Table for One, Please.

From Snow White to Elsa in Frozen, Disney princesses have been put into positions of solitude. Whether it is forced by an evil stepmother or the princess' own choosing, being alone seems to be a staple pattern in Disney princess films. It is rare that we see a supportive community like Tiana has in The Princess and the Frog. What is the effect of this? How does it play into conceptions of womanhood?

http://www.reactiongifs.com/tag/snow-white/

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the oldest Disney full-length animated film, and the company definitely took a risk in making it. People weren't convinced that a story about a stepmother wanting to kill her child would sell, but according to animator Ollie Johnston, "Walt convinced us that this could be done so that it would be believable, and we all believed him."

Snow White is unwillingly driven into isolation to by her evil stepmother. If you think about it, Snow White has no friends or relatives to turn to for assistance. The kingdom that she lives in seems to have no other humans. She is completely alone, scared, and helpless. Had Disney created a father, a friend, or any other human being beside the Prince and the Queen, Snow White would have had somewhere to go.

These are all of the human characters that are seen on screen.

http://www.hutui6.com/snow-white-wallpapers.html

The grand total is 10, including Snow White. Imagine only talking to ten people your entire life. People need socialization. Snow White falls in love with a man she barely knows because she is looking to fill a void in her life that her stepmother created. It should not be surprising that Snow White's dream is to find love, security and a family, when all she’s ever known is hatred and envy.

Snow White discovers love and family when she begins living with the seven dwarfs. While living with them, there is a noticeable change in the princess’ demeanor. Snow White is happier, and she is frequently seen smiling and laughing on screen. Watch her sing optimistically to the dwarves.

Whereas before she was more sad, longing for a companion, now Snow White is confident and optimistic that she will find happiness in her future. Being around other people certainly brings out more of her true personality which she had to hide from the evil stepmother. Snow White has at last found a family with the dwarfs, and this is what brings her true happiness.

Snow White reveals that when the princesses are isolated, they are waiting for their prince to rescue them, rendering them passive and essentially helpless.

https://brontehoroine.wordpress.com/2012/11/12/coffins-glass-and-otherwise/

http://www.irishcentral.com/travel/reasons-to-love-irish-summers

While Snow White is coerced into isolation, limiting her opportunities to make something of herself, the opposite occurs for Elsa in Frozen, who chooses to pursue solitude.

Elsa isolates herself out of fear of hurting her sister with her ice powers. The first incident is when she strikes Anna in the head as a child. Elsa locks herself away in her room and tells herself to "conceal, don't feel." Initially, this is just for her powers. It continues to grow to include all of her emotions and feelings. Without anyone to talk to, Elsa begins to doubt herself and her ability to lead. Essentially, Elsa locks herself away in order to reduce her risk (and therefore her fear) of harming other people with her magical abilities, but ends up hurting herself.

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Elsa’s physical isolation in her room has an unforeseen effect on Anna, who is left abandoned. The castle gates are closed, and no matter how hard Anna tries to get Elsa to build a snowman with her, Elsa refuses. Anna spends her days alone. So when she is finally presented with an opportunity to socialize with people at the coronation, she is overwhelmed and realizes the gaping hole left in her life due to her loneliness. Just like Snow White, she falls in love with the first man she meets, even though there are seventy-six years in between the two films. This proves that isolation is inherently problematic to humans. This time around though, Disney doesn't allow the princess to go through with it.

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Thanks for reminding us of that, Elsa and Kristoff.

Returning to Elsa, when she sings the chart-topping hit "Let It Go" alone on the North Mountain, she is free to be herself, and finally accepts herself for who she truly is. She has a newfound confidence in herself that makes her personality come alive.

This sentiment of embracing yourself for who you are has spread across the globe.

 


People find inspiration in Elsa's message.

How YOU respond to adversity determines the story YOU write. #MentalToughness

Rise UP #LetItGO

— Ben Newman (@ContinuedFight) December 6, 2016

Some people in the LGBTQ community feel like they are able to see themselves in Elsa.

http://bi-trans-alliance.tumblr.com/post/144857551484/idina-menzel-publicly-gets-behind

What we can see from Elsa is that when the princess chooses solitude, it is a step in the right direction because she is controlling her own future. It is feminist and it rocks!

http://www.popsugar.com/moms/Mom-Gives-Disney-Princess-Book-Feminist-Upgrade-42824146#photo-42824156

Tiana in "The Princess and the Frog" arguably has the best situation. She lives in New Orleans with a loving family, she works hard to achieve her dreams, and she gets the guy.

http://sempeternal.tumblr.com/post/38294194809

There are no other Disney princesses as independent and hardworking. This is because instead of living alone in the forest with animal friends or running to an isolated mountain, Tiana has a loving community that encourages her to pursue her dreams. She has choices.

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She even has a female best friend, Charlotte. When's the last time Disney allowed two females to get along like these two?

http://disneyenchanted.tumblr.com/post/49142029070

What can be learned from these three princesses is that the environment in which the princess lives is what drives her choices. When the princesses are isolated like Snow White, they are waiting for their prince to rescue them, making them seem passive. Next, when the princess chooses solitude, like Elsa, it is a step in the right direction because she is controlling her own future. Finally, when the princess lives in a supportive communty, like Tiana, she faces many decisions and completely dictates her own choices. If young girls are taught to simply wait for a prince to come, they will grow up with an unrealistic idea of love and doubt of their full potential. Women and girls who watch Disney movies should learn that they have the potential to become their best selves because people love them and will support them in all that they want to achieve.

#YouGoGirl!

http://rebloggy.com/post/mine-disney-the-princess-and-the-frog-tiana-almost-there/34394291016

Is Alycia Keys the next Orenstein?

That feeling when you are just looking around on Buzzfeed and see an article about Alycia Keys banning her sons from watching Disney movies.... boy was I surprised. I think what she is trying to do is admirable. Every mother should feel like it is their duty to raise their sons to respect women as equal to them (because we are!). I just think her quest to ban the Disney classics is highly unrealistic. Peggy Orenstein did that with her little girl and Disney still found a way to seep into her life. We'll have to watch and see how this goes....

Can Disney Princesses Keep a Snap Streak?

It's a good day for Buzzfeed. This super cool article shows how one artist recreated famous Disney scenes....on Snapchat. I'm starting to feel very mediocre. Humph.

Moana Stars Take A Disney Princess Quiz

Want to know what princess Lin-Manuel Miranda is? How about The Rock? Or Disney newcomer Auli'i Cravalho? Check out this article....spoiler alert: it's amazing.

Moana Fun Facts!

I haven't gotten around to seeing Moana yet (I instead saw Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them today), but here are some exciting fun facts about the newest Disney film. It has gotten great reviews so far, so I'm hoping to get to watch it soon. Enjoy!

One Last Time

Before the course, I think I simply just accepted Disney films. Just like most the population, I thought they weren’t subject to criticism because they were for children. I never thought once about how the company portrays gender or race. However, within even the first few sessions of the class, I adapted a much more analytical eye and began challenging what I watched. Especially in watching Cinderella for the first time in years, I began to see the rigid gender roles Disney assigns to its characters.

Although initially I was angry about the way Disney portrays women, especially after hearing lyrics like “leave the sewing to the women,” I came to understand that the movies are just products of their time, at least in the beginning. Men simply weren't sewing dresses in 1937. The second wave films, however, were a different story.

The second wave films were always some of my favorites. They were the ones that I grew up with. While there were some more feminist sentiments in these films, the issue of race was the most problematic aspect of all. The amalgamation of cultures in Aladdin and the sexualization of Pocahontas rubbed me the wrong way. It is still hard for me to accept these films. If these were my cultures being misrepresented, I would be outraged out of my mind. Disney films can’t just be accepted without second thought. If that happens, people everywhere will be taught that all men with turbans and dark mustaches are bad, which is simply false. To paraphrase Henry Giroux, films are teaching machines. The themes and motifs they put forward can contribute to much larger issues than we can possibly imagine.

The third wave films were better in my opinion. When we began to analyze these, my eye was more trained. I think that Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Elsa and Anna are all better role models than Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. Even more so, the third wave films are far more interesting. There is more character development, the girls don’t just wait around to be rescued, and they don’t just fall in love at first sight. These are much better messages for young kids.

I never realized how much written criticism there is of Disney princess films. After rewatching some of the films myself, I can see that there is a lot to say. I have a deepened understanding of the restrictive gender roles assigned in our society. I also am aware of the way that women of different races (other than white) are overly sexualized in media.

I have learned to challenge all the Disney movies I watch. Further, I’ve learned to challenge the various sources assigned to me. Not every piece that a professor assigns is scholarly, and some scholarly sources may not even be that good. Every source should be examined individually, and it’s okay if you disagree with them. Even some peer-reviewed authors don’t even know how to effectively use evidence.

I have gained a plethora of knowledge about Disney movies through this course, but also about academic writing. Going forward, I will continue to analyze every source given to me. Nothing in life should be blindly accepted.

Sunday Buzzfeed Quizzes (Procrastination Purposes Only)

If you need a little break from homework today, check out these fun quizzes!

How Popular Are Your Disney World Opinions (it will really make you want to take a vacation)

Take This Disney Quiz and We'll Tell You When You're Getting Married (I got maybe never. Well that's good *sobs quietly so roommate doesn't hear*)

Which Disney Prince Are You Based On These Random Questions (I got Tarzan- does he even count?)

Which Disney Dad Are You (I got Mufasa)

Two days until Thanksgiving! We are so close!