From Snow to Ice: A Study of the Progression of Disney Princesses

Dossier: Disney 02

From Snow to Ice: A Study of the

Progression of Disney Princesses

from 1937 to 2014

By Maegan M. Davis

k e y w o r d s : Disney, princess, gender roles, femininity, female ideals, girls, independence,

domestic, film history

In tro d u ctio n

In a recent study published in 2011, Disney Princess movies were

grouped into three categories: the earlier movies, Snow White and the

Seven Dwarfs (Cottrell, Hand, Jackson, Morey, Pearce, and Sharpsteen,

1937), Cinderella (Geronimi, Jackson, and Luske, 1950), and Sleeping

Beauty (Geronimi, 1959); the middle movies, The Little Mermaid

(Clements and Musker, 1989), Beauty and the Beast (Trousdale and

Wise, 1991), Aladdin (Clements and Musker, 1992), Pocahontas (Gabriel

and Goldberg, 1995), and Mulan (Bancroft and Cook, 1998); and

the most current film, The Princess and the Frog (Clements and Musker,

2009) (England 555). Since the publication of the study, Disney

has released two more Princess films, Tangled (Greno and Howard,

2010) and Frozen (Buck and Lee, 2013), both falling under the “most

current films” category. Each of these Disney films contains a female

in the role of a princess; however as we progress from one category

to the next, there is a difference in the way each group of princesses

is portrayed. The princesses of the earlier movies are constantly

depicted as helpless damsels in distress, only able to be saved by the

help of their “Prince Charming.” As we move to die middle movies,

we see a slight change in the way each princess is represented, as they

become somewhat more independent from their male counterparts,

while the princesses of the most current Disney films have evolved

into strong women who can fend for themselves without the help of a

man. By looking at various princesses of the early Disney films all the

way to the princesses of the latest Disney films, we see that the way

women have been portrayed as characters has progressed from that

of helplessness to independence.

E arly D isney film s

Snow White, the classic heroine from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,

is the ultimate stereotype of the ideal woman in that “women

are seen as domestic, focused mainly on family and personal

relationships; they are considered highly emotional individuals, less

competent and dependent on their male counterparts for emotional

and financial support” (Matyas 4). After Snow White escapes from

the huntsman, she begins to run through the woods, seeing every

branch as a threatening, monster-like creature. The sky appears dark,

as thunder and lightning strikes the earth while Snow White runs to

find refuge from the danger in which she appears to be. However, as

soon as Snow White feels that she can no longer run, the sky becomes

lighter, and the weather begins to clear, implying that the danger she

previously felt was only within her mind; the danger was an effect

of her emotional state. While on the run from her first dangerous

encounter, Snow finds a cottage that belongs to seven men, and she

makes a deal that if she cooks and cleans for the men, they will allow

her to stay in the cottage. She is almost like a mother figure to the

dwarfs, embodying the image of femininity where “femininity is

depicted, for example, where happiness and personal satisfaction are

found through marriage and motherhood” (Matyas 5). By cooking

and cleaning for the men, Snow White seems to be content with her

lifestyle as she waits for her prince to take her to his castle.

Through the film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Snow White is

faced with multiple instances of danger. The evil queen makes it her

goal to put an end to Snow White, thus she sends her huntsman to

kill Snow White. The huntsman raises his dagger for the kill only to

have a change of heart when he sees the frightened look upon Snow’s

face. The huntsman tells Snow to “run away” so he will not have to

put an end to the life of such a helpless young woman. While no one

comes to Snow’s rescue at this point in the story, the huntsman can

ultimately be viewed as the male character that saves Snow White for

he decided against the evil queen’s order to kill.

As the film progresses, the dwarfs are the male characters that keep

Snow White safe from harm. As soon as the dwarfs leave for work,

the evil queen - disguised as an old hag - appears in the window of

the dwarfs’ cottage. Despite the fact that the dwarfs made sure to tell

Snow White “don’t let anyone in the house,” she feels pity for the “old

lady” and proceeds to let her through the door of the cottage. In this

Film Matters Fall 2014

Dossier: Disney 02

From Snow to Ice: A Study of the Progression of Disney Princesses from 1937 to 2014

below Pocahontas throws herself

between John Smith and her father’

weapon

scene, Snow White is depicted as very gullible

and susceptible, for she believes the old hag

is presenting her with a “magic wishing

apple” and ignores the woodland creatures

as they try to prevent her from taking a bite.

Later we find Snow “dead” from biting into

a poisoned apple from the evil queen. The

only way to wake from her death is a first kiss

from her true love, or her prince.

Cinderella is another clear depiction of the

female ideals presented throughout the early

Disney Princess films. She faces adversity

from the moment her father passes away,

leaving her in the care, or lack thereof,

of her stepmother and three stepsisters.

Cinderella is forced to cater to the needs and

wants of her so-called family, yet Cinderella

does nothing for herself, and never tries to

improve her standards of living. Cinderella

eventually meets her Prince Charming at the

Ball, claiming that their love “is what makes

life divine.” However, once the clock strikes

midnight, she quickly finds her way back

into the hands of the evil stepmother, leaving

her again in the position of the “damsel in

distress.” Upon discovering that Cinderella

is “the one” whom Prince Charming was

dancing with at the Ball, die evil stepmother

locks Cinderella in the attic, making her the

victim of cruelty yet again. With the help

of a male dog, Bruno, and two male mice,

Gus and Jaq, Cinderella is released from the

attic, and makes her way back to her Prince

Charming to live “happily ever after.”

Sleeping Beauty, while it is the latest of

die early Disney films, is perhaps the least

progressive for the female lead, Aurora. As

an infant, the evil witch, Maleficent placed a

curse upon Aurora, stating, “before the sun

set on her sixteenth birthday, she shall prick

her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel

and die.” In addition to being inflicted with

an evil curse, Aurora also receives three gifts

from magic fairies. These gifts are seen as

blessings as she receives the gift of beauty,

the gift of song, and a gift that attempts to

counteract Maleficent’s evil curse -

if dirough this wicked witch’s trick, a

spindle should your finger prick, a ray of

hope there still may be in this, the gift 1

give to thee. Not in death, but just in sleep,

the faith prophecy you will keep, and from

this slumber shall you wake, where true

love’s kiss the spell shall break.

While the fairies are rejoiced for weakening

the effects of Maleficent’s curse, the gifts only

benefit Aurora as long as she finds her true

love.

Aurora does in fact prick her finger,

immediately falling into a permanent sleep.

Because of this, Aurora is absent from the

majority of the film. Aurora first appears

at eighteen minutes and seven seconds into

the 75-minute film, and pricks her finger

at 51 -minutes; however, she only appears

on-screen for a total of seventeen minutes.

This being said, without the help of Prince

Phillip, the story of

Sleeping Beauty would

have ended when Aurora pricked her finger.

Aurora is the most helpless of all the early

Film Matters Fall 2014

Disney princesses because she is sedentary

and asleep for more than half of the movie.

Prince Phillip, Aurora’s true love, has to fight

his way to the location of Aurora’s slumber

in order to break the curse and wake her.

Classic or “early” Disney movies such as

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella,

and Sleeping Beauty contain female characters

in the form of princesses who helplessly

find themselves in harm’s way. While the

danger imposed upon the princesses is very

frightening, ranging anywhere from being

locked away in an attic to the threat of

sleeping death, the princesses react the same

way in each one of the films listed above;

they cower until tiieir prince comes to their

aid. This representation sends a message to

the viewers that the princesses, or women

in general, “are meek, submissive, overly

emotional, and reliant on men” (Matyas 10),

as they only find true happiness, stability, and

health upon finding their true love.

The middle movies

The middle movies, ranging from 1989 to

1998, mark the beginning of Disney’s initial

transition to a more active representation

of the female characters. The princesses of

the middle movies include Ariel from

The

Little Mermaid, Belle from Beauty and the Beast,

Jasmine from Aladdin, and Pocahontas and

Mulan from their eponymous films. Belle,

Pocahontas, and Mulan are perhaps the

most progressive princesses of the middle

Dossier: Disney 02

movies for multiple reasons. The princesses

of the middle movies start a trend of working

together with their male counterparts in

order to achieve happiness, stability, and

health as opposed to waiting for the male

lead to prevail individually.

Beauty and the Beast is the first of all the

Disney Princess films to present a female

lead in such a way that she is not helpless.

Belle is an independent character, as she

wants more than her “provincial life” in a

“little town full of little people.” Very early

on, Belle is introduced to the idea of love

with the male character, Gaston; yet, she is

quick to turn him down, this being the first

instance in which a Disney Princess does not

give in to the thought of love with the first

male she encounters. Disney Princesses of

the early films quickly fall in love with the

first male they meet; however, Belle is simply

disgusted by the idea of having any romantic

relationship with Gaston. Belle is aware that

she has the option to make her own decisions

regarding love, and she does so by rejecting

Gaston despite his many efforts to “woo and

marry Belle.”

Belle is also progressive in that she takes

initiative to save her father as well as the

Beast, instead of expecting another male

character to bring her out of her sorrow.

When Belle’s father does not return from an

inventing convention, Belle goes on a search

to find him, eventually coming upon the

Beast’s enchanted castle, where Belle’s father

has been taken hostage. Belle then volunteers

to take the place of her father as the hostage

victim, allowing her father to go back to the

comfort of his own home. Belle is the first

Disney Princess to put the safety and well

being of another individual before her own.

However, not only does she do this for her

father, but later in the film, Belle sacrifices

her reputation and sanity in order to protect

the Beast. When the villagers proclaim

that the Beast is a “dangerous monster”

Belle stands before them and says that he is

actually “very kind and sweet and gentle.”

Refusing to accept what Belle declares about

the Beast, an angry mob of villagers march

to the enchanted casde with plans to “kill the

Beast.” The Beast and Belle learn to respect

each other throughout the film, and each

begins to genuinely care for the other. While

Gaston and the mob of villagers succeed in

hurting the Beast, it is ultimately Belle’s love

and respect that save the Beast from death.

Unlike any of the princesses of the early

Disney films, Belle saves her father, and her

love interest, the Beast.

Pocahontas, another princess of the middle

movies, is very similar to Belle for multiple

reasons. Much like Belle, Pocahontas wants

Maegan M. Davis

more than the life she has led thus far. While

being advised to “choose the smoothest

course [because it is] steady as a beating

drum,” her “dreams extend just beyond

the river bend” (Pocahontas). Pocahontas

longs for adventure, yet she is unsure of the

outcomes of choosing to go “beyond the

river bend.” Upon meetingjohn Smith,

Pocahontas is cautious in approaching him,

as she knows that he came from “beyond the

river bend” of her dreams. Pocahontas and

John Smith build a relationship around trust

and teaching, yet Pocahontas’s family is not

convinced that John Smith can be trusted.

The family make plans to kill John Smith

due to their lack of trust in him; however

Pocahontas refuses to let that happen. Just

as Pocahontas’s father raises his weapon to

strike John Smith, Pocahontas physically

throws herself upon John Smith, acting as a

wall between her father’s weapon and John

Smith. When her father sees the desperation

and hurt in Pocahontas’s face, he decides to

let John Smith live. Pocahontas, very similar

to Belle, is the reason for the male lead’s

survival. If Pocahontas had not put herself in

a position of danger, John Smith would have

been killed.

One way in which Pocahontas is different

from any of die previous Disney Princess

films is that the ending was not necessarily a

“happy” one. In previous films, the endings

consist of a marriage or a romantic interest

between the princess and the male lead.

Pocahontas has the choice to go to England

with John Smith, but ultimately chooses to

forgo her “happily ever after” with John

Smith because she knows she is “needfed]”

at home with die rest of her family.

Mulan, released in 1998, is the last of the

middle movies, and is very progressive for

female characters. For the majority of die

film, Mulan is disguised as a male in the

Chinese army, though she is quick to make

the point that “just because [she] look[sj like

a man, doesn’t mean [she has] to smell like

one.” At the beginning of the film, Mulan

states the qualities required for a woman to

be considered honorable, including poise,

refinement, quietness, and punctuality.

During the film, Mulan’s actions seem to

go against those qualities mentioned above,

as she is clumsy, talkative, and often arrives

late to major events such as her matchmaker

appointment. While Mulan wants nothing

more than to bring honor to her family, she

is unable to do so in the traditional female

way. When her father is chosen to fight in

the war against the Huns, Mulan decides to

(illegally) represent her family in the army. In

doing so, Mulan saves the men in her troupe,

including the commander, and ultimately

Film Matters Fall 2014

gets credited for saving China. Mulan does

not fit the dainty, girly, Disney Princess mold,

for when she was unhappy with the idea of

her father going to war, she took matters

into her own hands to change the situation.

She did not ask for permission from her

parents, nor did she even say goodbye to

them. Mulan simply changed the situation

and went forth with confidence as well as the

knowledge of every possible outcome, good

or bad.

While the early Disney films remained

fairly simple regarding the behavioral

characteristics of the princesses and their

inability to save themselves, the middle

movies are very different. From saving

family members and love interests in Beauty

and the Beast and Pocahontas, to being the

young lady to save all of China in Mulan,

the middle movies made a large jump in the

representation of female characters.

The most current films

The three most current Disney Princess films

include The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, and

Frozen (England 555). These films, especially

Tingled and Frozen, highlight the idea that

women have the ability to achieve their

dreams without the help of a man. These

films represent female characters in a way

that has never been done by Disney before.

Prior to the most current films, Disney

suggested that women need men in order to

succeed in finding love and happiness in their

lives. However, the female ideals in the most

current films are much more advanced and

open-minded than those of the early and

middle films.

The Princess and the Frog, the first of the

most current Disney Princess films, is a story

of a young woman, Tiana, who dreams of

opening a restaurant in her home of New

Orleans, Louisiana. In the first scene of the

film, we see a young Tiana, and her friend

Charlotte, hearing the story of “The Frog

Prince.” After hearing the end of the story,

Tiana is very quick to speak her displeasure

at the very thought of kissing a frog, saying,

“there is no way in this whole, wide world

that I would ever, ever, ever, I mean never

kiss a frog ... YUCK!” Charlotte is also very

quick to rebuttal as she says, “I would do it.

I would kiss a frog. I would kiss a hundred

frogs if I could marry a prince and be a

princess.” This exchange of very different

opinions makes a clear distinction between

the two young girls. It becomes clear that

even at a young age, Tiana is unwilling to

settle for love, while Charlotte dreams of true

love and will go to great lengths to find it.

Dossier: Disney 02

From Snow to Ice: A Study of the Progression of Disney Princesses from 1937 to 2014

Later, Tiana is shown with her father.

After Tiana wishes upon an evening star, her

father reminds her, “that ole star can only

take you so far. You got to put in some hard

work of your own, and then, yeah, you can

do anything you set your mind to,” setting

the tone that Tiana’s family values hard

work and diligence. In the scene immediately

after, an adult Tiana enters her bedroom,

appearing exhausted and slightly dirty from

a long night of working at a diner. Tiana

places her tip money into a can of saved

money and says to herself, “every little penny

counts.” Tiana has a dream of opening her

own restaurant, and knows that from her

hard work she is “almost there.” Through

a strange twist of fate, Tiana kisses a frog

that actually happens to be the visiting

Prince Naveen. Her act results in her being

transformed into a frog as well. Throughout

the course of the film, Tiana refuses the

thought of love, and keeps her mind focused

on the idea of owning her own restaurant.

However, as Tiana and Prince Naveen

continue on their quest of breaking the

curse, they begin to care for one another and

develop feelings for one another, although

neither wants to be the first to admit it. Upon

discovering that the only way to break the

spell is a “kiss from a princess,” the two begin

to lose hope and accept their lives as frogs.

After admitting their true feelings, the two

were married and shared a kiss, a kiss that

broke the curse, for Tiana became a princess

the moment she married Prince Naveen.

After breaking the curse and returning to

human form, Tiana was able to open her

own restaurant, using the money she saved

from her hard work.

The plot of The Princess and the Frog is very

reliant on the success and presence of Tiana,

for her strong will and perseverance was her

initial motivation for finding a way to break

the spell. Prince Naveen, the male lead, is

ultimately the cause of all Tiana’s problems.

Prince Naveen, is the reason Tiana is turned

into a frog, yet the responsibility of finding

a solution is left to Tiana. Tiana works hard

throughout the entire course of the film to

fulfill her dream of owning a restaurant as

well as saving herself and Prince Naveen

from eternal “frogdom.”

Tangled, Disney’s version of Rapunzel,

begins like many previous Disney films in

that the lead female, in this case Rapunzel, is

living a blissfully ignorant life in a world of

adversity. When we are initially introduced to

Rapunzel, she has never stepped foot outside,

for she has been locked in a tower by Mother

Gothel, the evil witch who acts as Rapunzel’s

mother. Rapunzel is unaware that Mother

Gothel is actually an evil witch, only using

Rapunzel for her youthful powers. Rapunzel

truly believes that Mother Gothel is her

actual mother, as she often states, “mother

knows best,” numerous times throughout

the film. Mother Gothel keeps Rapunzel

very sheltered, for she forbids Rapunzel

from leaving the castle. As Rapunzel gets

older, she longs for adventure, often asking

herself, “When will my life begin?” Rapunzel

gets her chance to begin her life outside

of her tower when Flynn Rider, a thief on

the run, appears at her window. Unlike the

early Disney Princesses, Rapunzel does not

become smitten by the mysteries and good

looks of Flynn Rider. Instead, Rapunzel is

frightened by Flynn Rider’s sudden presence,

and hits him with a frying pan, knocking him

unconscious. Rapunzel discovers that Flynn

is carrying a tiara, the object that Rapunzel

uses to convince Flynn to help her out of

the tower. While Flynn Rider does help

Rapunzel out of the tower, to the floating

lights, Rapunzel is the individual with the

power. In a way, Rapunzel manipulates

Flynn Rider into getting her wish by only

agreeing to give him the tiara once the task

is completed. While Rapunzel does use

the help of a man in order to achieve her

dream, she does not necessarily need him.

Flynn Rider is more in need, for he needs to

reclaim the tiara, only being able to do so if

he helps Rapunzel.

Most progressive of all the Disney Princess

movies, however, is Frozen. Frozen goes against

every traditional Disney Princess movie

formula, even making fun of the previous

movies through subtle jokes. One major

difference between Frozen and previous

Disney Princess films is the fact that there

are two female leads present, Queen Elsa

and Princess Anna. While there are male

characters, the plot of

Frozen revolves around

die trials and tribulations of Elsa and Anna.

The men only play small roles, really having

nothing to do with the fate of Elsa and Anna.

Another way in which Frozen is the most

progressive of all tire Disney Princess films

has to do with the jokes made about previous

Disney films. Upon being introduced to

Hans, Anna’s first love interest, Elsa states,

“you can’t marry a man you just met.” It

should be noted here that Anna and Hans

met one another and announced their

engagement on the same night. Also, a subtle

joke about bestiality can be heard during the

song “Fixer Upper,” as the lyrics are, “his

thing with the reindeer that’s a little outside

Film Matters Fall 2014

Dossier: Disney 02

of nature’s laws.” This can be seen as ajoke

regarding the relationship shared by Belle

and die Beast, in Beauty and the Beast.

All of the reasons above contribute to

the progressiveness of Frozen, yet, perhaps

the most important and influential concept

illustrated in Frozen, is diat the bond shared

between two sisters is, in fact, true love. At

the end of the movie, an act of true love

is required in order to cure a frozen heart.

When Anna sacrifices herself to save Elsa

from getting struck by a sword, an act of true

love was performed, ultimately breaking the

curse and curing the frozen heart. Frozen was

very shocking to the audience because for

the first time, not just one, but two Disney

Princesses received their “happily ever after”

without the help of a man. For the first time,

a man was not necessary for an act of true

love to occur.

In conclusion, Disney Princesses have

come a long way in the past 77 years. From

initially being portrayed as less competent

than their male counter parts, Disney

Princesses have evolved into very well-

rounded individuals, able to take care of

themselves without a man’s aid (Matyas 10).

The princesses of today’s Disney films are

no longer reliant on men to receive an act of

true love (Matyas 10). The Disney Princess

films have progressed with nearly every

movie, therefore as more films are made, one

can only assume that further progression will

occur.

/ end/

Works Cited

Aladdin. Ron Clements,John Musker. Walt Disney

Pictures, Silver Screen Partners IV, Walt Disney

Feature Animation. 1992. DVD.

Beauty mid the Beast. Dir. Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise.

Wall Disney Pictures, Silver Screen Partners IV,

Walt Disney Feature Animation, 1991. DVD.

Cinderella. Dir. Clyde Geronirni, Wilfred Jackson,

and Hamilton Luske. Walt Disney

Productions, 1950. DVD.

England, Dawn E., Melissa A. Collier-Meek, and

Melissa A. Collier-Meek. “Gender Role Portrayal

and llit: Disney Princesses.” Sex Roles 64.7 8 (2011):

555 567. Print.

Frozen. Dir. Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee. Walt Disney

Animation Studios , Wiilt Disney Pictures, 2013.

DVD.

Maegan M. Davis

The Little Mermaid. Dir. Ron Clements, John

Musker. Walt Disney Pictures, Silver Screen

Partners W, 1989. DVD.

Matyas, Vanessa, “Tale as Old as Time: A Textual

Analysis of Race and Gender in Disney Princess

Films” (2010). Graduate Major Research Papers and

Multimedia Projects. Paper 6. Web. 5 May 2014.

<http://digitalcommons.rncmaster.ca/crnst_grad_

research/6>.

Mulan. Dir. Tony Bancroft, Barry Cook. Walt

Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Feature Animation,

1998. DVD.

Pocahontas. Dir. Mike Gabriel, Eric Goldberg. Walt

Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Feature Animation,

1995. DVD.

The Princess and the Frog Dir. Ron Clements, John

Musker. Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney

Animation Studios, 2009. DVD.

Sleeping Beauty. Dir. Clyde Geronirni, Walt Disney

Productions, 1959. DVD.

Snow While and the Seven Dwarfs. Dir. William

Cottrell, David Hand, Wilfred Jackson, Larry

Morey, Perce Pearce, and Ben Sharpsteen. Walt

Disney Productions, 1937. DVD.

7angled. Dir. Nathan Grcno, Byron Howard. Walt

Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures.

2010. DVD.

M aegan M. D avis, a Film Studies and

Business double-major at the University

of North Carolina Wilmington, is a rising

junior, hoping to advance in producing

wildlife documentaries. Maegan’s passions

for film and nature started at a very young

age, yet continue to grow every day. Maegan

hopes that through combining her two

biggest interests, she can influence others to

appreciate the beauty and art in the common

things of life.

52 Film Matters Fall 2014

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