Happily Ever After

Ariel, Jasmine, Belle. These are all names that most females would recognize. Who are they? Disney princesses of course! Walt Disney has become a cultural icon from his film interpretations of traditional fairy and folk tales. The very first “Disney Princess” that Walt Disney introduced audiences to was Snow White. Although she was thought to be dead not once, but twice in the story, Snow White ultimately is saved by the kiss from a prince and lives “happily ever after.” While this may seem like a harmless fairytale story, some may disagree with the message that is sent to young girls through Disney films. The story of Snow White is not only viewed as a fairytale love story, but some view that her caretaking of the dwarfs arguably encourages the domestication of women. So should the stories of these princesses be empowering young girls? Or are they inappropriate role models? To further explore this topic, let us focus on some of the most recent princesses of the “Disney decade” of the 1990’s. (Zarranz 1)

The release of The Little Mermaid was a turning point for the princess’s criticism. Feminists were not happy about many aspects of Ariel’s character portrayal criticism was directed towards many parts of the story. Her “thin waist and prominent bust,” her male friends, and finally the “embodiment of consumer-fetishism” as portrayed by her need to collect human objects, received much of the objections (Zarranz 2). However, despite these negative critiques, Ariel saves a male human from drowning, resists the lifestyle that her father tries to force her into, and tries to establish herself as a strong and independent woman. As a sixteen year old, Ariel makes courageous decisions on her own behalf, regarding her own personal happiness. While ultimately Ariel marries the prince, becomes a human and lives “happily ever after”, she first had to face many difficult challenges.

While Belle, from Beauty and the Beast, shares
some of the same characteristics as Ariel and the other Disney princesses, she is known for her “book smarts.” Belle is portrayed not only as an intelligent woman, but also a distinguished woman. She loves to read and longs to escape the “provincial town” in which she lives. Strong, handsome men do not impress her. She would rather read a new adventure and care only for her father. The extent of her care is tested when her father suddenly becomes prisoner of the “Beast” in a castle in the woods. Belle selflessly offers to stay as the Beast’s prisoner if he would let her father free. While she is a prisoner in the castle, the Beast is quite cruel to Belle. Although initially frightened, angry, and sad, Belle makes an effort to befriend the Beast. Through her actions, Belle exemplifies compassion and forgiveness. Although she was being held prisoner for no good reason and against her will, she made an effort to understand and forgive someone who had treated her so badly. Belle’s efforts resulted not only in a friendship between her and the Beast, but she soon found herself falling in love with him. So again in true Disney Princess fashion, Belle too lived “happily ever after.” The Beast was not an unruly animal after all; rather, he was just a prince under the spell of a witch.

Much like the previously mentioned princesses, Jasmine also rejects the norms that her father and other members of society try to impose on her. However, Jasmine is unlike the other Disney Princesses in that she “realizes the benefits of royalty” (Zarranz 4). She did not need to marry in order to become a princess, she was born into royalty! Jasmine is well aware of the power that will come when she one day marries and becomes queen. Not only is she aware of the power and responsibility, but she anxiously waits for her opportunity to make the changes she deems necessary in the kingdom in which she lives. Also similar to Ariel and Belle, Jasmine (although unknowingly at first) finds herself in love with a man who is not at all like herself. Once she finds out that Aladdin, whom she loves, is a “street rat” rather than a prince, Jasmine is initially upset but ultimately in love with him regardless of his social status. Jasmine’s story does not end with her marrying into royalty, rather it is her marriage which provides her not only with her “happily ever after” but also the privilege to finally reign as a queen.

As Boozer quotes in his piece, Seduction and Betrayal in the Heartland: Thelma and Louise, “nothing is more threatening to patriarchal conventions than a woman who resorts to the tools of aggressive defiance” (210). Ariel clearly defies her father’s wishes by not only perusing interaction with the human world, but by going behind his back in order to become a human herself. Belle and Jasmine are also both guilty of rebelling against the wishes of their fathers in order to do what they think is right. While rebellion seems to be a consistent theme throughout the princess stories, it is more important to examine the reason for their rebellion and decide if the actions are just. In each scenario mentioned, the choices that the women made were for both their own individual independence and to be with the one they loved. Not only do they model strong and independent women, but they also model loving women who fight for love no matter the risk.

Women all over the world know and love the Disney Princesses. As females continue to search for their “prince,” they look to the princesses matching their identities with their own. Not only do women identify with the personalities of the Disney Princesses, they celebrate them. Disney is continually evolving their depiction of strong women with the more recent depictions of Pocahontas, Mulan, and Tiana, each of distinct cultural backgrounds. Along with embracing cultural differences, Disney has also embraced the message of female independence. Kevin Lima, director of one of Disney’s most recent princess stories, Enchanted, says, “Traditionally, the female character is very strong until the last minutes of the film, and then the prince comes in and she's saved. I don't think that's a contemporarily responsible story.” Instead, Kevin wanted the new message to be, “You are responsible for your own happily ever after” (Setoodeh 1). Really, what better message could we send to young girls than that?