Name 1
Student Name
Mrs. Mitchell
English 1302
22 February 2016
Annotated Bibliography: Disney Princesses Give False Hope
Brave. Dir. Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman.Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2012.DVD.
A Scottish princess, Merida, is expected to live one way but wants to live on herown in another. Merida is offered three different suitors to marry, but she is not happy with any of them. With her dislike, she takes the games in her own hands, trying to prove to her mother that she cannot be ordered around. In spite of her mother telling her that she is not living in a princess manner, Merida runs off and into a witch. Merida begs the witch to help her change her mother’s mind but did not anticipate the kind of change that would result in her mother. Merida is left with nothing but her archery skills and bravery to fix the unbearable curse the witch left on her mother. With only two days to reverse the spell, she and her beastly mother work together to break the charm. After the curse is broken, all goes back to normal in the kingdom. Brave focuses mostly on the love of family and not on a suitor. This makes this particular Disney film far different from others in the past.
Frozen.Dir. Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee.Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2013.DVD.
The story centers around two sisters from Arendelle, Elsa and Anna. Elsa has magic powers which can be harmful around those she loves, so she keeps herself locked away in her room. As Elsa was to be crowned queen, her sister falls in love with Hans, a relationship Elsa does not approve of. Elsa’s powers get out of control, and she flees the castle to begin a life in seclusion. Anna stets off on a journey with some friends, including a man named Kristoff, to save her. They reunite but soon begin arguing, and Elsa “accidentally freezes Anna’s heart. Only an act of true love” will save her. Kristoff finds Hans, thinking he will save her, but his intentions were not honest from the start. Kristoff, in fact, is the one in love with Anna. Anna sacrifices herself to save her sister from the evil Hans. She soon unfreezes herself, as this was an act of true love. Hans is sent away, and the sisters make peace with each other. Anna and Kristoff share a kiss at the end and appear to live happily ever after.
Greene, Marissa. “Do the Disney Princess Fairy Tales Give False Hope and Unrealistic Expectations of the Future to Children?” The Real Tales About Fairy Tales. Marissa Greene,7 Apr. 2014. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.
Author Marissa Greene describes the stories and movies of Disney Princesses as anything but realistic. She believes that these stories are misleading and giving young girls false hope for their futures. Greene uses a few specific princesses in particular to explain her opinion. Cinderella is described as a slave in her own home. Greene states that Cinderella, as a woman, does all of the cleaning while men are just as capable. Cinderella is also given everything to her by her fairy godmother. This information is valid because things in life are not just handed over. The next princess used is Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Belle is forced to live in the same home as a beast with anger issues who will later change his ways for her. Greene argues that Disney gives expectations to women that men will only change in order to get what they want. These explanations verify Green’s opinion that Disney Princesses do in fact give unrealistic expectations to young girls.
The Little Mermaid. Dir. Ron Clements and John Musker.Buena Vista Pictures, 1989.DVD.
Ariel, a teenage “mermaid princess, is not happy with her life under the sea. She is more curious about the human world” and sets off with her animal friends to learn more about humans. Her father, King Triton, warned her that mermaids and humans do not mix, but Ariel did not believe him. Ariel soon falls in love with Prince Eric, which makes her father angry. Ariel flees from her father and makes a deal with Ursula, the sea witch, to become human temporarily at the cost of her voice. Ursula tricks Ariel and casts a spell on Eric so that he will forget her. Ursula traps Ariel, and King Triton offers to sacrifice himself to save his daughter. Eric manages to destroy Ursula, and King Triton finally sees that Ariel and Eric are truly in love. He changes Ariel into a human permanently, and she and Eric are finally able to be together.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Dir. Ben Sharpsteen and Perce Pearce. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 1937.DVD.
A beautiful girl named Snow White flees to hide in the “forest from her evil stepmother, the wicked Queen. The queen is jealous of Snow White” because it was revealed to her that Snow White is more beautiful than she. Snow White finds safety in a house inhabited by seven dwarfs. She agrees to cook and clean for them, as they are away working all day. The Queen disguises herself as an old woman and finds Snow White, offering her an apple, which she secretly poisoned with an evil spell. The dwarfs rush home after the animals of the forest, Snow White’s friends, alert them that Snow White was in danger. They are too late, as they discover Snow White lying lifeless near their home. The poison had placed her in a deathlike sleep. The dwarfs place her in a glass coffin and mourn their loss. The Prince, who had already fallen deeply in love with Snow White, finds her and gives her a kiss. Thanks to the Prince’s loving gesture, she wakes up out of the spell and they live happily ever after.
Walleston, Kimberly. “Animation Contamination: Are Disney Films Giving Our Kids Complexes?” InsidersHealth. Kimberly Walleston, 2011. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.
According to author Kimberly Walleston, Disney movies are comforting to children. They watch videos and learn that the villains will not really hurt them, there is always a happy ending, and that animals are always friendly and helpful. These suggestions may be harmful to a child in the future. The message in Cinderella implies that women are not independent and that it takes a man to take a woman away from a bad situation. When little girls idolize princesses, they pretend to be them, even to the point they expect to live a privileged, wealthy life. Sometimes parents even encourage this treatment, not providing enough discipline and giving children whatever they want. When these girls grow up and do not necessarily have the fairy tale life they envisioned, they may become depressed. Relationships may not turn out the way they had pictured. These movies also portray princesses as thin, beautiful women, which makes many obese children feel shameful. Many Disney films also have children who are orphaned or abandoned. The content may be unnecessarily violent, causing children to feel anxious or unable to deal with their emotions. While these films may not be the source of the world’s problem, they should be limited and closely monitored by parents to lessen the negative influence.