I grew up watching Disney princesses since I was a young toddler. The flamboyant dresses, their adorable animal companions, and sparkly crowns were the epitome of awesomeness as a young girl. As a toddler, I chose which princesses we wanted to be with my friends, buying coloring books filled with these princesses, and dressing up as a princess myself on Halloween. From Cinderella to Mulan I felt these characters so close to me and as a sister heroine as I watched their movies from DVD players and daydreamed while singing their iconic songs. However, with the development of women's rights and the continuing demolition of societal oppression towards women, questions have arisen if these princesses are worthy of being appreciated by young girls. As a girl and a former princess-fanatic, this question has caught my interest, I have thought about this carefully for years trying to understand both sides of this prompt, and in this article, I would present those two sides. 

[ Me as a Princess, Photo Courtesy: Hyunil Ahn]

The main argument for people siding that princesses are poor mentors for girls is that most of these princess movies have something in common; a vulnerable young girl who desperately needs the help of a man (commonly called a "prince charming" figure) to overcome the villain in the movie. This leads to thoughts saying that this type of storyline tells the message that young girls NEED a man to fight against life’s hardships and that a girl is too frail to combat by herself. The common references to this argument are movies such as Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, and mostly all older princess movies. All of these girls rely on a male figure to succeed or find happiness. This sends a message that it is wrong to look up to these princesses. Especially considering how a prince’s magical kiss miraculously saves Aurora and Snow-white, some people view this as problematic. It is argued that this typical damsel in distress scenario forms societal prejudices on young girls. Ultimately, this may disrupt them from looking up to become an independent woman and instructs them that a man is a necessity for a happy life. 

[“Princesses with Children”, Photo Courtesy: pixabay.com]

However, some people opinionated that we blame the victim by viewing these woman figures as a damsel in distress character. If we look back and think through all the characters in the movies mentioned above, they are victims of emotional abuse from their families or their enemies. For example, Cinderella is one of the most used examples of how she was saved from her gloomy life as a servant by a prince in a white horse and shining armor. But we don't shine the light on how for 19 years she lived humiliated under a neglectful and abusive family since her father's death as a child, leaving her in a hopeless situation. To look down upon these young women and girls is to blame them when they needed help. Furthermore, these people argue that the princesses in this situation still presented high moral values and admirable qualities. Cinderella and Snow White showed how optimism and generosity are necessary for any occasion. Ariel shows the importance of bravery and makes sacrifices to accomplish one's dreams. Not to mention how recent princesses have more independence and leadership that were not present in older princess characters. One of them is Mulan, a girl that volunteered instead of her hurt father to fight for her country. Tiana, an independent woman who had dreams of opening her own restaurant and did so, and Moana, a young girl who sacrificed herself to protect her island from a volcanic demon. Wrapping up, the people who side with these figures are worthy of being role models shed light on individual characteristics and how they overcome hardships in their own ways.

Different interpretations are impossible to avoid from works of art, and these influential figures in tiaras and eye-catching gowns are no exception to that. All we know is that these movies are all a coming of age story where a young girl grows into the world by overcoming a challenge. Whether her way of overcoming her obstacles and if the message she holds is ideal is debatable. One thing that remains clear is that she is young and like everyone else, can commit mistakes and flourish from them. Princesses were the idols of many children, including myself, for centuries and even today. The power they hold in a girl or a boy staring back at them with glittering eyes is astronomical. The inspiration and what a child makes out of themselves from their hero are up to oneself. Disney princesses may or may not be the ideal role models depending on your views; however, it is clear that the person in charge of who you are and whom you want to become is yourself.

 

 

 







Yujin Choi
Junior (Grade 11)
American School of Barcelona

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