Princesses in Perspective: The Conclusion

 ((Image Courtesy http://wondersofdisney.yolasite.com ))

            And here we are at the end, all of the official Disney Princesses to date examined by yours truly. Snow White has a questionable romance, but she’s got some intelligence and spunk to her. Cinderella is pragmatic, understanding that to have dreams is one thing, but you have to deal with reality. Aurora is set up for failure and naïve. Ariel is curious but takes a huge gamble. Belle is an intelligent young woman who gets the adventure and romance she’s always hoped for in an unexpected fashion. Jasmine is a girl who refuses to be objectified or treated like a fool. Pocahontas has some historic concerns but as a stand-alone character, and while in her own tale she’s a decent role model, most of her actions are enabled by magical circumstances where other princesses just deal with magic. Mulan proves you can be loyal to your family without doing what they say, and you must be true to yourself. Tiana proves you don’t have to give up on a career or love, getting the man she loves and the business she dreamed of. Rapunzel demonstrates that someday you need to take charge of your life. Merida’s story cites the importance of family, communication, and thinking outside oneself.

            Admittedly it’s a bit irksome that until Brave, Disney couldn’t seem to give any of their Princesses a chance to be ‘victorious’ without tossing a man at them. And even the best of the stories should be taken with a grain of salt, their lessons situational. I know a young woman who refuses to break away from a relationship that’s toxic for her. She’s only 20, and she’s devoted to trying to make it work with a guy who won’t change for her. Instead of even futilely trying to change him, she’s resolved to change herself to make it work despite friends discouraging her. When asked she answers something among the lines of “love is hard work”.

A particular problem I have with the princesses who paired off is that it seems like every one of them married their first love. Many of these women are of the ages where they’re still finding themselves, and yet they settle in. True, their cases are extreme, but have we set up a mentality with Disney Princesses that girls must find love young and marry the first man they fall for? Why must my friend claim that she will try to make it work with a boy because they’ve been together for a year, and can give no other reason?

Not to mention, some of these situations if applied to life could end rather badly. Snow White convinces seven men to let her live in their home. Aurora tells a stranger where she lives. Ariel makes a deal with a rather nasty person rather then try to find her own solution. Pocahontas rather then grabbing her father’s arm to stop the execution of John smith, tosses her head over his. Mulan runs off and joins the army in a time of war-the least she should have been worried about was getting killed. Instead it’s displayed with several animated musical numbers, and portrayed as fun and games. Rapunzel walks into a bar of ruffians and thugs and manages to make them be good. Can you imagine if an eighteen-year-old girl with nothing more then a frying pan walked into a biker bar?

In conclusion, the Disney Princess movies are like video games or old cartoons. They alone do not cause problems in people or children. If they are used as babysitters, yes, children will believe that music and magic will save the day, like we seem to think children believe their friends will respawn if shot or people will survive strapping themselves to an acme rocket. However if the child has someone to clarify and explain things, and they aren’t constantly in front of a TV screen, they might just pick up some valuable lessons.

Merida: The Maiden Who Didn't Need a Man

(Image via Wikipedia)

            The most recent Disney Princess to appear in Theaters, Merida starred in Brave last summer. Her movie’s most clear distinction from her predecessors was simple: she did not have a romance. Instead her story was focused on her character development, familial relations, and of course, an adventure. Yes, courtship was a key topic, but nothing actually came of it besides a few conflicts. It was also the first story not to be loosely based on a fairy tale or badly adapted from history.

            In a land I think we can take to be a fictional Scotland (given the kilts), Merida is the first-born child of her father, the king. She has a loving family, both parents, and three little brothers. She and her father are close, sharing inside jokes, while Merida and her mother don’t see eye to eye. This is actually the closest thing to an antagonist the movie has: the tension between Queen Elinor and her daughter, Princess Merida. It is the catalyst to the events that follow, and as the witch honestly wanted no part, the fact that she casts the spell does not make her the antagonist. In fact she warns Merida that it may not go well and despite vanishing, leaves a note of sorts so she knows what has to be done. As for the cursed bear Merida must later battle, he’s a victim of circumstances, unfortunate word choice, and not honestly that big a factor in the scheme of things.

            Except that as a small child Merida might have watched him rip off her father’s leg. Now, while you can’t tell this for sure, her mother rides off with Merida over her shoulder, able to observe events until they were too far away. This would explain why Merida wants to be strong and able to fight however, if she’d seen such a thing occur. Definitely a contrast to earlier princesses, Merida is not suited for the traditional concept of a noble lady. She is athletic, stubborn, out spoken, and a terrific archer. She is clever, and able to notice things in ways others seem to miss. When she realizes the spell on her mother has occurred before, she’s able to apply her knowledge to find the solution. She defies traditions and desires freedom to make her own choices, but also longs or the acceptance of her mother.

            Merida’s story is a coming of age tale. She must learn to think beyond herself in order to avoid war and mend broken bonds. She must learn to help others, and not just think of herself when she’s fighting. It is a tale that ends with her being more mature then she began, and it does not end with her being paired off-nor the implication that she will be paired off, as in Mulan. The argument could be made she is young-but then, so is Snow White, and she was riding off into the sunset with her prince charming.

            As a role model, Merida is okay. She doesn’t need a man to complete her, and she is sure of herself. However she can also be stubborn, and one could argue begging a witch to make a spell to change her mother (rather then talk to her) was a bit rash. However, Merida learns from her mistakes through the course movie, and learns that charging in headfirst is not the best solution. Her biggest obstacle is her relationship with a parent; and most young women her age have to deal with something like that. As a role model, Merida is okay, but her story is full of lessons to be learned.

Rapunzel: The Romantic

(Image via Wikipedia)

            Released by Disney in 2010, Tangled went back to completely fantasy roots for it’s next Disney Princess: Rapunzel. Loosely based on the fairy tale, it takes place in a fantasy setting. The Princess Rapunzel is kidnapped as a baby for her magical hair, and Mother Gothel is able to convince her that the world outside her tower is far too dangerous to go out into. She is isolated from life experience and other people, similar to how Aurora was hidden from evil. What skills she can gain in the tower she does, but she longs to go outside. This is the setting her adventure starts in, and her decision to start taking control of her life.

(Image via Disney Wikia)

            Her enemy? The wicked Mother Gothel, who’s a real piece of work. Centuries year old, Gothel has retained her youth with a magic flower. That flower was given to Rapunzel’s mother while she was pregnant to save her and her child’s life. As a result, the magic went into Rapunzel’s hair-and so Gothel, rather then face old age and death, instead opted to kidnap the infant princess and brain wash her for the next 18 years. Unlike the fairies in Sleeping Beauty, she had no noble reason: she wanted to stay young forever. An entire kingdom mourned for the lost princess, and Gothel had no problem with that what so ever. She was willing to undermine Rapunzel’s confidence at every turn in order to ensure she stay in the tower, and was willing to work with some rather unsavory thugs to try to wind in the end. While this woman has no powers of her own, she causes an amazing amount of distress and despair.

            Fortunately, opportunity knocked when a stranger tried to hide in the tower. Rapunzel learned she wasn’t so weak as her mother thought, and when she still wouldn’t listen, Rapunzel decided to take charge. She dealt with some interesting obstacles, brave enough to face ruffians and thugs at the Ugly Duckling, and clever enough to figure out how to escape from several difficult situations; such as being trapped in a flooding cave or being chased by city guards. She also puts pieces together, because once she sees the royal crest she realizes she’s been subconsciously adding it to the murals she’s been forever painting on her walls. It doesn’t take her long after that to realize what Gothel’s done. While she grew up isolated, Rapunzel has amazing deductive ability.

            From what I could tell, Flynn Ryder and Rapunzel got the most on screen time to connect without breaking into song. They spent several days together, and the audience can track their progress. He seeks out her tower to hide, she hits him with a pan. Rapunzel displays bargaining ability and strikes a deal with him to be her guide. She saves his life at a tavern, and again in the flooding cave. By the end of the day they’ve both shared significant secrets and trust has begun to form. When Gothel appears and disheartens Rapunzel, Flynn notices she’s upset and asks why. She shows interest in his life story and he in hers. The next day they reach the city, and Flynn makes sure to give her the full experience of a birthday and celebration. They sneak away from guards, he gets her souvenirs, they read, dance, and spend time together. In the end he no longer sees it as just a deal-he wants her to get her dream, and he wants it to be as good or better then she imagined, going above and beyond the call to surprise her. When Gothel attempts to make it look like he’s abandoned Rapunzel, he comes to and is arrested-but his thoughts are on fear that Rapunzel’s in danger. It’s not even about him living or dying, it’s that he’s the only one who knows what sort of trouble she’s in. When Rapunzel realizes Gothel has been lying all along, she immediately questions what situation Flynn is in. But most important is that she was willing to give up her freedom to save his life, and he was willing to give up his life to save her freedom. Both parties were equally committed and devoted to the relationship.

            I believe Rapunzel is an excellent role model because her character evolves. She starts out isolated and a little naïve, but she becomes aware that something is wrong with her situation and takes charge. She’s clever and notices things other people might overlook, and surprisingly brave. In terms of expectations for romance, she had Flynn have a wonderful relationship that develops from different stages. There’s no abrupt “and then they were in love” like in Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Pocahontas. In fact, it points out a topic many earlier movies tried to avoid: Family vs. Independence. While The Litle Mermaid touched in on the topic, choosing her own way did not benefit Ariel in the end and in fact caused more damage. Rapunzel finally decided to defy the only parent she’d ever known, and in the end it helped her grow as a person and gain her freedom. Tangled is definitely safe for a little girl to watch, and I’d encourage the viewing of it for parents and babysitters.

Tiana: The Tactful One

(Image via Wikpedia)

            Tiana was the ninth Disney Princess to appear, in the 2009 Princess and the Frog. She caused quite the splash, as she was the first black princess. It annoys me that she was also the second American born princess and no one talks about that, or the fact that there are a few other non-Caucasian Princesses: Jasmine, Pocahontas, and technically Mulan. Tiana was born to a lower class but loving family in a close-knit community in New Orleans. She was hard working, with big dreams, and romance wasn’t part of them.

            Her foundation was simple enough. Tiana’s father had a dream to own a restaurant, but he died before he could complete it. Tiana was very close to her father, so she took on the cause, and works at least two jobs trying to save to do so. She is best friends with a young woman whose family is significantly better off financially, but never asks for help or a hand out. She doesn’t get out much, wanting to work hard and accomplish her dream as fast as she can.
            Tiana’s an all business kind of girl, with a no nonsense point of view. She regards wishing on a start as childish and silly, believing the only way to get anywhere is through hard work. She supports her friend’s dream and is happy when it seems to come true, even though her own is on the brink of being crushed. She can be dense when it comes to her dream though; throughout the movie her mother, some friends, and a good magic user try to explain there’s more to love. She’s also merely human and lashes out at her friends. However it’s also having friends in the right places (namely an alligator) that helps her buy her restaurant.

(Image via Disney Wikia)

            The villain of this piece is the Witch Doctor Facilier, also referred to as the Shadow Man. He is a nasty piece of work with intent to take over all of New Orleans and offer the denizens’ souls to his “friends on the other side”. These are dark entities that give him his powers, which range drastically. He can read tarot cards, curse people, transform others, and summon evil shadows to do his bidding. This is not a bad guy you want gunning for you in any which way, as Prince Naveen (Tiana’s love interest) discovers. He also has a way of words and is rather charismatic, able trick the Prince with very little difficulty.

            The meeting of Prince Naveen and Tiana is drastically different from past movies. Where a brief meeting between Philip and Aurora in Sleeping Beauty gave him the ability to kiss her ad break a curse, the opposite here happens. Tiana reluctantly strikes a deal with the then amphibious Naveen: if she kisses him and breaks his curse, he’ll give her the money to buy her resteraunt. Neither is actually capable of their end: she’s not a princess, and he’s been cut off. When they kiss, the spell does not break, and instead catches her. So the two do not set off on the right webbed foot.

            Watchers can also observe character development and their bond solidifying. When it begins, Naveen is lazy and arrogant, and Tiana would have no problem letting him get eaten by alligators. But when he falls in peril later they’re able to work as a team to overcome and outwit enemies, and the second time she rushes off to save him, leading the charge of their friends. They learn to work together, and they begin to understand why each acts the way they do, and rather gradually fell in love. In the end Naveen is ready to give up his happiness, and his love for her, to ensure Tiana’s dream. And when the Shadow Man gives Tiana a short cut to her dream, she chooses to do what’s right and her love rather then go against all she knows. He learns to be responsible, and she learns that there’s a difference between what you want and need; her father never got his restaurant, but he was a happy man.

            Overall Tianna’s a pretty good role model. She has a firm sense of responsibility, and though she can be dense about other things, she does catch on. She doesn’t take the easy way out when it’s offered, instead opting to do the right thing. When things look bad in the end, like predecessors, she made the best of it and takes what she has-someone she loves and good friends. Her happy ending isn’t really and ending; it’s the beginning of her dream, and it will be a busy life. But she’s learned to balance responsibility with the other things in life, and she can now be functional. Her romance is a bit unusual in the way that she and Naveen were both of another species during their courtship, but otherwise it wasn’t too objectionable-except it might encourage young girls to thing if they have a difficult boy, they can change him. Circumstances changed Naveen-not Tiana, and that is a blurred line. Otherwise though, Tiana sets a fine example for young girls who might find themselves watching her movie.

Mulan: The One Who Saved China

(Image via Disney Wikia)

            Released in 1998, Disney’s Mulan was an unexpected and dynamic treat. The main character, Mulan, is considered a “Disney Princess” even though she isn’t actually one. She starts out living with both parents, who are still alive, and her grandmother. At the end of the movie she’s become the hero of all China, having defeated a rather intimidating conqueror named Shan Yu. She was favored by the Emperor, had gained honor for her family, made friends, and her movie did not in anyway rely on a romance.

            The early setting is simple. Mulan has a solid relationship with her father, who understands her better then she does herself. Her mother and grandmother attempt to help her win the matchmaker’s favor, and Mulan fails at his horribly. In her society marriage was traditionally the only way a woman could bring her family honor, and she was an only child. Her father was a veteran of a war, but he was injured in battle, and this allows for what follows.

(Shan Yu,
the leader of the
enemy army.
Image via Disney Wikia)

            China is at war, and the Emperor has decreed that each family must send one man to fight. It is not long after Mulan’s fiasco at the matchmaker, and her father was the only one able to comfort her. He is also the only male in their family, and so he’d be the one forced to fight, or would be. Rather, it is fear of losing him that drives Mulan to her choice. She runs off in the night, disguises herself as a boy, and joins the army.

            While previous Princesses have been the heroines of their features (Belle and Pocahontas), they didn’t go to war. Mulan trained to become a warrior, and while she was not the physically strongest, she proves herself by being clever and thinking outside the box. She earns the admiration of the other men in her camp, and is able to use previous knowledge (how she climbed a pole to get to the top) to save the Emperor (used the same method to climb the colums of the palace).

            Even at her lowest, when Mulan realizes there is a need to rise up and push past it, she does. To me this is key in the evolution of a Disney Princess. When Cinderella’s spirit was crushed, it took a fairy godmother and a magical solution to fix her up. When Mulan’s secret has been revealed, and she’s been abandoned in the mountains, she is at her lowest. But there is no fairy godmother for her; she sees that a dangerous enemy is on his way to slay the emperor and conquer China. So Mulan gets up, dusts herself off, and pushes past her despair in order to save the land.

            As for the topic of romance, Mulan’s is not direct. In the original movie, there’s no exchange of affections on screen. She and Shang connect as comrades in arms, and gain a mutual respect for each other. Of course, there is very strong suggestion that they will pair off at a later date, but it’s saved for the audience to decide, or for the direct to video sequel. She is supportive of him when he loses his father, and also when he doubts himself. They may not have sparked a romance yet, but their connection is already an incredibly strong bond.

            Brave, independent, clever, and able to move forward through her worst moments, Mulan is an ideal role model. She accomplishes her goal of saving her father (and winds up saving the country) without fixating on romance or a happy ending. She is noble and adaptable, and proves herself more then capable to deal with life’s obstacles. While she may find love, she does not need a man to complete her. While I’m willing to listen to all argument, I find it difficult to find flaw in her choices.

Pocahontas: The Controversial Princess

(Image from Wikipedia)

            Of all of the Disney Princess Features, Disney drew the most ire in 1995, when they released Pocahontas. The tale of a young Native American princess (technically, her father was chief) trying to prevent a war and deal with the realization that there’s another people in the world has one rather huge difference to previous features: the heroine was loosely based on a historical figure. As such it’s fallen under attack for being historically inaccurate, and sexualizing the real relationship of John Smith and Pocahontas, who would have been a preteen when they met. While this is not the purpose of my blog, to those critics I will say one thing: talking trees. One of the main characters is Grandmother Willow-a magical talking tree. Why does anyone expect an animated Disney feature to be historically accurate? True, they shouldn’t have used a historical name as they did. It would have been better portrayed as an original story, which it was. That said, that’s how it should be treated: as an original story, not a slap in the fact of history.

            Pocahontas is a free spirit who lives in a village where everyone plays their part. Her father, the chief, is widowed, but they believe the spirit of her mother lingers around them. She is the first of the Disney Princesses to have a gal pal, that is to say, her best friend is another human. Well, perhaps not her best friend, but she has a human friend as well as two animal companions. She, like predecessor Ariel, is curious of what else is in the world. While her father strongly encourages her in certain directions, she feels like it would be settling, and she’s not sure that it is her fate to do so. She is more aware then some of her peers, and proves she can be quite stealthy-a seasoned explorer completely passes her without notice.

(Via Disney Wiki)

            The course of her story is mostly admirable: she encounters one of the pale-faced new comers, and the two try to prevent war between their peoples. She risks her life to do this in the end, so her father does not execute him and cause a war. There is a corrupt politician, the Governor Ratcliffe, trying to find gold and disregarding the fact that the Native Americans had none. He tore apart the land ruthlessly and encouraged his men to kill the Native Americans, which he encouraged his men to call “Savages” and to shoot them on sight. In general people are scared of new things, so she had quite a bit to deal with; and on top of that her father wanted her to marry the best warrior in the tribe and settle down.

            The romance Disney thrust upon Pocahontas was not only the cause of historians screaming, but the most forced romance they’ve ever done. Even in early movies while the princes and their ladies didn’t get much bonding, there were never any particular reason they wouldn’t work out. While Pocahontas was curious about the new comer and observed him, when he turned a gun on her she was able to sense the danger and run. While they got over her he also accused her of being a few rather horrible things. He commented absent mindedly, without realizing why she might be offended, that her people didn’t know better, were uncivilized, and savages. She was quite rightly offended and attempted to take off. When he followed her, she lectured him. From that point on, their entire romance seemed rather forced. When he initially tries to kiss her, she scurries off and says they can’t meet again. When he appears in the cornfield, she appears to be irritated. And yet later Pocahontas can’t get him off her mind? I could accept them maybe becoming friends eventually; but I can’t buy the romance the audience is supposed to see.

            However her ‘romance’ did have one important difference to previous Disney Princesses: she did not follow love in the end. She chose her family and people rather then to go to the other land with the man who’d been wounded saving her father, and it’s suggested he might not even make it back to England for proper medical attention. Unexpectedly, Disney did not give this princess a fairy tale ending; instead there was the question of lost love. Now, it could be because they felt they’d already trespassed on history as it was, but let’s pretend it’s an original story. As an original story this presents and important lesson previous Disney Princesses continued to miss: you don’t need to wind up with a man. Pocahontas did have love, but she did not marry him. Circumstances did not allow, and that is key.

            Now that I’ve spoken to death about the pros and cons about the romance presented in Pocahontas, let’s review her as a character. She is brave, intelligent, curious, and loyal but not to the point in any which way that she can’t make her own decisions. She is capable of being offended, and does not simply shrug off insult. For heaven’s sake, she prevented a war at risk to herself. While I’m not encouraging little girls to risk their necks for men they’ve only known a few days, they should want to avoid violence. Even if she does get a lot of flack for not being “historically accurate”, as Disney Princesses’s go, Pocahontas is a pretty cool role model.

Jasmine, Gem of the Palace

(Image via Wikipeda.org)

            In 1992, Disney Produced Aladdin, and audiences fell in love with a cast of new memorable characters. Among their ranks were of course Aladdin, and his love interest, the Princess Jasmine. She was the sixth Disney Princess to appear, even though the movie did not focus on her as the lead protagonist. Nonetheless, she was a breakthrough as a female character: to begin with, she was of Middle Eastern descent, the first non-white princess.

            Like Belle and Ariel, Jasmine’s mother is not in the picture. More like Belle and less like Ariel, she gets along with her father: to an extent. They have very different perspectives on the world; but Jasmine also isn’t afraid to speak to her father about what bothers her in life. She has an interesting affinity with animals, her best friend a tiger and releasing her pet birds to fly away when her own freedom is question. She has grown up in the palace as a princess, has never done anything for herself, and she resents that fact. She lives in a society that doesn’t give women much power, and what she wants more then anything is the freedom to make her own choices.

(Image from disney.wikia.com)

            Her enemy is Jafar, and he’s a dangerous figure. He is her father’s advisor, but he is corrupt, and has the power to hypnotize the sultan. His fatal flaws are that he underestimates people and desires even more power. Unfortunately, he’s also rather good at talking people until doing his bidding, and appears to be a master of disguise. Through the course of the movie he proves to be deceptive, cruel, a bit sadistic, and simply doesn’t care what happens to other people as long as he gets what he wants. That is the opponent Jasmine must help defeat.

            As mentioned, the focus of Aladdin is not Jasmine herself but, well, Aladdin. However, she does act as the catalyst of what occurs. Seeking freedom, she risks everything and runs away from home for a chance of freedom. Unfortunately, as she fears, her lack of knowledge of the world combined with a kind heart gets her in trouble. This is how she meets Aladdin-he saves her from losing her hand in the market, and leads her to a safe place. There they spent time bonding, connecting, and learning they were really kindred spirits, trapped by circumstances. It’s a memorable experience for both of them, and it was that encounter that Jafar would use to persuade Aladdin to go to the cave of Wonders; thus, if Aladdin and Jasmine had never met, the rest of the movie would not have played out as it did.

            Jasmine proves herself to be clever and able to think on her feet. When Aladdin returns in disguise as “Prince Ali” she notices his mannerisms, and gives him several chances to come clean. When he continues to avoid doing so, she brings up something Aladdin would know about, but Ali would not-and so proves to herself they are the same person. Naturally she reacts angrily when she finds out he’s been trying to deceive her, but the fact is they are kindred and understand each other well. Later when Aladdin is attempting to stop Jafar once and for all, she is quick to improvise in order to help him. She also does not appear to be afraid of Jafar, confronting him early in the movie, and daring to cross him at the end.

            The main flaw is that Jasmine’s story is not her own; she is the second fiddle to Aladdin in the course of the movie. This however, is no fault of her own. She is also, unfortunately, a little ignorant of how things work, having no sense of the economy or trading money for goods. Yet she is a quick learner and this helps her survive. She longs for the freedom to make her own choices and find her own loves, and she resents when she is objectified. When danger comes to her land and loves ones, she shows bravery. I’d say she’s a pretty good role model to expose little girls to, even if she has some flaws.

Belle of the Ball

(Image From Wikipedia.org)

            Released in 1991, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast has received a mixed bag of criticism and praise for its heroine: Belle. Yet another motherless beauty, Belle appears to live in a small town in the French countryside, with her eccentric but brilliant father, an inventor. She is an intelligent woman, who immerses herself in books to escape her simple life and doesn’t accept the first man who tries to court her because it’s expected. She also serves as the first Disney Princess to have a male enemy: her would be suitor who could only see her as a trophy to be won, a skilled hunter named Gaston.

            She lives in a society that expects her to conform, settle down, and make children. However she dares to dream of adventures and romance, and more then there is. She is brave, and was the first Disney Princess to have a functional relationship with her father. Her adventure began not because of an evil stepmother or a quest for love, but because she was scared for her father’s well being.

While she was a village girl, she was far from ordinary. As I mentioned, she was intelligent, clever and well read. Despite the fact that Gaston is considered the greatest catch in town, certainly able to take care of her, Belle refuses his advances on account of his ignorance and arrogance. She is even clever in how she refuses him, attempting to be polite despite clear annoyance. And of course, she seeks more then a “provincial life”, as her song in the film points out. She does not hold herself to the standards of others.

(Image via Disney.wikia.com)

Her enemy, Gaston, is proud, devious, and has an unexpected edge. He repeatedly ignores Belle’s attempts to turn him away, and criticizes her for being different. Even though he could have anyone in town, she is the one he wants. When she won’t willingly marry him, he attempts to blackmail her into doing so in order to save her father. Key, when Gaston discovers Belle loves another, he organizes a mob to kill his rival! While in contrast to previous villains he has no magic, he is arrogant, deceptive, and will do anything to get what he wants.

Admittedly, Belle and the Beast’s courtship is the first in a Disney Princess feature to get so much screen time. Which also mean it’s one of the healthiest depicted. Often, given the nature of their meeting, it’s criticized as being a result of Stockholm Syndrome-when a captive falls in love with their captor. I’m no expert on the matter, but it seemed a bit more complicated then that. Beast observed Belle’s devotion to her father, and how she was a good person, and how she cared about people. She makes no attempts to change him, though she initially dislikes him; not because he is scary looking, but because she dislikes how he acts: his attitude, anger, and actions. However, the Beast wants to win her affections, and so he decides to change himself in order to do so. This is a healthy change from the instant connections, and it displays that a young woman should not settle; if a man wants to earn their love, he must actually be willing to note what she likes. Now the Beast’s case was extreme, but that does not change the fact that he changed in order to earn her love. He also paid attention to who she was; upon realizing she enjoyed reading, he presented the library to her.

In my humble opinion, what cemented their romance was when she fled at one point, scared of his temper. He could have left her to die at the jaws and claws of the wolves, but he didn’t. Instead he saved her, though he was injured in the process. In Belle’s favor, she could have fled at that point, but she realized he was injured saving her and would not leave him to die.

But the best moment was when Belle discovered her father was once again in danger. The Beast allows her the option to go to him, and despite the blooming romance, she does. This makes Belle superior to Ariel, who picked a potential romance over her entire family. She prioritizes family despite the fact that she is by then in love with the Beast, and runs off to save him. But when she learns he is in danger, she returns to save him if she can. In fact, in quite a switch, it is Belle who saves him: from the curse and from becoming the monster he appears to be.

My final verdict is that Belle is an excellent role model. Her romance is not as suspect as others, as she and the Beast had to learn more about each other before they fell in love, and so they understand each other. Both have saved each other, which forged the romance in steel. Of the pairs previously who appeared in Disney Princesses feature, their pairing has the strongest foundation. She is intelligent, clever, quick to the take, loyal to those she loves, and braves. She does not abandon, and she did the rescuing at the end of the movie. She is able to win the adventure and romance she has always dreamed of, but she got there by being herself and a good, just person. She was high born like her predecessors, but a commoner’s daughter, and she was still the hero of her story. 

From Fins to Feats: Ariel

(Image via Wikipedia.org, with Thanks)

            The fourth Disney Princess to earn the attention of audiences, Ariel appeared in theaters in the movie The Little Mermaid, released in 1989. It featured a motherless mermaid with around half a dozen older sisters, and a father she couldn’t see eye to eye with. They exist separately from humans, under the sea, and seem to have a good amount of their culture focusing on music and keeping to themselves. They avoid humans who live on the surface, and enemies within the sea such as sharks (natural predators) or the evil Sea Witch, Ursula.

            Ariel herself, like previous princesses, is earnest and kind hearted. She’s loyal to her friends, risking her own life to save Flounder from a shark, and encouraging Sebastian to flee to her plate so he is not eaten. She is honestly remorseful when she realizes she missed the concert at the beginning of the movie, though her father focuses on her flaws. She is also insatiably curious about the forbidden: the world above the water and the humans who live in it. She craves adventure, going off to collect items from sunken ships and consulting a sea gull from above the ocean about them. She desires a life more then she has, but has remorse when she realizes she’s caused trouble for people she cares about.

(Image from Disney.wikia.com with thanks)

            Now, who is Ariel’s enemy? Ursula, a powerful and dangerous sea witches who strikes deals in a devil like fashion. She strikes people when they’re weak and in despair, offering them opportunities they could never otherwise have. She plays on hopes, and puts people at their highest-at which point she tears them down, takes their souls, and plants them in her kelp garden. She desires power among all else, can see through the eyes of her eels, who act as her spies. She was once in the palace but apparently Ariel’s father, the King Triton, wisely banished her. And though it’s clear Ursula was once more powerful, she still has the power of hypnotism and can disguise herself with magic.

            Ariel often gets criticism for the matter of her romance: many consider that she abandoned her family and risked her life for her first teenage idol encounter. And while yes, how she handled it was a little unorthodox, that was not entirely the case. She first spots the Prince Eric playing the flute and dancing, and indeed finds him handsome. This is why she’s still beside the ship when disaster strikes and the ship is destroyed. While many of the sailors were able to get away, Eric was not so lucky. Ariel saves his life. That is truly at the base of their romance; and it is known that when one person saves another they share a very strong bond. It’s quite the rush knowing you changed a person’s fate, and Ariel did that. And even though he only saw her for a moment when he came to on the shore, Eric searches for the girl who saved him because of that bond. The seeds of romance are planted then, and both are obviously in love before long. After two days of constant bonding once she gets her legs and loses her voice, they’re well on their way to a happy ending.

            Now, given earlier conversation, there were better ways to try to get to know him then to make a deal with the equivalent to the devil. But Ariel was in distress at that point because her father discovered how much of the human world she’d collected, and that she was in love with a human. They had a rather massive battle (more literal on his end, thanks to his magic trident), and her leaving could be compared to running away from home. Still, given the severity of the deal made (she had to make Eric kiss her in three days, without the use of her voice, or else be trapped in Ursula’s kelp garden) she could have thought about it more. She does hesitate, thinking about how it would mean never seeing her family again. But Ursula is influential and plays Devil’s advocate, and so the power of peer pressure is demonstrated.

            In terms of being a role model, Ariel is okay. She’s not horrid, but she tends to rush into things. Obviously her bravery is worth noting, and her loyalty to those she cares about. She demonstrates remorse when she realizes she’s done wrong, and was more then prepared to give up her romance at the end because of all the trouble it caused. Even though her father had the power to give her legs (proven at the end), she did not ask him to do so. She learned from her mistakes and grew, and curiosity about the world beyond her own is not a crime. A brave, kind hearted, sensitive, curious, loyal, and intelligent young woman: these are all things worth emulating. As for her rushing into things without a thought…well, she is sixteen.

The Passive Princess: Sleeping Beauty

(Image Courtesty Wikipedia.org with thanks)

Brought to us by Disney in 1959, Aurora (also known as Briar Rose) was the third princess to appear on the silver screen; in the feature length animated movie Sleeping Beauty. Aurora proves unusual on account of how she was raised; in a rather non-traditional fashion. Despite being a princess, and both her parents still being alive, she was raised isolated, by three fairies in the woods. Another difference was her enemy was the first non-stepmother villain a Disney Princess encountered.

Her enemy was Maleficent, and there was a reason the three fairies decided Aurora needed a magical princess protection program. While Snow White’s stepmother represented pride, and Cinderella’s was noted to depict envy, Maleficent was a village of wrath. Her entire problem with Aurora was that her parents chose not to invite her to the infant girl’s first birthday party. This caused her to curse her with an expiration date, that in sixteen years Aurora would die. When the guards tried to capture her, she cackled and magically teleported herself away from the scene. Later when she discovered incompetence in her minions, the witch’s decision was simply to smite them as a show of rage. Transformation and hypnosis are in her list of abilities. By far, Maleficent was the fiercest of the villains yet to appear in a Disney Princess feature-and she would serve as Aurora’s enemy.

(Image from villains.wikia.com with thanks)

This was why as previously mentioned; Aurora grew up in the woods, in a small cottage, raised by three fairies in disguise. This was most certainly a “non traditional” family. Despite what radical right wings might say, Aurora grew up quite bright. While the fairies snuck around on the morning of her sixteenth birthday, she detected they were up to something. She resents them treating her like a child, but is still friendly. But she is lonely, having grown up in the woods away and alone. She’s watched many of her animal friends pair off (she is the third princess consecutively to have animal friend; one should presume this is just a trait now) and wonders if she ever will. Despite this she loves her mothers, and is grateful for the small gifts they give her. But as Aurora has no idea she’s a princess, she has no knowledge of obligations, and believes she is more or less free. This leads into the trouble of her falling in love.

When Philip, the first prince with speaking parts or a name, finds her in the woods, following the sound of her voice, she has no idea he’s a prince-and he has no idea she is his betrothed. But they dance, and as she dreamed she might with such a suitor, they walk, and they talk, and he holds her close. So far this romance has no real red flags; until she proves to have worse stranger danger then Snow White. No, Aurora will not give Philip the name she has grown up with as she runs off because she’s late for dinner or some such. But she does tell him where she lives and when she’ll be there. This is a bit of a problem, as if you meet such a charmer today and immediately tell them where you live, it may not end well. While yes, they’d have some very nice bonding and fall in love; Aurora didn’t actually know that Prince Philip wasn’t a horrible deranged killer. On one hand she’s lived a very sheltered life. On the other, the fairies do warn her about strangers.

While Philip and Aurora get their happy ending, it’s not an easy one to win. The three fairies initially had to break the news that even though she was in love with the charming stranger, she was betrothed already (they had no idea who he was either). Aurora is obviously distraught by this news, and overwhelmed by the knowledge that she is the lost princess, and the fairies have lied to her about whom she is her entire life. These were the only three stable figures in her life, and they deceived her all along. It is no wonder she’s in tears when they bring her back to the castle, where Maleficent is able to complete her curse (to an extent). Because of the sleeping curse Philip proved his love for her, fighting off Maleficent (who turned into a dragon for the occasion) in order to save her.

While Aurora is an interesting character and her story a pleasant one, I have to say she is not role model material. It may be by no fault of her own, but she is very naïve. Her innocence is admirable to a flaw, and while she is kind she seems oblivious to the dangers of the world. In fact, Aurora presents more of a “what not to do” in her tale, then anything to emulate. Unlike Snow White and Cinderella, in order to get out of her situation she needs to be rescued completely. Snow White after running away from the woodsman managed to find a place to stay and traded for her room and board. Cinderella had to do something to rescue herself in the end, as the mice were not able to get the key to free her without help. Aurora? If anything she leads herself deeper into peril, though it could be argued she was set up for failure. None the less, my judgment stands: Aurora is not someone little girls should want to become.

If the Shoe Fits: Cinderella

(Image via Wikipedia.org, with thanks)

            The second leading lady to appear on the silver screen courtesy Disney’s animators was Cinderella, appearing in theaters in 1950. Unlike Snow White, she did not have to share her movie’s title with her co-stars. She was the lead character and protagonist, though she did share the screen with friends. In some ways she was rather reminiscent of Snow White; but in others she was her own personality.

            Again I shall begin my analysis with Cinderella’s situation. The narration actually reveals she had a kind-hearted father, but he was a widower and feared what a lack of mother would do to his daughter. Unfortunately after remarrying Cinderella’s stepmother, he met an untimely end. Something about the tone echoed as though she might have killed him. This meant on top of Cinderella being a child, her stepmother was potentially a killer. It was this wicked woman who served as the movie’s primary Antagonist, and Cinderella’s enemy. Later she is virtually displayed as envy incarnate, the screen darkening to jealous green eyes when she realizes Cinderella was at the ball, even locking her away in the vain hope that the duke might pick one of her daughters to ‘fit’ the shoe if the correct maiden was not found. She and her own children managed to waste the entire family fortune and their chateau fell into disarray, and like Snow White, Cinderella became a servant in her own home. That was the situation Cinderella began in: orphaned, alone and surrounded by enemies, trapped in her own home. While it was no evil queen who could keep her under close watch, where could she go?

(Image via Disney.wikia.com with thanks)

Cinderella is kind hearted and sincere. Despite their abuses, she goes out of her way to ask how her stepfamily is feeling. Like Snow White, she befriends animals, but she goes above and beyond the call, respecting the sanctity of life. She goes out of her way not only to feed and clothe the mice and birds she befriends, she rescues Gus out of a trap that’s primary purpose is to ensnare him or other critters. Given the nature of the household they’d most likely then be fed to the horrid cat-horrid enough to be named Lucifer. And even though this cat is wicked (see: named Lucifer), Cinderella wants to give him a chance. She proves a little naïve through, expecting the cat not to chase the mice and that the dog won’t dislike the cat.

She demonstrates patience, making the best of her situation. Even when she tries to speak up and her stepmother speaks over her, she keeps her calm. When opportunity rises, she is ready to meet it, prepared to work on a dress for the ball. She is practical, for when she hasn’t had time to make it, she tries to reason to herself that the ball won’t be all that. She’s even a little cynical about the initial appearance of her fairy godmother. And later she is very realistic: she notes that while she had a wonderful time at the ball, it’s concluded and she must now return to her normal life. She does not mourn the time, she does not regret going, she simply enjoys that it occurred.

However, while she is realistic, when Cinderella realizes there is at last an escape from her life, she changes. She stops doing everything for her stepfamily, instead going to tend to what she needs to do in order to take the opportunity. In this respect she proves herself clever; when Lucifer the cat is being difficult and stopping her mice friends from freeing her, she remembers Bruno the dog would love to chase him off, and sends her bird friends to fetch him. Perhaps predicting her stepmother would try one last act of spite, she brings her own glass slipper-as the one she left behind at the ball is shattered, and this is how she proves her identity.

Once again the primary flaw in Cinderella’s character development is her romance. On screen all we see is the Prince seeing her from across the room, and moving to dance with her. They share a duet, and I suppose we should assume they talked some. She seems to be in love with him at that, and I can’t deny such a thing is a romantic gesture; but is it a marriageable prospect? Then again, she didn’t realize he was the prince, and didn’t hope for it long term until he found out he was looking for her. It wasn’t until she learned that he was looking to find and marry the young woman who’d left behind her glass slipper that she realized there was really a chance at a better life for her. In retrospect, while their romance could be questioned, it does have more of a basis then Snow White’s, where her Prince Charming was a trespasser and stumbled upon her in the wood at the end of the movie. It’s also worth noting that while Cinderella’s father had been some form of nobility, she was not herself a princess until she married her prince. This could be seen in two ways, one good, and one bad. The bad perspective would be that the only reason she was able to progress was by marrying a man of higher birth. The good point of view is that it’s not a crime to hope for better, and social class should not define love.

Fundamentally Cinderella is actually a rather good role model. She keeps her wits about her; she’s practical, but not cynical. She has hope despite a dreadful situation, and her kind-hearted ways benefit her in the end. Despite what some might say, she does not let her stepfamily treat her like a carpet; she just doesn’t like to stir trouble when it’s not going to do any good. These are all traits little girls could learn from; even if Cinderella’s love life is questionable.