Disney princess evolution tells us a lot about women in society

"Someday my prince will come" Snow White

"There comes a day when I don't have to be a princess. No rules. No expectations. A day when anything can happen. A day when I can change my fate." Merida

Disney princesses are the ultimate role models for little girls under age 10. As a parent of two daughters, I've been fascinated as to how young girls have idolized these fictional princesses for decades. As a Disney fanatic, I've watched every Disney movie and noticed how much the portrayal of the princesses has changed over the years. Feminism made huge strides at the end of the 20th century, but seems to be struggling here in the 21st. Things have a long way to go for gender politics, but Disney Princesses can lead the way.

The first Disney Princess, Snow White, was a demure young (14 years old!) girl who was set upon by an evil, vain Queen because of her beauty. She was a classic damsel in distress waiting to be saved, even if the dwarves couldn't protect her. Beauty was what mattered in that movie, and it made Walt Disney pictures a revolutionary force in motion picture history. Snow White was followed by two other princesses- Cinderella and Aurora (aka Sleeping Beauty). All three of these characters from the early days of Disney Animation matched the expectation of women in those times. They should be beautiful, royal, and have an ultimate goal in life of finding a handsome prince.

The early Disney feature films were produced by Walt Disney himself, and Walt was a very traditional man who had a gift for story telling. The princesses were on a pedestal, and prominently featured in Disneyland, the first theme park. Walt was a man who wouldn't allow women to be writers, animators, or directors in his movies, and he was very much a product of his times. He saw how powerful a beautiful princess could be in a story, and had no problem exploiting that fact.

There was a fallow period in the 70s and 80s when movies were released but never quite caught on. (Anybody remember Oliver and Company or The Great Mouse Detective ?) It wasn't until the 1990's that Disney Princesses made a triumphant return with five memorable characters from blockbuster movies- Ariel, Belle, Mulan, Pocahontas, and Jasmine. These characters were somewhat evolved from the passive beauties of earlier Disney films, thanks mostly to the feminist movement before then that elevated women throughout society.

While these princesses are given substantially more to do, their main story seems to revolve around finding love with a male character and having a happy ending. (With the exception of Pocahontas, who falls in love but separates at the end- still a better ending than what happened in real life.) Ariel falls quickly in lust with the first cute sailor she sees and gives up her voice in hot pursuit. Belle has to be imprisoned to fall for the Beast, eventually falling for the tricks of the animated servants. Jasmine is a secondary character at best to Aladdin, and barely belongs in the Disney Princess lineup. Mulan shows true courage in standing up for herself and is one of the strongest of the princesses, having been based on Chinese mythology. But even she is heavily influenced by men- her father, the Emperor, the other soldiers, and eventually Li Shang.

In the late 2000's two more Disney Princesses arrive- Tiana and Rapunzel. Tiana, the only African American princess, debuts in The Princess and the Frog. Her story is not much different from previous princesses, as it revolves around a fellow frog- Prince Naveen. Rapunzel's story in Tangled makes a sharp turn from the sad original tale by the Grimm brothers. Instead of being a passive prisoner whose prince ends up blind, Rapunzel makes a deal with her rescuer and gets out of the tower in which she's been imprisoned. Like other princess stories, the happy ending requires that she find love with Flynn Rider and also become an actual princess upon realizing her lost identity.

The true pivot point for Disney Princesses occurs in the 2013 film Frozen. Princess Elsa is stricken with a curse that only an act of true love can reverse. We are led to believe that that act will come from Elsa's new lover, Hans- who turns out to be the (spoiler alert!) bad guy. Here the act of true love comes when she uses her last ounces of strength to save the life of her sister, Anna as she's about to be murdered. Showing that two sisters, and the love between them is the main act that will break the spell is groundbreaking in itself. Prince Charming had it much easier saving Snow White.

The official Disney Princess website does not list Anna and Elsa as Disney Princesses- only the ones I've described so far. Apparently the Frozen franchise is so popular on its own that Disney figured Anna and Elsa didn't need any more marketing. Since 2013, Frozen had a sequel in 2019 and another one scheduled in 2027, and its message of sisterly love and animated snowmen has only grown in popularity.

The three most recent Disney Princesses- Merida, Moana, and Raya complete the transition from femme fatale to master of her own destiny. Merida, who is actually a Pixar Princess but included in the Disney lineup, makes her debut in Brave and shocks her clan by defying tradition and refusing to become engaged to one of the suitors chosen by her mother. She uses her bow and arrow for power, just as her Hunger Games doppleganger, Katniss Everdeen. Using her own skills and wits alone, Merida mends fences with her mother and prevents a war. No prince required.

Raya is the least known Disney Princess, but her movie, Raya and the Last Dragon puts her at the center of the drama and the three main characters, all female, drive the story that pieces together a magic stone and reunites the tribes of five nations. Moana has a similar story, and she is the heroine of her story aided by Maui the demigod and a chicken. The stories of Raya and Moana involve a personal journey, heroics, and no male figures to tell them what to do.

Movies for over a century have been dominated by male writers, directors, and actors. It's only in the last few decades that things have truly changed for female roles. The Bechdel Test is a rating system to see if women are represented. At least two must be named and talk to each other in the movie about anything other than men. Very few films of the 20th century pass that bar. That has changed in the 21st century. The Disney movie that changed how its princesses were seen, Frozen, was written and directed by a woman, Jennifer Lee.

Making wise choices and determining one's own fate is one of the most important challenges we have here in this life. Both men and women deserve that chance. Our choices determine who we are. Merida, Raya, and Moana prove that even Disney Princesses can have control over their own fate and make a difference in the world. Now if Disney can only convince men that their power comes not from a gun but from their heart and mind.

Below is a great scene showing how Merida changed her destiny with a bow and arrow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWbxhKTbTkA

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