m* and filmma'er! 'ne the$ had to ta'e into account the !ocial change! rought b$ the omen! omen! mo#ement Roth!child Roth!child 17A. Di!ne$ relea!ed a ne generation of femini!t %rince!! film!* ad#erti!ing acti#e* head!trong %rotagoni!t! to reflect the !ocietal !hift in idea! about omen. The Little Mermaid Beauty and the Beast !laddin "o#ahontas and Mulan and Mulan ere ere intended to refine the idea of a Di!ne$ %rince!!* %ro9ecting a %o!iti#e* em%oering image of omen. Fnfortunatel$ the!e %rince!! !torie! failed failed to accom%li!h thi! %rogre!!i#e a%%roach. The %rince!!e! %re!entation! and the !urface le#el! of their !torie! %aid li% !er#ice to femini!m and to the ne e(%ectation! of girl! and omen* but in realit$* their !torie! are traditionall$ %atriarchal %atriarchal Roth!child 17A. The ne %rince!!e! are not a! inde%endent and different from the original! a! ad#erti!ed. ad#erti!ed. Romance again ta'e! %recedence* alloing the male character! to dominate o#er the omen. +urther* in the!e ne film!* the the male
Goldfarb 8 domination doe! not end ith the the %rince!. "ach ne %rince!! come! ith ith a controlling father* father* and almo!t no mention of a mother. The mo!t re#olutionar$ characteri!tic of the!e ne %rince!!e! end! u% being a !hallo te!tament to their %er!onalitie!? their a%%earance. /n 'ee%ing ith the !econd a#e! a#e! cultural inclu!ion* Di!ne$ made a %oint to brea' from the blond)hair)blue)e$e! %rotot$%e introducing red head* brunette* :rabic* it ha! clear %atriarchal %atriarchal a%%ro#al Roth!child 147. :nd e#en though the ne %rince!!e! are far more acti#e than their %redece!!or!* the$ are ne#er their on liberator!. The %rince!!e! are not afforded the %ri#ilege of !a#ing them!el#e!@ them!el#e!@ the$ mu!t rel$ on their lo#e intere!t to in the final battle. :dditionall$* :dditionall$* each !tor$ re#ol#e! around the idea of a
Goldfarb B ha%%il$ e#er after ith the %rince!!! %rince!!! true lo#e. The im%lication remain! that a oman ill onl$ find com%lete ha%%ine!! ith a man "ber!on. The!e mo#ie! are again adhering to the the cla!!ic Di!ne$ idea of girl! and omen ala$! needing a man to feel lo#ed and com%lete. :lthough it can be argued that the!e %rince!!e! are an im%ro#ement o#er the fir!t grou% of Di!ne$ %rince!!e!* their film! do not full$ embrace female !trength and inde%e ndence Roth!child 158. Di!ne$ !u%%orter! ma$ argue that hile the other! in the ca tegor$ do not e(actl$ re%re!ent feminine %oer* "o#ahontas %oer* "o#ahontas and and Mulan Mulan a%%ro%riatel$ a%%ro%riatel$ e(%re!! femini!t ideal!. While "o#ahontas and "o#ahontas and Mulan Mulan ta'e ta'e a dra!tic !te% in the right direction* the$ !till do not com%letel$ e(em%lif$ femini!m. ocahonta! and Mulan are different different from the other %rince!!e! %rince!!e! in that their !torie! do not begin ith ith their $earning for hu!band!. hu!band!. ocahonta! i! un!ure of hat !he ant!* but i! fairl$ certain !he doe! not ant the humorle!! Hocoum Roth!child Roth!child 141* and outca!t Mulan! onl$ de!ire i! to fit in. The de%arture from the %re#iou! hu!band)focu!ed beginning !et! u% to %otentiall$ femini!t !torie!. -oe#er* a! the !torie! !torie! de#elo%* thi! no longer remain! a %o!!ibilit$. %o!!ibilit$. While ocahonta! e(%re!!e! inde%endence in def$ing her father! re;ue!t for her to marr$ Hocoum* !he challenge! that !he ould rather choo!e her on hu!band. =he fail! to con!ider the o%tion of !ta$ing !ingle. =he fall! #ictim to the !e(i!t idea that a oman re;uire! a man to be ha%%$. /n Mulan* hile hile the romantic relation!hi% i! almo!t none(i!tent until the end of the film* the im%ortance im%ortance of the father cannot be o#er!tated o#er!tated Roth!child 14A. Mulan trie! to im%re!! the matchma'er for for her father! !a'e* her onl$ aim being to ma'e him %roud. =he 9oin! the arm$ in %lace of her father* %utting her life life at ri!' for hi!. :fter inning the final battle* battle* !he return! home to %re!ent her father ith the "m%eror ! cre!t and =han Iu Iu!! !ord. The$ !hare a %oignant moment a! her mother and grandmother loo' on from a di!tance. The onl$ familial relation!hi% of an$ im%ortance im%ortance i! beteen Mulan and her father father Roth!child 14A. Moreo#er*
Goldfarb 6 both mo#ie! de%ri#e the %rince!! from accom%li!hing the ultimate heroine !tatu!. !tatu!. /n "o#ahontas* "o#ahontas* John =mith 9um%! in front of hief ohatan* !a#ing hi! life b$ ta'ing the bullet intended for him. Wh$ i! ocahonta! not the the one to !a#e her fatherC fatherC /n Mulan /n Mulan** the filmma'er! allo her to generate the %lan for !a#ing the "m%eror* but it i! =hang ho mo!t !ucce!!full$ im%lement! it Roth!child 148* and Mu!hu ho 'ill! =han Iu Iu ith ith a roc'et. Male! ha#e the final heroic ord in the!e film!* no matter that the !torie! are !u%%o!ed to belong to the heroine! Roth!child 148. The third a#e of femini!m doe! not ha#e h a#e a clear !tarting %oint* but i! thought to ha#e emerged in the mid)1660! and continue! on to %re!ent da$. The third a#e aim! to e(%and the boundarie! of femini!m. /t %lace! em%ha!i! on inclu!ion of all t$%e! of omen. : central tenet of third a#e femini!m i! to include certain grou%! of omen ho ha#e %re#iou!l$ been e(cluded a! a re!ult of race* cla!!* and !e(ual orientation orientation %re9udice Jacob. The third a#e encourage! !trong and em%oered omen* e!cheing #ictimi,ation and defining feminine beaut$ for them!el#e! a! !ub9ect!* not a! ob9ect! of a !e(i!t %atriarch$ %atriarch$ Ram%ton. Third a#e femini!m i! far more radical than it! %recur!or!. /n light of thi! third a#e of femini!m* Di!ne$! mo!t recent relea!e! ha#e com%letel$ tran!formed it! %rince!! !tor$. !tor$. Di!ne$ mo!t recentl$ relea!ed relea!ed Brave Brave 2012 2012 and the o#erhelmingl$ %o%ular Frozen %o%ular Frozen 2014* 2014* to mo#ie! that com%letel$ ca!t off the %atriarchal clichK! of their %redece!!or! b$ focu!ing hea#il$ on the relation!hi%! beteen omen and treating romance a! a !econdar$ con!ideration con!ideration "ber!on. Merida* the %rince!! of Brave of Brave** refu!e! to marr$ a %rince !elected b$ her %arent!* offering in!tead to #ie for herE on hand in marriage. Thi! mention of romance romance become! in!ignificant to the the %lot a! the focu! become! Merida! relation!hi% ith her mother. mother. The to are forced to or' together to achie#e the
Goldfarb 10 re!olution* and through thi! %roce!!* Merida learn! to a%%reciate an d better under!tand her mother* de!%ite their difference!. difference!. The final !al#ation i! at the hand! of Merida* a! !he a%ologi,e! to her mother* mother* thu! !a#ing her life. /n Frozen /n Frozen** :nna and "l!a are !i!ter! e!tranged b$ a cur!e and it i! :nna :nna ho through an act of true lo#e i! able to brea' that cur!e. :la!* the %rotagoni!t!* %rotagoni!t!* Merida and :nna* are the !trong* bra#e* and deci!i#e omen that femini!t! ha#e been !earching for in film. film. :dditionall$* :dditionall$* Frozen %re!ent! Frozen %re!ent! a %oer)hungr$ male #illain* ho e#entuall$ i! defeated b$ the !i!ter duo* o%%o!ing the former idea! of male dominance. While Merida doe! agree to marriage in the end and :nna fall! for her friend Hri!toff* the!e detail! are much le!! !ignificant com%ared to the other relation!hi%! in the film!. film!. +inall$* female female character! are !a#ing them!el#e! and each other ithout hel% from a man "ber!ol 1. The Walt Walt Di!ne$ om%an$ ha! com%letel$ re#olutioni,ed it! definition of a %rince!!. While it! earl$ re%re!entation! ere ea' and !ubmi!!i#e* the mo!t recent %rince!!e! are fiercel$ inde%endent and !trong)illed. Thi! forard)thin'ing !hift and %rogre!!ion i! a direct re!ult of the three femini!t a#e!* !tarting at the beginning of the 20th centur$* and continuing on to %re!ent da$. "ach a#e brought about ne a$! of thin'ing into !ociet$* hich in turn turn affected media. With With the third a#e !till in motion* the %otential i! abundant. +or e(am%le* Di!ne$ ha! $et to %roduce a film that e(%lore! e(% lore! and %romote! female friend!hi%! ho!e le!!on could be one of tru!t and lo$alt$. lo$alt$. The !trong femini!t cam%aign in contem%orar$ !ociet$ ill li'el$ li'el$ lead to more inno#ation! in thi! arena. Thi! !hift could not come !ooner* a! the mo#ie! of toda$ are being atched b$ the leader! of tomorro. Thi! de#elo%ment i! indicati#e of an e#ol#ing general a$ of thin'ing in the orld* %ro#iding future generation! the ho%e and %otential for a ha%%il$ e#er after.
Goldfarb 11 Wor'! ited Bell, Elizabeth, Lynda Haas, and Laura Sells. From Mouse to Mermaid: The Politics of Film, Gender, and Culture. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1995. Print.
Da#i!* :m$ M. $ood $irls and Wi#%ed Wit#hes& Women Women in Disney's Feature !nimation. !nimation. "a!tleigh* F.H.? John Libbe$ ub.* 200A. rint. Dougla!* =u!an J. Where the $irls !re& $rowing $rowing up Female with the Mass Media. Media.
2015. Sawyer, Nicole. Feminist Outlooks at Disney Princesses. Communication Studies. James Madison University, 18 Apr. 2003. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.
