The changing representations of femininity with Disney features
A number of academics have noted the great power that the Disney company has to act as a moral compass for the young audience who consumer their texts for. For example, Time Magazine states, Measured by his social impact, Walt Disney is one of the most influential men alive The hand that rocks the cradle is Walt Disneys- and who can say what effect it is having on the world (qtd. in Giroux 5). Thus, the strong power of Disney to shape the viewers of their films both in terms of ideas about right and wrong and the role a female is expected to play in adulthood is an extremely potent issue which has been examined in great deal within academic literature. As a result, looking closely at the messages the company is communicating to children, particularly females, about the world in which they live in and the roles they are expected to fulfill throughout their lives is an extremely important practice given the amount of people this company engages with and the extremely influential age at which these messages are being presented to children across the world. In addition, the way in which the messages are communicated, through characters the audience look up to and wish to emulate, set to music and presented in an aesthetically pleasing manner all further invites the child to adopt the morals they see on screen as their own so an examination of how appropriate and aligned these messages are with the reality of growing up in todays society is extremely important.
However, it is also important not to forget the social context in which these films were produced. Looking back from a twenty first century perspective of the ideas which were prevalent during the 1930s it is easy to dismiss them as inappropriate, however during the era which Snow White was made, 1937, the role of the female in society and what was expected of her was extremely different to today and this is evident in the characterization of Snow White. It is extremely evident that Snow Whites worth is dictated by what she can offer in terms of hard work and domesticity in the household environment. For example, the dwarves only permit her to stay with them after she promises to cook, clean and keep house for them, thus representing her bargaining tools and her most valuable assets to be her domestic ability as opposed to her intelligence or her mind. Whilst this notion may seem alien looking at it retrospectively from a twenty-first century perspective, during the 1930s it was far more representative of reality.
In addition, the context of criticism thrown at the Disney company must similarly be accessed to account for their changing views towards femininity. Disney has often been subject to damning criticism of the way in which they represent morals for children to pick up on. Many critics have slammed the company for being irresponsible in the way they represent females such as Janet Wasko (2001) who puts forward her opinion that all of the female protagonists live in male dominated worlds, describing them as predictable (116) and she goes on to criticize Disney for the lack of innovation they have displayed when they came to adapt existing narratives in that the animated form gave them a great deal of flexibility and license to make the narrative their own, however they instead chose to create characters whom, in Waskos opinion, are all homogenous. The volume of criticism thrown at Disney both in academia as well as more popular sources, with popular television programs such as Ally McBeal and Sex and the City both pointing out that the attitude that Disney films promote is out of touch with modern reality, also accounts for their changing representations of femininity. It is highly possible that after they felt the pressure from parents and academics who deemed their messages as inappropriate and irresponsible their reaction was to create the more empowered females of Pohcahontas and Mulan in order to appease their audience and the people who pay for merchandise, DVDs and tickets to their theme park.
Evidence for the idea that the modern Disney heroines are more empowered than those who were produced before them comes from a comparison of the characterization of Snow White with that of Areil within The Little Mermaid. The clear and obvious differences which exist between the characterization and traits shown by these characters thus displays the way in which a clear change in the assets valued by the Disney company in a female has taken place. Whilst Snow Whites demeanor can be described as submissive, naive, passive, innocent and domestic, none of these traits seem to fit for Ariel. Rather, her characterization seems far more independent and determined, as pointed out by Ross (2004 58). Her desire to live in the human world is brave as her father and the society she is a part of under the sea do not approve. However, she displays drive and emotion when she goes against what her father intends for her and allows her curiosity to lead her up to the surface, where she is even willing to sacrifice her voice in order to fulfill her desires.
In addition, as pointed out by Vashti (2009) a desire for knowledge and inquisitiveness is displayed by Ariel which appears to be a trend within the later Disney films as similarly Alices, Jasmines and Pohcahontass curiosity about things they are not familiar with motivate their actions. Thus, the traits these characters display, that is a defiance of authority as all of these characters perform actions which higher authorities do not permit them to do, Areil engaging with the human world, Jasmine wanting to see life outside of the palace and Pohcahontas wanting to know about the world of the white people, are therefore rewarded through their attainment of love which comes as a result of their stubbornness, defiance and disobedience. Such a trait is not evident within the earlier Disney heroines such as Cinderella, Aurora and Snow White where conversely obedience is rewarded. For example, Snow White is instructed by the huntsman to run into the woods and never return after he is unable to kill her, which she obediently does, and Cinderella shows a distinct lack of resistance to the instructions of her sisters who tell her to wash their clothes and clean their house despite them showing her a lack of respect which, from a twenty first century perspective, we are given the impression you should stand up to. Thus, the message given by the Disney company in relation to defiance and curiosity is that such a trait is desirable for life in the twentieth century which marks a distinct change of direction for the company as obedience was displayed by their earlier heroines.
These traits as shown by Areil thus are antithetical to those displayed by Snow White and a clear change in the Disney world view is evident to bring the Disney female into the twentieth century and to display a more responsible and appropriate message for children. It is also however worth noting that whilst the characterization of the females has encompassed a more empowered and less oppressed attitude, the issue which this paper is primarily concerned with, that is that fulfillment for a female only comes through romantic love, is nonetheless still represented within films made during a more modern time frame when indeed such notions are out dated and not at all reflective of reality. This seems to represent a rather inconsistent and contradictory message from the company as it seems as if on the one hand Disney is keen to appease critics and parents by providing role models who have more drive and assertiveness than their predecessors, however on the other characters still appear to subscribe to out of date notions about females and marriage where nonetheless they are still living in male dominated worlds.
In the case of Ariel it is questionable whether her motives are the result of a natural curiosity and inquisitive nature about the human world, or rather her motivation for leaving the under the sea world in favor of the human world is out of desperation for the love of Eric and this is what causes her to be willing to sacrifice so much to join the human world. However, given the sheer amount she sacrifices in order to be with Eric, and the final conclusion of the film as she sails off into the sunset with Eric in her wedding gown, it appears as if the ending is only happy as a result of her being with Eric, as opposed to her being a human alone. Thus, despite Ariels more positive attitude than that of Snow White and Cinderella, she none the less is only able to be truly happy as a result of finding love and being with Eric, which appears to contradict the empowered messages Disney are attempting to promote to their viewers.
Similarly, the conclusions of Pohcahontas, Alladin, Beauty and the Beast, and Mulan are all centered on the finding of true love. Whilst these females may well have other motivations throughout the film, such as protecting their family from war, death, or protecting their familys legacy, nonetheless the overriding message is that happiness is only able to be fully achieved when you are in the arms of a male. Therefore, the conclusions of these films thus provide supporting evidence for the thesis that despite the more empowered and less passive characterization of these females none the less they are living in worlds where true happiness can only be achieved through romantic love. As this is not an appropriate message to be giving to children, as it is perfectly possible in todays society to be happy without having a husband on partner, Disney is therefore projecting an inappropriate and possibly even damaging message to children through their films.
However, a counter argument for Disneys irresponsible messages towards femininity comes from the issue of adapting. All of the narratives which Disney has produced have come originally from other authors, whether they are novels such as Alices Adventure in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol or fairy tales such as Snow White and Cinderella which first took a fixed form within French society. According to Jack Zipes (1995) by their taking a fixed form the stories lost their flexibility and ability to be applied to specific situations and as a result a process of censorship took place to make the stories suitable for a mass, young audience (25). Therefore the notions of femininity which are evident in the animated features of the Disney company were evident in the narratives before Disney even produced the texts leading to the conclusion that it is not Disney who is responsible for projecting such notions onto children as the original authors of the text similarly reflected the same morals and values about femininity.
One thing which up until now has been an assumption in my paper is the notion that goodness is linked with beauty. As pointed out by Craven (2002) in relation to Beauty and the Beast, Belle is intended to be the character for whom the audience identifies with (133). She is therefore coded as good and her behavior worthy of emulation through the manner in which she is physically presented and it is because of this assumption that Disney is able to portray messages about those personality traits which are useful to adopt, as by imbuing their heroines with these traits it is likely that the audience will similarly pick up on them and adopt them themselves. The notions of good and evil being twinned with light and dark stretch as far back as Snow White however the idea that good looks is intrinsically linked with good deeds is something which is almost relentlessly suggested by all Disney features. As Belle is presented as an attractive female, she has a slender figure, large eyes, small nose, long hair and a small waist, she, along with all other Disney heroines who fit this description, therefore subscribes to universal ideas of physical beauty. By creating a link between physical beauty and being of good character Disney is highlighting the importance of good looks in being liked and placing a high value on this trait.
Similarly as with the idea that happiness is only achieved through romantic love, this message again seems out of touch with reality. Of course everyone realizes that people who dont fit this blue print for attractiveness may well be good, and similarly those who do fit this blue print may not necessarily be good. The message that the behavior of anyone who is attractive is therefore worth emulating as it is permanently good therefore again is an irresponsible message for Disney to be teaching their young viewers, and this is by no means the case in the world they will soon grow up in. The irony here is that the prevailing message of Beauty and the Beast is that it is what is on the inside which counts and that despite his grotesque appearance Beast is in fact a good character, unlike Gaston who despite his handsome looks underneath has an unpleasant disposition. Again evidence of a contradiction from Disney can be seen here as Belle is coded as good as a result of her attractive appearance so for her, as well as the remainder of the Disney heroines, her attractiveness highlights her as being a good character as opposed to her disposition alone.
In conclusion, throughout this paper evidence has been provided for the notion that the Disney heroine has undergone a transformation since the first Disney feature, Snow White, to today. Such changes have made the female character more empowered and thus equipped young viewers with traits which are more appropriate for coping with the demands made of them in current society. I have argued that such changes have occurred as a result of pressure from people who have criticized the past Disney heroines and a desire to please those who generate profit for Disney, the parents of their young audience. However, whilst the traits they display now more accurately reflect an appropriate manner in which to live your life today, none the less flaws in this logic still exist which create an inconsistent and contradictory message for viewers. The way in which true happiness is represented as only being achieved through romantic love and the assumption that good looks equates to a good character thus creates confused messages for the viewer and reflects messages which are not helpful for children to adopt. As a result the conclusion of my paper is therefore that whilst improvements have been made to Disney heroines to more closely match her with a useful and helpful set of virtues, negative messages still exist even in the more recent Disney features which thus create a set of principles which parents should closely monitor to ensure that their children arent adopting harmful or inappropriate ideas about femininity.
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