Princess Power
I have a 3 year old daughter. While not 100% conclusive, in our home, this means I watch a lot of Disney movies. Most of these movies have female heroines. Not all of them are princesses. In many of the older films, the ladies are princesses or become one. In the beginning also, the young ladies are wonderful girls but are repressed by cruel people. Later on, they have happy lives but seek adventure beyong their everyday lives.
Snow White (1937)- A young princess, ill-treated, and eventually rescued from her circumstances by a prince who recognizes her kindness and virtue. She communicates with animals and was forced to learn to clean.
Cinderella (1950) – A young lady, non-royal, with a hopeful and gentle spirit despite ill treatment, is rescued by a prince and given the love she dreamed of. She communicates with animals, understanding their squeeks and chirps and is forced to do all the cleaning.
Sleeping Beauty (1959) – A young princess lives below her station for her own safety, though it doesn’t quite worked as planned. She is rescued by the (very cool) Prince (she happens to be betrothed to) and reunited to her parents and royal station. She communicates with animals and has to learn to clean.
The Little Mermaid (1989) – A young princess, well-treated, seeks excitement and understanding beyond that of her own world. A little chaos insues from her desire to change and when all is well she lives the new human life she wanted with a prince. She only talks to some animals, and the only cleaning done is by washer-women at Prince Eric’s castle. Ariel learns to dance, use utensils, and drive a horse and cart.
Beauty and the Beast (1991) – An intelligent young lady who lives with her loving inventor father in provincial France. She does care for a home and animals but she is not oppressed at all, she wishes for friendship and adventure beyond her routine life. She finds adventure and love in a more magical place. She does talk to animals but doesn’t have conversations with them like in the first three movies.
Pocohontas (1995) – A different kind of princess than Snow White and Aurora, she is daughter of the Chief Powhatan. A young girl with adventure in her spirit living with her peaceful tribe. She has a loving father and dear friends. She believes her path lies beyond an average marriage and home. When the English arrive she acts as an intermediary instead of leaving the challenges up to the obvious leader. She works the land like the rest of her tribe and talks to a raccoon, hummingbirg, and a tree, some of her closest friends.
I realized a while ago that the earlier female leads had similar characteristics. Snow White, Cinderella, and Aurora/Briar Rose are forced to live a life different than they were born into because of someone more powerful. They all remain kind hearted and realize their dream of being loved.
The more recent characters also seek something more. Ariel, Belle, and Pocohontas all live in loving homes but they seek adventure and something beyond their daily life. It’s no longer freedom from oppression, they want something they can’t seem to find at home.
The outcomes of the first three are all the same. The outcomes of the next three are not. Ariel lives in a different world but still as a princess. She got what she wanted, she’s no longer a mermaid. Belle becomes a princess and lives in a fancier world. Maybe she’ll travel more and have more to think about than the daily needs of the average townsperson. Pocohontas has a new perspective on life but she will probably continue living as she had before. None of these ladies were looking to fall in love, but naturally, they all do.
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