The Evolution of Disney Princesses: Pocahontas, The Sleeping Beauty and The Little Mermaid
More than 20 years went by without Disney making another princess movie after The Sleeping Beauty. The Little Mermaid came out in 1989 and the whole world fell in love. Ariel was one of the first Disney princesses that seeked a life for herself, not for some prince in shining armor. Ariel took matters into her own hands, and didn’t want to be a mermaid anymore for she was fascinated by life on land. Ariel lost her voice, by making a deal with the evil yet very famous villain Ursula. Ariel falls in love with Prince Eric, who eventually defeats Ursula. Ariel created a change for the future princesses, and the way their villains were defeated. Belle in Beauty and The Beast of 1991 and Pocahontas of 1995, were also very independent princesses which was different from the original Disney princesses of the fifties. Belle was very different and spent her time reading books and educating herself while the rest of the girls from her village seeked marriage. Pocahontas resembled free spirit and free thought, differentiating herself from the other princesses. These princesses all questioned social norms and sparked a great change in the classic idea of a princess. Pocahontas and Mulan of 1998 both were heroes who risked their own lives, putting the people they cared about first. Another difference, was that their villains all seeked power instead of beauty. At this point, Disney’s movies emphasized the idea of a strong and independent woman, saying that a woman can be empowered by being generous and kind. This change of direction lead to the rise in popularity for Disney and princesses as well.
Moving onto the modern era, the first Disney film of it’s kind began in 2009 with Tiana from Princess and The Frog. Tiana was the first African-American princess, which was groundbreaking. Not only was it amazing that she was black, but she also didn’t seek a relationship with a man. Tiana had goals to open her own restaurant and believed in working hard. Tiana was definitely a Disney princess that young kids could look up to. The idea of the traditional princess also changed with Rapunzel, in Tangled of 2010. Tiana and Rapunzel both didn’t immediately fall in love, showing how bad it could be to fall in love fast. Both of these princesses sacrificed themselves in order to save the prince’s they loved. In Tangled, Rapunzel sacrifices her freedom in hopes to save Flynn Rider. In return, Flynn sacrifices his own life in exchange for Rapunzel’s freedom. Tangled was the first movie where the princess actually tries to rescue her villian. When Flynn trips Mother Gothel, sending her flying out of the window, Rapunzel saves her stepmother which was a first in any of the previous Disney movies. Disney’s idea of ‘true loves kiss’ was thrown out the window and instead made these films an act of true love. Frozen of 2013 was the first princess movie where the relationship between a man and a woman wasn’t the main plot. Instead, Frozen emphasized the extreme yet important bond between two sisters Anna and Elsa. Frozen taught girls everywhere the importance of sisters, rather than a dreamy man. In Frozen, Anna and Elsa are fighting against Hans who is the instigator in most of their problems. They are also fighting against the town that sees Elsa and her powers as a threat, which are used for a greater good. Anna accidentally freezes her sister, and is resolved through the love between two sisters. These ideas and the way they are handled are all new to Disney and their princesses. Merida from Brave in 2012 was also a very different type of princess. Her hair was extremely curly and her figure wasn’t the same from the previous princesses. Disney started teaching young girls and boys to love their natural selves and not to compare themselves to society.
The latest Disney princess of the past 80 years is Moana, which was released in 2016. Moana is an adventurous teenager that is curious about the outside world. Moana goes against her father sails out on a mission to save the people from her town. On her mission, she meets Maui who guides her on her quest. Together, they sail out on the ocean and are met with many monsters and what seem like impossible encounters. Moana completes the quest of her ancestors to find a magic stone and discovers the one thing that has been with her the entire time, her own identity. Moana, much different from the others, does not have a prince but rather has Maui who is strictly a guide throughout the movie. Moana is not on a mission to fight anyone, but is on a mission to rescue the people she cares about. When Moana and Maui reach the island and rip out the stone from the land, Te Fiti rises as a terrifying monster. Unlike any other of the princesses, Moana expresses love and understanding, returning Te Fiti to her true self.
Throughout the traditions of Disney princesses, we have been led to believe that there is always a villain to be defeated in the end. Moana challenges the audience to actually understand the bad guy. This story is a great representation today of what we should teach the young kids and how we need to deal with conflict. Throughout history, each Disney princess and the feedback they have received only has lead to greater princesses with more inspiring messages. Moana is a great representation of what today’s youth should be taught, and I only hope to see more like it in the future of Disney. With further developments of technology and life lessons, I am nothing but excited to see the direction that Disney will go in. I have resonated with these fascinating and brave princesses for almost my entire life, and my love for Disney is only growing as I am on the edge of my seat for what is to come next.
