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Running head: DISNEY’S GENDER REPRESENATION 1

Disney’s Gender Representation: A Brave New Princess

Carson Mckole

Central Washington University

DISNEY’S GENDER REPRESENATION 2

Disney’s Gender Representation: A Brave New Princess

The Disney Princess line of movies, although adorned by many children and adults,

displays a stagnant image of stereotypical gender roles (Durkin, 1985). Gender roles can be

defined as how gender is portrayed based on assumed behaviors and social roles and these roles

can range from stereotypical, impartial, and counter stereotypical to traditional (Durkin, 1985).

In order to better identify the Disney princess line of movies and their evolution, the classics can

be divided into three chronological groups. The earliest group consists of Snow White and the

Seven Dwarves (1937), Cinderella (1950), and Sleeping Beauty (1959), the movie’s release dates

span from 1937 to 1959. The second group of movies was released between 1989 and 1998. The

five movies include The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992),

Pocahontas (1995), and Mulan (1998). The final group consists of The Princess and the Frog

(2009), Tangled (2010), and Brave (2012), which will be further evaluated through a case study.

This paper dissects the physical representations of the Disney princesses along with the

ideologies apparent in traditional the Disney princess narrative. To decipher whether or not the

Disney princess movie Brave has evolved to represent gender equality, I will compare the gender

roles presented by the main characters, to the preexisting stereotypical images of gender

previously expressed through the Disney princess movie line.

Effects of Gender Representation in the Media

With young girls as the target market for the Disney Princess advertising campaign, it is

important to understand the affect the images portrayed in these movies may have on younger

audiences (Orenstein, 2006). Through videos and DVDs, these young children are able to watch

and absorb the Disney classics in the comfort of their own home. According to Lin (2001),

young children often watch videos repeatedly and with the same frequency as television


programs, revealing that movies can affect viewers in the same way television does. The

frequency at which children watch Disney movies can also have a significant effect on their

gender role expectations, McGhee and Frueh (1980) found that, among children, heavy viewers

of television have more stereotyped gender role conceptions than do light viewers. The more

children are exposed to gender roles through television, the more they begin to relate them their

life experiences.

The impact of gender representation in television must be scrutinized because of the way

gender identity develops within individuals. As children, individuals do not view gender in the

sense of anatomy, they understand gender as moldable roles people engage in (Devor, 1992).

The more a child begins to understand themselves as a part of society, the more they begin to

notice how others categorize them into gender roles. The information children receive from

Disney movies include a pre-determined images of gender, giving them the ability to affect the

development of gender roles in children. According to Giroux (1996), “Disney films, in

particular combine an ideology of enchantment and aura of innocence in narrating stories that

help children understand who they are, what societies are about" (Giroux, 1996, p. 90). To better

understand how children can be affected by Disney movies, the social learning theory and the

gender schema theory provide explanations for how children acquire their gender roles in

accordance to their social surroundings.

When children are exposed to stereotypical gender roles through multiple media outlets it

has the potential to become their frame of understanding. Bandura’s (1986) Social Cognitive

Theory argues that behavior, personal factors, and environmental events work together to

influence an individual’s motivations and behaviors. The external influences, such as observation

of environments, affect behavior through the cognitive process of attaching symbols to meaning


(Thompson & Zerbinos, 1995). The cognitive models of gender presented by Disney movies

provide young children with a guideline for judgment and behavior. When children see men

symbolized as stronger than women through the plots and settings of Disney programs, they use

those examples as models for behavior in reality.

Thompson and Zerbinos (1995) discovered that children able to identify gender

classifications in cartoons were more likely to hold those same expectations for their surrounding

environment. If children view gender stereotypes repeatedly through the media, it is likely they

will assume those stereotypes to be the norm within society. The cultivation theory provides a

possible explanation for how children take media messages and apply them to reality. According

to the cultivation theory, high levels of television exposure over time develop the ability to shape

an individual’s perception of society (Gerbner, Gross, Morgan, & Signorielli, 1994). Gerbner

(1994) argues that the media shapes perceptions of reality through combing attitudes and values

present in society with values and attitudes present in the media. This theory suggests that the

media “‘cultivates’ in us a distorted perception of the world we live in, making it seem more like

television portrays it, than it is in real life” (Bittner, 1989, p. 386). Young children, due to their

lack of education on media messages and their affects, may have issues differentiating between

what is fantasy and what is reality, making them more susceptible to cultivating inaccurate ideas

about reality.

Children intake the messages found in the princess narrative and correlate them according

to their pervious experiences of reality (Baker-Sperry, 2007). A study conducted by Lori Baker-

Sperry (2007) investigated how young children understand messages regarding gender roles

presented in children’s literature. Baker-Sperry (2007) conducted trials consisting of story time

where elementary school children were read Cinderella and encouraged to interrupt with


comments or questions. When the step mother of Cinderella was discussed the female students

focused on her lack of beauty, old age and unkindness. When the prince was discussed he was

described as handsome, charming, and beautiful although the text included none these

descriptions. The children involved in the study did not question the gender norms presented in

the text and drew conclusions based off physical appearances. Many of the females in the study

expressed their want to be as beautiful as Cinderella. The young viewers are more likely to

associate with narratives they can imagine themselves apart of, there for the young girls are more

motivated by the female protagonists in films than the young boys are. With this being said, the

girls embrace the stories through commonalities they share with the female characters, these

commonalities present in the narrative and reality, allow the films to manipulate their

expectations of the future (Englad).

Disney’s Origins

The inspiration and original story lines for many of the Disney movies are found in

historical forms of written and oral literature from all over the world. Romantic folk stories

recorded by authors attempting to preserve traditional European oral stories served as the

foundation for the earlier Disney movies. Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty (Little Briar-

Rose), Rapunzel, and Beauty and the Beast (The Singing, Springing Lark Beauty and the Beast)

are all recreations of stories collected by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm (Seago, 2005). Their

original collection consisted of 200 tales and ten legends, and was published in German in 1857

under the title Kinder- und Hausmärchen (Seago, 2005). The Grimm’s brothers were some of the

greatest figures in the new intellectual movement surrounding folk tales that took place in their

life time (Cavendish, 2012). The brothers believed that folk stories included the fundamental

ideas, beliefs, and reactions to human existence that were held by previous generations


(Cavendish, 2012). Therefore these folk tales can be seen as vehicles for communicating their

opinions and expectations about society around them.

Hans Christian Andersen is another great name recognized for traditional fairy tales.

Andersen was a Danish poet, novelist, and storyteller who wrote over 350 stories (Ruizhen,

2009). Anderson is the original author of many stories which are still popular today, his most

popular works include: The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling, and Thumbelina (Ruizhen,

2009). Unlike the folk tales of the Grimm’s brothers, Andersen’s fairy tales were inspired

through his personal experiences and interpretations of society in Denmark (Ruizhen, 2009). The

Little Mermaid and her journey to the mainland, illustrates the pain and hardship Andersen

suffered through while gaining acknowledgement in the literary community only to find that he

was still not accepted or appreciated for who he was, even after achieving success and

acknowledgment (Ruizhen, 2009). Through their traditional tales, Hans Christian Anderson and

the Grimm’s brothers provided Walt Disney with an inspiration and foundation for his timeless

movies.

Gender Role Portrayal

A differentiating factor between the traditional tales and the Disney productions is the

overwhelming detail and description included in the Disney characters and narratives to express

current representations gender roles and stereotypes (Zipes,1995). Within Disney princess

movies the gender roles between men and female characters can initially be differentiated

through the lack of androgyny in the characters. The males show traditionally masculine

characteristics while the females show traditionally feminine characteristics.


Male Representations

Gender roles illustrated by male characters within the Disney movies can be categorized

by the used of traditionally masculine gender characteristics. The masculine characteristics most

commonly portrayed by the princes in the Disney princess films include being physically strong,

assertive, athletic, curious towards the princess, unemotional, brave and a leader (England,

Descartes & Collier-Meek, 2011). The characteristics and themes have been given operational

definitions through previous research, in order to be more easily identified. Thompson and

Zerbinos (1995) coded curiosity towards the princess to reflect when the prince shows an

interested or thoughtful facial expression towards the princess, alluding to the idea that she

created a romantic or curious aura. The princes physical capabilities were expressed through the

character demonstrating his ability to have a strong physical affect on an object or person.

Female Physical Representations

The representation of the female characters can be categorized by their physical

appearances and the ideologies supported by the princess narrative. The feminine beauty ideal is

a theme presented in many of the original stories retold through Disney’s elaborate films. The

feminine beauty ideal pertains to the socially constructed standard that a woman’s overall worth

and importance is determined by her physical attractiveness and the degree to which she

maintains it (Baker-Sperry & Grauerholz, 2003). I believe that Disney maintains the

representation of the feminine beauty ideal through an emphasis on the physical appearance and

descriptive beauty of the Disney princesses. By analyzing the stereotypical physical appearances

of Disney princesses along with social power derived through their beauty, it becomes apparent

that there is an underlining message associated with success and beauty.


Each Disney princess is introduced through an elaborate description of her beauty.

Within the first minute of Sleeping Beauty the three god mothers grant the young princess with

the gift of beauty consisting of “one gift, beauty rare, full of sunshine in her hair, lips that shame

the red red rose, she'll walk with springtime wherever she goes” (Disney & Geronimi, 1959). In

each film the princess is the protagonist, therefore the narrative is focused around what she does.

No other character in the movie matches the innate beauty of the princess except for her equally

handsome prince. The characters in the highest status positions are coincidentally the most

physically attractive characters in the films.

Although over 70 years have passed sense the release of Disney’s first movie, the Disney

princesses all appear to embody a similar prototype when depicting female bodies. During this

time the princesses have evolved and physically matured to encompass the body shape of a

physically attractive woman (Lacroix, 2004). This evolution is visible by assessing the physical

representations of each princess in accordance to when the films were released. Being the first

princess, Snow White has the most innocent physical stature. She is described as a teenager and

her characters body models an adolescent body with an unexposed chest and conservative

clothes.

Both Ariel and Belle have the physique of teenagers. They share similar features to the

older princess however they are more physically active than in the past. Despite the increased

physical activity, the characters move with poise and grace, similar to a ballet dancer. Disney

animators used the same live model named Sherri Stoner, 5’2” and 92 pounds, when sketching

Ariel and Belle (Bell, 1995). The distinguishing characteristic between the Ariel and Belle is

their hair; Ariel’s is loose and red while Belle’s is brown and tied back. The princess’s fair skin,

rosy cheeks and red lips are visible characteristics in the white Disney princesses. Both share the


classic princess look consisting of small waists, breasts, wrists, legs, and arms. These small

figures are products of their inactive lifestyles. Belle’s physical activity consists of cleaning

clothes in the pond, walking through the town for groceries, and cleaning indoors. Her most

visible hobby is reading which keeps her indoors close to her housework. Ariel although

portraying an active lifestyle under water, due to the fact that she swims everywhere, is

significantly less physically active once she is granted her legs and access to the mainland.

The physical body of Ariel is emphasized through her costume under the water when she

is in her nature environment. Her costume includes a shell brazier exposing her body from the

waist up. The waist is dramatized through the v shape at the beginning of her tail. Once Ariel

becomes a woman and enters the human world, her costume is a floor length dress that matches

the conservative western romantic attire worn in the late 1700’s (Lacroix, 2004).

Cinderella and sleeping beauty embrace the same figure with the exception of their

blonde hair. The waistlines of their dresses accent the curves of a woman’s body by drawing

attention to the small waste. The fair skin of these blonde princesses allows for contrast with the

use of makeup. The full, red lips are very evident along with the black outline of their eyes and

eyelashes. The use of color in regards to the princess characters’ makeup gives the appearance

that princesses are naturally as beautiful as someone wearing makeup. The girls are never shown

applying make up however both Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty take part in maintaining their

beauty through combing their hair.

Pocahontas steps away from the petite and adolescent body frame and inactive lifestyle of

the previous princesses. She has the body of women, significantly taller than Belle or Ariel, with

a developed chest, plump lips, and slightly muscular features. Similar to the other princess


Pocahontas has a small waist which significantly highlights the hourglass figure making her

appear more voluptuous. Her costume accents the curves in her body through the break lines and

hems of the dress. The shoulder is exposed along with visible cleave in some scenes. The side

slit in the dress shows the majority of the thigh, varying on the physical activity of Pocahontas.

Physical appearance within the princess narrative is not only used to express the socially

desired female figure, but also to distinguish between good characters and bad characters (Baker-

Sperry, 2007). Women who are beautiful in the movies are caring and successful, while the evil

women in the film are portrayed as unattractive, overweight, and hungry for the characteristics of

the beautiful protagonists (Towbin et al., 2004). Overweight, ugly women are portrayed as evil in

Cinderella, Snow White and the Little Mermaid. Cinderella, the protagonist, is beautiful while

her stepsisters and stepmother, the antagonists, are ugly, over weight, and uncompassionate. The

stepmother of Snow-white is the old and ugly antagonist driven by her jealously of the

protagonist’s beauty. Ursula, the wicked witch in The Little Mermaid, is portrayed as overweight

and ugly even though she has the power to appear however she pleases. Each of these movies

presents an undeniable connection between overweight, ugly women and evil, unpleasant

characteristics.

Traditional Disney Princess Narrative

The Disney princess narrative incorporates traditional ideas of princess hood while

incorporating the ideals of gender in society during the 1940’s and 1950’s (Whelan, 2012).

Although Disney has been recognized for the driven and determined personalities of the young

princesses, feminist critics have noted the characters are eventually defined by male principles

and goals (Lacroix, 2004). These male principles define female gender roles within Disney


movies through the use of traditional feminine characteristics of the twentieth century, for

example the common portrayal of women being helpful and nurturing. Female characters had

less dialogue, were overly dramatic, stayed in the house, and caused problems which resulted in

their need to be saved (Streicher, 1974). Through analyzing the narratives of the Disney movies I

found a number of reoccurring themes supporting stereotypical gender ideologies.

A common aspect of the Disney princess narrative is the need for a princess to be saved

by a male character or her prince charming. The male characters predominately perform an

average of 5 more rescues than their female counterparts, the majority of these rescues were

executed without the help of other characters (England, Descartes & Collier-Meek, 2011).

Although the princess characters do carry out a number of rescues throughout the movies, the

same study illustrated that many of these rescues saved animals or characters other than the

prince. Some evolution in the Disney princess narrative is visible through the female characters

in the second wave of Disney movies, in Mulan and Pocahontas both princesses actively

participate in rescuing men, however no princess prior to the movie Brave, has ever conducted a

final rescue without the assistance of a prince (England, Descartes & Collier-Meek, 2011).

Jasmine, also a member of the second wave of princess movies, is depicted as assertive and

independent through her relationship with her father, yet she too requires the help of Aladdin to

save her from the evil genie. The repetitive need for the princess to be saved by a male character

implies that women are helpless and in need of protection from males (Towbin, Haddock,

Zimmerman, Lund, & Tanner, 2004).

The princess’s need to be saved is the first step in the development of her romantic

relationship and the plot of the film. The relationships presents a timeline for the film, the extent

of the film is based on the romantic relationships of the characters, once the woman has reached


the happily ever after stage, the movie ends shortly thereafter. Basing the duration of the films on

the romantic relationships of the Princess characters follows a classic sexists narrative which

frames a woman’s life through the success of her interactions and relationships with men,

constricting them from empowerment (Zipes, 1995). Once the prince saves the princess he often

rids her of a handicap, allowing her to alas be able to experience life to the fullest. In many

instances this is done from a figurative standpoint, the female character is given life through the

male characters. The majority of the Disney Princess movies support the princesses’ reliance on

men to live a desirable life.

In the case of Cinderella, her prince rescues her from a socially inactive state; prior to his

savior she was poor and enslaved by her step-mother (Whelan, 2012). Sleeping Beauty is in a

physically inactive state, awaiting a kiss from her prince charming. She is asleep and incapable

of living the rest of her life without savior from a man. Snow white spends the majority of the

film hiding in the woods cleaning up after seven dwarfs after which she is cursed by her step

mother. Once again the prince saves the princess from a deathly slumber with “loves first kiss”.

Each of these examples includes a woman needing to be saved by a man which in turn becomes

the beginning of heavily anticipated romantic relationship that ends happily ever after (Whelan,

2012). The idea that the time line of the film is based off the development of a romantic

relationship suggests that princesses meet self-actualization once they become involved with

their prince charming.

Self-sacrifice is another aspect of the Disney princess narrative, female characters are

expected to sacrifice themselves for the greater good of others (Whelan, 2012). The little

mermaid illustrates this through her pursuit of a young man she sees on the shore. She gives up

her voice and essentially her family to pursue a man she has only seen. She does this out of


choice, making it appear empowering, when she trades the evil Ursula her voice for the ability to

walk on land. Through the act of self-sacrifice Ariel is able to find happiness with her prince.

As previously stated, many of the Disney Princess movies are based off traditional folk

stories. As these tales became translated into English they were molded into children’s tales,

which accented the male and female gender norms of North American society. Dominant male

characters within the Disney Princess movie have been molded to depict males who display

minimal signs of emotion and appropriate behavior associated with their gender.

The focus on romantic relationships and the princesses need to be saved are two aspects

of Disney’s Snow White that are not represented in the original version of snow white, translated

by the Grimm’s brothers. The Grimm’s’ brothers original tale of Snow White was significantly

reshaped by Disney to depict a romantic tale representing North American gender stereo types.

The first notable difference in the two plots adheres to theme of a female characters need to be

saved or protected by male protagonists. The Grimm’s story features the dwarfs warning snow

white not to open the cottage door to any strangers, despite giving her a place to live, that is the

extent of their protection over her. In the Disney movie, the dwarfs kill the evil queen, snow

white’s stepmother, by rolling a bolder down the mountain. By killing the evil queen, the dwarfs

are protecting snow white from a woman who has tried to murder her. This expresses the

repetitive theme of female characters needing to be saved by male characters. The Grimm’s story

illustrates a different narrative, in order to rid herself from the evil queen who tried to kill her

three times, snow white invites the queen to her wedding. Once the queen arrives, snow white

and her husband force the queen to dance to her death in hot iron shoes. By killing the queen,

snow white protects herself and insures her own peace, for she will no longer be hunted by the


queen. Although both tales allude to the domestication of women, Walt Disney developed his

plot to include women’s dependence on men.

The plot changes included in Disney’s version of Snow White also underline the framing

of women’s lives through a male discourse, in other words, woman cannot live an acceptable life

without the presences of male influence and involvement (Zipes, 1995). In the Disney film, the

prince who ends up being her saving grace, is introduced at the beginning of the film while Snow

White sings “I’m wishing for the One I Love To Find Me Today.” The initial introduction of the

prince with the use of this song foreshadows a romantic relationship between the two characters.

In the ten page story produced by the Grimms’ brothers, the Prince is not introduced until the

eighth page. He begs the dwarfs for Snow-whites see through coffin and on his return to the

castle they stumble over a tree, dislodging the poisonous piece of apple stuck in Snow-white’s

throat. After she awakens she agrees to return to the prince’s castle to marry him. The Disney

version of Snow White illustrates a prince who has searched long and far for his beautiful bride.

The kiss of love from the long anticipated prince is the only remedy from the queen’s poisonous

apple. The prince frames the narrative from the beginning with his initial proclamation of love,

to the end, where he fulfills Snow-whites life with his arrival and kiss. Disney changes the

Grimm’s brothers folk story into his signature princess narrative through framing the female

characters lives through the existence of their romantic relationships with their designated prince

charming. The changes between the original Snow-white and the Disney Snow-white allowed

Disney to implement themes suggesting a woman’s dependence on a man for protection and self-

actualization.

Analysis of Brave


The newest addition to the princess collection was presented in the Pixar film, Brave, a

film providing a new, alternative approach to the classic princess storyline. Brave tells the tale of

an adventurous, young princess on her quest to defy the kingdoms traditional expectations for a

princess. Just as the princess challenges traditional ideals, the movie Brave appears to present a

non-traditional Disney princess narrative, challenging the stereotypical images of the traditional

Disney princesses. In order to determine whether or not Brave supports or rejects the preexisting

images of gender visible in Disney films I will analyze the character traits and narratives in

accordance to the previously addressed physical and ideological representations of women. The

analysis suggests that the main characters of the film defy a number of preexisting stereotypes

presented in earlier Disney princess films, however, the secondary or less involved characters,

present depictions of gender similar to the previous Disney films.

In the film, a young Scottish princess named Merida is approaching the age where

traditionally in her kingdom, woman are to be wed. Merida is an adventurous and skillful archer

who detests the daily princess lessons provided by her mother. To find Merida a suitable

husband, her parents order a gathering where kings from all over the land present them selves

and compete for the princess’s love. Merida is not interested in getting married so she finds a

witch to magically change her mom. The witch changes the queen, Merida’s mom, into a bear

and the story unfolds through their quest to mend their mother daughter relationships, which

results in her mom returning to human form. At the end of the film, Merida and her mother

watch on horseback as the princes set sail to their homelands.

The physical characteristics of the main character, Merida, were identified according to

their comparison to the traditional physical characteristics of the classic Disney princess. The

physical representations of the previous Disney princesses display figures that include a matured,


yet petite female body accompanied by a beautiful face. The characteristics used for Merida’s

physical appearance differ from Disney’s traditional character representation in a number of

ways, the first being her hair. Unlike any princess before, Merida has untamed, orange hair. I

believe that by choosing to depict the main character with red hair, a recessive trait, Pixar sought

to represent a trait that may be seen by some as a minority. The spectrum of beauty visible

through the Disney princess line now accepts the underrepresented red head.

The traditional princess characters allude to the presence of makeup through the details

used in illustrating their faces, which include unnaturally red lips, rosy cheeks and thick, black

eyelashes. Merida’s facial complexion is clear and does not suggest the character is wearing

make up. Merida’s eyes differ in shape and detail from the majority of the Disney princesses, the

traditional almond shaped eye, outlined by a thick black line, was replaced with large, circular

eyes drawn with very subtle outlines. Her mouth is significantly different than any other princess

as well, she is commonly photographed with her upper teeth showing which suggests she is

biting her lower lip. Instead of her mouth suggesting sexuality, her untraditional, small, shapeless

lips cause her dental structure to visually register as a minor overbite or a crooked smile. The

embracement of natural beauty and imperfect represented in Merida’s face alone, separate her

from her over glorified counterparts.

Merida’s active lifestyle is visibly represented and supported through her body frame and

physique. The image of Merida’s character does not suggest a mature, fully developed, adult

woman. The neckline of her dress is the least promiscuous, is does not depict cleavage or collar

bone definition. Merida’s dress and body frame do not include shading to suggest a developed

chest causing a significant decrease in the intensity of the hourglass frame. The hourglass

waistline is significantly less visible and the v shape waste line is softened through positioning


her belt in a lower area of the navel. Merida’s physical stature does not coincide with

stereotypical images of females in classic Disney princess movies, therefore defying the

traditional imagery supporting the feminine beauty ideal.

The character traits of Merida were analyzed to assess the androgyny of the princess in

comparison to the older princesses. Merida’s character was examined for gender characteristics

of prince and princess characters, operationally defined by preexisting literature (England,

Descartes & Collier-Meek, 2011). Merida’s character predominantly featured stereotypical

masculine characteristics including adventurous, athletic, independent, and physically strong.

Being adventurous is a masculine trait defined by a characters drive to search for the unknown

(England, Descartes & Collier-Meek, 2011). Merida expresses this a number of times in the film

when she is depicted following the wisps, small blue lights said to lead you to your fate. The

athletic characteristics is visible when the character is depicted as jumping, running, or

physically exerting yourself to the point where athleticism is required (England, Descartes &

Collier-Meek, 2011). Merida’s character embodies this masculine trait through the majority of

her hobbies, during the film she is shown climbing the tallest rock wall in the kingdom, galloping

through the forests on horseback and above all excelling in her passion of archery. Independence

is a trait depicted when characters do not depend on the authority of another or defy cultural

norms (England, Descartes & Collier-Meek, 2011). Merida’s character portrayed herself as

independent because each time she left the castle or the town she did not ask permission or notify

a superior. She displays independence again when she goes against her father’s, the king’s,

orders by running away. Merida breaks cultural norms in the movie by refusing to act like a

princess, she burps accidentally and is passionate and skillful at archery. A character’s physical

strength is operationally defined by their ability to strike or move something, supporting that the


character was able to display a physical affect on the object or person (England, Descartes &

Collier-Meek, 2011). Merida is depicted as physically strong when she is trying to escape her

room, she strikes the door a number of times with the fire pokes causing splinters and pieces of

wood to fly off the door and she also uses the fire poker to break out all the windows of her

room. During the princes’ archery competition, Merida demonstrates her bow skills and each

time she shoots the bow she rips the constricting dress more and more. The visual effect of her

strength was visible on her bedroom door, her bedroom windows, and on her costume.

The characteristics attributed to the lead male characters of the film displayed alternative

depictions of a charming prince. The three princes who compete for Merida’s hand in marriage

are physically unattractive. The first prince has an overly large nose with blue face paint, the

second prince has an extremely exaggerated jaw line, and the third prince is short and slightly

overweight. The princes and their fathers do not display control over their emotions unlike the

traditional powerful male Disney character. The first prince throws his bow and arrow and flails

on the ground yelling after losing the archery contest to Merida. When the princess returns from

running away, the princes and their fathers act irrational and demand an answer when

traditionally male characters remain rational when distressed (Towbin et al., 2004). The kings

also express emotion at the end of the film when they tear up in response to the queen’s speech

about fate.

Along with the characters, the narrative of Merida distances itself from the traditional

stereotypical ideals present in Disney’s classic princess narrative. The most distinct difference

between the narrative of Merida and the traditional princess narrative is the focus on the

relationship between a mother and a daughter and the lack of romance. The plot is not based off

the romantic relationships of the princess, it depicts the conflict between a mother and a daughter


and their conflicting definitions of how a princess must act. As the movie unfolds the mother and

daughter both make compromises in order to see each other’s point of view, resulting in their

ability to change the traditions of women in their kingdom. Instead of the romantic plot

beginning with the prince charming’s introduction and ending with wedding bells, Merida fights

for empowerment and the ability to choose whether or not she will ever marry. The character’s

empowerment extinguishes the ideology that marriage and domestication is a life goal for

women.

The plot of Brave provides an alternative option for the present ideology in the Disney

princess narrative, a princesses need to be saved by a male character. The mother of Merida

performs the final rescue in the movie, in the form of a bear, the queen fights off another bear in

order to protect her family and the people of her kingdom. During the final rescue she

demonstrates physical strength and intellectual activity, two traditionally masculine traits

(England, Descartes & Collier-Meek, 2011). The audience is aware that the fight b between a

female bear and a male bear, the male bear was a former prince transformed by the witch. The

female bear exserts strong physical force to the bear while at the same time making use of her

surroundings. England, Descartes, and Collier-Meek (2011) attribute intellectual activity to when

a character demonstrates use of thought or reading for knowledge, the queen bear wins the final

battle by noticing a break in the rock and slamming the male bear underneath the crack causing

the rock to crumble on top. Her ability to mentally strategize while physically handling the bear

display traditional masculine traits and role. The queen and Merida are glorified for their ability

to reverse the witches curse and rescue the kingdom of the long feared bear.

The main characters embody personalities and narratives that go against Disney’s

stereotypical representations of males and females, however the secondary and background


characters continue to embody principals of the classic Disney princess narrative. Although the

princes and their families display traditionally feminine traits, the male characters that are

portrayed as respectable and powerful illicit stereotypical qualities. Merida’s father has a large,

strong upper body and is idolized through out the kingdom for his ability to hunt bears. This

physical stature is more than twice the size of his petite wife. When the queen and Merida have

conflict the father remains rational and light hearted, while the queen expresses sadness and

doubt. He assures the queen their daughter will be fine and gives advice on the situation. The

king expresses emotions physically through his hunt for the bear. Disney primarily depicts male

characters expressing their emotions physically or not at all (Towbin et al., 2004). It appears that

the producers doubted the audience’s ability to respect the king without the incorporation of

traditional male stereotypes.

Merida’s three young brothers follow their father’s stereotypical footsteps. The boys

portray the majority of traits primarily associated with males, specifically through their devious

and independent activities. The boys are depicted as intelligent pranksters, displaying their use of

thought by their ability to easily trick or confuse adults. In one scene they are shown balancing

on each other, displaying physical strength, while at the same time causing a distraction allowing

them to snip off half a guards beard. The brothers are displayed tricking an adult again in order

to rescue their sister. The brothers display intelligence while performing the act of rescuing a

princess. This scene supports the traditional princess narrative due to the fact that Merida was

unable to exit her room with out the help of her brothers. The brother and sister relationship is

highlighted through out this movie using stereotypical gender representation. Merida is only

compassionate towards her brothers, within the relationship she embodies traditional feminine

traits, which she displays through awarding them with stolen desserts and encouraging their


devious ways. The boys reciprocate within this relationship through traditional male traits,

especially due to the fact that they are the only males who perform a plot-changing rescue of the

princess.

The secondary characters in the movie Merida are the members of the kingdom and

characters occupying jobs within the castle walls. These characters of the background support the

traditional gender representations and ideologies held about gender roles previously presented by

Disney. The warrior characters who occupy the dinning hall and support the king on his bear

hunts are all men. The feast, hunt, and support all actions made by the king and are ready for

battle at all times. The gathering where the princes compete for Merida takes place in a kingdom

wide fair. While the setting of the fair is displayed, the men are the only ones part acting in the

activities and competitions at the fair. The women participating in the fair were shown dancing

on a stage or serving food for men. The queen and princess are the only women in the film

whose occupations do not include domestication. The women holding domestic jobs embody the

stereotypical representations of woman congruent with Disney’s past films. The maid is

tentative, specifically in the form of speech, when she sees a bear she is so startled she cannot

speak. Her physical representation includes large breasts with a visible line of cleavage, a small

waste line and yet a plump lower half. The representation of the maid in Merida matches the

maternal physique exercised by the fairy godmothers in Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. The

final stereotypical representation of women visible in Merida is the witch who transforms the

queen into a bear. The witch supports the ideology that overweight woman are portrayed as ugly

and evil (Towbin et al., 2004). She is the primary antagonist in the film and her personality is

portrayed through her physical attributes of being unattractive and overweight.

Current Event


Saturday, May 11, 2013 Merida was crowned the eleventh Disney Princess, however a

growing controversy has caused viewers to question Disney’s efforts of changing gender roles

(Brigante, 2013). Although the movie “Brave” has shown a separation from the traditional

gender roles visible in Disney moves, a recent change to Merida’s appearance is in the works.

Due to her induction to the Disney Princess collection, Merida has gone through a noticeable

make over. Her new look no longer incorporates her bow and arrow, shows higher cheekbones,

visible make up, manicured hair, a minimized waist, and more exposed shoulders. These subtle

touches conform her appearance to the traditional princess presence.

Figure 1. Changes made to Medina (A Mighty Girl, 2013).

Merida’s character depicts a girl who shows bravery and individuality. In the movie she

expresses her hate for constricting dresses, yet Disney remakes her appearance with a


constricting and suggestive dress. Merida’s new dress is almost identical to the dress she is

forced to wear during the competitions of her suitors. In the movie Merida rips this dress

multiple times while simultaneously shooting arrows and disregarding her mothers demands. The

ripping of the fancy dress symbolized Merida’s independence and strong will towards the

conforming traditions of her parents and kingdom. In regards to these changes, a female

empowerment website, A Might Girl, has written a petition to persuade Disney to withdraw

Merida’s makeover.

The letter posted by A Mighty Girl (2013) on Change.org began with this statement:

Merida was the princess that countless girls and their parents were waiting for -- a strong,

confident, self-rescuing princess ready to set off on her next adventure with her bow at

the ready. She was a princess who looked like a real girl, complete with the

‘imperfections’ that all people have.

Disney has acknowledged the animosity of the viewer’s towards the Merida’s makeover

however they do not express plans of change. Merida is Pixar’s first princess which separates her

from the other ten Disney princesses. Pixar claims the new design was released to match the

looks of the previous Disney Princess characters in order to aesthetically combine the different

styles of each decade (Brigante, 2013). They argue that the animated version of Snow White

released in the 1930’s is different than the computer generated versions of Snow White today

(Brigante, 2013).

Conclusion

The present analysis of the movie Brave clearly embodies traditional and non-traditional

depictions of gender previously represented through Disney’s traditional princess narrative. The


narration and plot allow the concluding message to differ from the classic, romantic fairy tale

usually embraced by Disney. Although the main characters break away from stereotypical

expectations for genders, the background roles of both males and females continue to support

gender stereotypes. Female characters in leading roles displayed higher amounts of traditional

male traits than female traits. A small group of significant male characters displayed a higher

amount of traditional female traits, however these traits were used to place them on a lower level

of power. Dominant male characters such as the king were portrayed using stereotypical male

traits.

The implications of this analysis are visible through the theoretical beliefs relating to the

medias effect on children’s interpretation and understanding of gender roles in society. The

cultivation theory suggests high levels of television exposure have the power to mold an

individual’s perception of society (Gerbner, Gross, Morgan, & Signorielli, 1994). Therefore the

messages present in Brave may influence a child’s ability to decipher between perception of the

televised world and reality. Children have the ability to notice the gender stereotypes presented

through images in the media, which leads me to believe that while watching Brave children will

be able to distinguish between today’s ideologies depicted through the princess, and historically,

stereotypical ideologies presented by the background characters (Baker-Sperry, 2007). Brave

defies many gender stereotypes presented in the Disney Princess films and has the potential to

positively impact the creation of gender roles among children through Mirada’s ability to

embody and express both male and female gender roles and traits.


References:

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