The Active Princesses
After Sleeping Beauty, Disney did not make another "princess" film until 1989. What followed were a number of films with female protagonists who were very different from the passive characters of the past. These heroines not only were explicitly the leading characters but also had well-defined personalities and goals beyond meeting their true love. They are a considerable improvement in their expanded desires and wishes.
ARIEL (The Little Mermaid, 1989)
Ariel was the first of the Disney princesses after Aurora. She had bright red hair, fins, and intense curiosity about humans. Instead of meekly capitulating to her father, she desires contact with the mysterious human world and wants to live her own life. It is also interesting that she is the one who first saves her love interest, Prince Eric, from drowning.
Ariel's character is not perfect. She still falls in love with Eric over an oddly short period of time (three days or less) and needs to be rescued from Ursula's clutches at the climax of the film. However, her rebellious tendencies and insatiable curiosity make her a more dynamic heroine that the previous Disney ladies.
Ariel's character is not perfect. She still falls in love with Eric over an oddly short period of time (three days or less) and needs to be rescued from Ursula's clutches at the climax of the film. However, her rebellious tendencies and insatiable curiosity make her a more dynamic heroine that the previous Disney ladies.
BELLE (Beauty and the Beast, 1991)
Belle was the next leading lady in the Disney princess pantheon. She is notable for her strong love of books, which make her the target of confusion and even scorn from her hometown. She also refuses the advances of the manly Gaston, even when he attempts to force her into marriage.
Her later interactions with the Beast are also a display of her more unique personality. While she is civil, she refuses to engage with him in any meaningful way until he improves his behavior and acts more like a gentleman. This is a departure from many stories where the woman cries that she can change her troublesome boyfriend with the power of her love. Belle has no such illusions, and it is on the Beast to change his behavior before she will entertain any thoughts of companionship or love. They also spend much more time together than the older Disney love interests, who would marry after an impossibly brief courtship or no courtship at all.
Her later interactions with the Beast are also a display of her more unique personality. While she is civil, she refuses to engage with him in any meaningful way until he improves his behavior and acts more like a gentleman. This is a departure from many stories where the woman cries that she can change her troublesome boyfriend with the power of her love. Belle has no such illusions, and it is on the Beast to change his behavior before she will entertain any thoughts of companionship or love. They also spend much more time together than the older Disney love interests, who would marry after an impossibly brief courtship or no courtship at all.
JASMINE (Aladdin, 1992)
Jasmine is notable in that she was the first non-white Disney princess. She also fit the rebellious-princess character mold in her efforts to escape arranged marriages and experience life outside of her cloistered existence in the palace. In addition, Jasmine was the first Disney princess to kiss the villain of the film in a scene that showed her using her sexuality as a viable weapon instead of passively sitting by to watch the male antagonist accomplish his evil schemes.
Jasmine does have a problem in that aside from her darker skin, there is little about her that reflects her non-white heritage. Aside from having slanted eyes, her facial features look similar to her white compatriots. She also spends the film in a highly unrealistic harem-girl outfit, which was a stereotype associated with Middle Eastern women but which a princess would not wear.
Jasmine does have a problem in that aside from her darker skin, there is little about her that reflects her non-white heritage. Aside from having slanted eyes, her facial features look similar to her white compatriots. She also spends the film in a highly unrealistic harem-girl outfit, which was a stereotype associated with Middle Eastern women but which a princess would not wear.
POCAHONTAS (Pocahontas, 1995)
Pocahontas is one of two Disney princesses (loosely) based on a real person. She is also the second non-white princess in the group, and unlike Jasmine, is given more distinct facial features. Pocahontas is quickly established in the film as a free spirit, unwilling to be married to a "handsome sturdy husband who builds handsome sturdy walls." She also acts as a bridge between the Native Americans and the Europeans who have arrived in Virginia. In the end, she is able to prevent war between the two groups. She also does not end up marrying the love interest of the film, sacrificing her desires for the community.
Pocahontas's character is interesting and well-developed, but it suffers from its complete historical inaccuracy. By putting the romance between John Smith and Pocahontas at the center of the conflit, the film also sanitizes a very ugly period in human history.
Pocahontas's character is interesting and well-developed, but it suffers from its complete historical inaccuracy. By putting the romance between John Smith and Pocahontas at the center of the conflit, the film also sanitizes a very ugly period in human history.
MULAN (Mulan, 1998)
Mulan is a protagonist who exists to explicitly defy gender stereotypes. Her story revolves around escaping the confining structure of femininity in ancient China and assuming the role of a man in order to save the life of her ailing father. Mulan repeatedly shows herself to be both physically and mentally capable. She never needs to be rescued and manages, with the aid of a few fellow soliders, to save all of China from the invading Hun horde.
Mulan is interesting because she is driven not by romance but by her love for her father and duty to her country. In this, she has already departed from the typical motivation of Disney heroines. Her actions also serve to emphasize how women can be physical heroes just like men and that films do not have to have a male protagonist in order to have believable action. Rather than be the "moral support" or "heart" of the group, she succeeds in accomplishing considerable feats on her own. In addition, her relationship with the main male character Shang is understated. There is no grand declaration of love; instead, the film settles for a suggestion of courtship.
Mulan is interesting because she is driven not by romance but by her love for her father and duty to her country. In this, she has already departed from the typical motivation of Disney heroines. Her actions also serve to emphasize how women can be physical heroes just like men and that films do not have to have a male protagonist in order to have believable action. Rather than be the "moral support" or "heart" of the group, she succeeds in accomplishing considerable feats on her own. In addition, her relationship with the main male character Shang is understated. There is no grand declaration of love; instead, the film settles for a suggestion of courtship.
TIANA (The Princess and the Frog, 2009)
Tiana is the first black Disney princess, continuing the expansion of the princesses beyond their original white European origins. She also is special in how her story explicitly explores the impact of racism and prejudice in a more modern setting than Pocahontas. Living in New Orleans during the Roaring 20s, Tiana's primary goal is to acquire her own restaurant and achieve financial success, showing motivations outside of romance. This also forms part of her character development as she learns that hard work to the exclusion of everything else is preventing her from achieving real happiness in life.
This does not mean that Tiana abandons her dreams in favor of romance. Rather, the movie shows her achieving balance in both her personal and business life. It ends with her happily married to a prince but only after the two spent time bonding and recognizing the good qualities of each other. Since her love interest abdicates the throne, she also does not rely on him to earn her dream restaurant.
This does not mean that Tiana abandons her dreams in favor of romance. Rather, the movie shows her achieving balance in both her personal and business life. It ends with her happily married to a prince but only after the two spent time bonding and recognizing the good qualities of each other. Since her love interest abdicates the throne, she also does not rely on him to earn her dream restaurant.
RAPUNZEL (Tangled, 2010)
Rapunzel is the latest girl to be added to the Disney princess line. She is a more traditional character than Tiana in that she is explicitly a long-lost princess trapped in a tower with a wicked stepmother who forbids her from ever leaving. However, Rapunzel repeatedly displays considerable creativity, intelligence, and spunk. Until the love interest Flynn arrives, she has never even considered romance and has instead focused on seeing the rest of the world beyond her tower. Although she is naive and sheltered, these traits are explained instead of merely being a "cute" part of her character.
Rapunzel is not as action-oriented as Mulan or pragmatic as Tiana, but she still is very different from Aurora, Snow White, and Cinderella. The film has her marrying her love in the end, but this is also after they spend years getting to know each other, thus avoiding the too-short romances of early Disney films.
Rapunzel is not as action-oriented as Mulan or pragmatic as Tiana, but she still is very different from Aurora, Snow White, and Cinderella. The film has her marrying her love in the end, but this is also after they spend years getting to know each other, thus avoiding the too-short romances of early Disney films.