Bruni 1 Princess Paradigms Correlation With Culture Unless parents shelter their daughters from fairy tales and

Disney movies, most young girls dream of their prince charming saving them with a glass slipper, less an evil stepmother. This fantasy relates to no other fairy tale but Cinderella. The iconic tale originates from Charles Perraults version, Cendrillon, from 1697. In Perraults adaptation, the message advocates that although beauty in women is rare, graciousness is more important (Cinderella). However, since Disneys 1950 adaptation of the tale, the underlying morals have not been as apparent to young viewers. As young girls obsess over the poufy dresses, bedazzled tiara and overall glamour, parents worry about the suppressed concepts of the fairy tales. After the death of mogul Walt Disney in 1988, a noticeable shift took place within the Disney princess realm. Princesses, such as Beauty and the Beasts Belle, began to question societal expectations and the standards of marriages. Disney then began to incorporate princesses of color, such as Jasmine and Pocahontas. As the racial ethnicities of the princesses changed, so have their personas. They have become more egalitarian and less housetrained. During the late 20th Century, a shift occurred between Disney characters, transforming them from stereotypical, domesticated princesses to independent heroines, on behalf of changing societal norms. Early Disney characters defined the stereotype of a princess and carried out traditional feminine roles. One author classified these princesses in categories, the first being the Classic Year (Davis). From 1936-1967 this group consisted of Snow White, Cinderella and Aurora. One of the more common blemishes among princesses is conformity to a life of domesticity. For example, Snow White gains the right to live with the Seven Dwarfs by doing chores such as cooking and cleaning (Larson). She is gullible and nave, therefore susceptible of manipulation by the dwarfs. The domesticity enforces the idea to the audience that women need

Bruni 2 to do hard labor in order to gain a position among men. A similar idea is also shown with Cinderella, as she is forced to clean her stepmothers house. In this situation, the hard labor is a consequence from the stepmothers demands. Nonetheless, young girls become attentive to the idea that women are expected to perform labor and be domesticated. Another key concept of Classic Year princesses is the idea that beauty is an important notion within the plots of the fairy tales. The Queen is made to believe that she eats Snow Whites heart, thinking it will make her beautiful, too (Hunt). During this scene, the young audience becomes aware of the concept of comparisons in beauty. For example, they might believe that if they obtain the same qualities of beautiful people, they themselves will be beautiful as well. With Cinderella, however, she grieves over missing a ball in which the prince essentially judges each woman based on her beauty. Cinderella also conforms to this patriarch beauty mandate as her godmother dresses her in fine clothing and a beautiful hairdo. Beauty is portrayed to young girls as a superficial concept because good events transpire when each princess feels beautiful. Finally, men define the three princesses self-worth. For instance, Snow White bites a wishing apple, in hopes that a prince will make all her dreams come true (Larson). This scene demonstrates to the audience that the only way dreams can be fulfilled is by help from men. As for Cinderella, she feels loved due to acceptance from the prince. She gravitates toward him because she suffered neglect from her stepmother. A prince also saves Aurora. She does not have many talents, only singing and dancing, therefore she cannot fend for herself. In turn, she is helpless and can only be saved by the kiss from a man. In this situation, the audience will believe that love and affection from men result in positive outcomes. Young girls will also begin to

Bruni 3 believe that comfort and support from men will solve their problems and that they are helpless without them. As the Classic Years princesses have demonstrated, there are several superficial qualities that most of them obtain. Although the idea of domesticity is too grand of a concept for young girls to comprehend, beauty and acceptance is a simpler idea to which they can relate. Coincidentally or not, three years after the death of Walt Disney the paradigm shift from classical princesses to modern-day heroines took place. The transition is evident based on the differences between Beauty and the Beasts Belle and the Classic Year characters. One of the more prominent changes is Belles view on marriage. She is the first princess to have skepticism about married life (Saraiya). She also rejects the notion that women should marry the most masculine man, or even the first attractive man she sees (Disney Princesses). As for domesticity, Belle resists her villages expectations of what her life should look like (Saraiya). For example, she refuses to cook and care for men, and reads despite mockery from the patriarchal society. To compare the differences in beauty, Belle does not love the Beast for his looks, nor does he love her for that reason. Belles character is more radical with a somewhat independent mindset compared to Classic Year princesses. This 1991 movie began the feminist movement among future princesses. The second category in which princesses can be classified is the Eisner Era between the years of 1989-2005. These princesses include Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana and Rapunzel. 1 Most of them offer an antithesis viewpoint of the Classic Years characters. For

Davis wrote his novel Good Girls and Wicked Witches in 2006, however one can presume that the princesses

added in 2009 and 2010 (Tiana and Rapunzel, respectively) would fit into this category as well.

Bruni 4 example, Eisner Era princesses have differing interpretations on marriage. Tiana from The Princess and the Frog loves a penniless loser (Saraiya). This indicates that she does not search for love based on the wealth or status of a man, but rather his personality and characteristics. Next, Mulan returns home to stay with her family. In a Classic Years tale, the princess either waits for her prince or pursues after him. In Mulans case, her suitor follows her home in pursuit of her love. Finally, Jasmine does not believe that marriage is necessary. She even goes on to say that she is not a prize to be won (Saraiya). In all instances, the princesses have independent thoughts and do not let societal expectations influence their decisions. As for differencing between beauty standards, Mulan sets a prominent tone in her 1998 film. First, she defies the orthodox concept by cutting off her hair and wearing mens clothing (Larson). To prove that beauty is a superficial idea, Mulan uses her intelligence to surpass men in physical tests as a soldier. Mulan is an exceptional princess, as she never succumbs to beauty standards within her society. Finally, Tiana pursues an individual goal and does not conform to domesticity. For instance, she is the first Disney princess to start her own business. Young girls will understand that it is possible for women to have a career and profession, rather than have singing and dancing be their only capabilities. Although Eisner Era princesses are not radical feminists, their viewpoints are much different than those of Classic Years princesses. Their views differ categorically (i.e. domesticity, beauty and independence), however, their thought processes are more critical with independent ideas separate from societal or family influences. In a more broad sense, the values and personalities of princesses have reflected cultural changes. To explain, the first Disney princess movie, Snow White, came out in 1937. During that

Bruni 5 time in history, the Womens Rights Movement was still a strong component. Considering that many changes were still occurring with womens rights, people were not accustomed to women taking charge with their lives. Thus, women were portrayed as inferior in the first three Disney princess films. Then, during the early 1980s, more women began to hold government positions, such as Supreme Court Judge and vice-presidential candidate, as well as becoming more integrated into businesses. As women transitioned into the work force and feminism became more profound, Disney princesses, in effect, changed as well. The Disney movies did not influence societal shifts, but rather reacted in response to them. To conclude, cultural shifts directly influenced the evolution of Disney princesses from once being inferior and domesticated, to self-sufficient. Although the princess line up began with Snow White, the most prominent shift occurred in 1991 with Princess Belle. Young girls grow up with stereotypical princesses such as Cinderella and Snow White, but fail to comprehend the deeper meanings behind their tales. They fail to do so because they are young, nave girls, only worrying about a happy ending, not a sensible future.

Works Cited

"Cinderella; Or, The Little Glass Slipper." Perrault:. N.p., n.d. Web.

Bruni 6 Davis, Amy M. Good Girls and Wicked Witches: Women in Disneys Feature Animation. Eastleigh: John Liberty, 2006. Print. "Disney Princesses: As Bad As They're Rumored To Be?" N.p., 16 July 2009. Web. Hunt, Margaret. "The Story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves." DLTK. N.p., n.d. Web. Larson, Shannon. "Which Disney Princess Best Embodies Feminist Principles, and Why?" Quora. N.p., n.d. Web. Saraiya, Sonia. "Ranked: Disney Princesses From Least To Most Feminist." Ranked. N.p., 11 July 2012. Web.