Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty

One of the things we first notice about Aurora is her obedience. In the film, she is 16 years old. For her time, she had come of age, but when the three fairy godmothers send her out to go collect berries, Aurora obeys them though we notice a hint of knowingness in her eyes (as if she knows they’re up to something, which also plays on her intelligence). Imagine if Aurora was like many teenagers these days and stomped her foot and refused to go out and pick berries like she did every day. She would miss out on the splendid surprise her fairy godmothers planned for her.

Magic should be used sparingly.

For Aurora’s birthday, the godmothers wanted to do something very special for her. They give a good attempt, but they are unable to bake a birthday cake and sew a dress. As this seemed to be the first time they’d dusted off their wands in 16 years, it begs the question – Did Aurora do all the sewing, cooking, and cleaning? Oh well, they have good hearts, but their overabundance of magic use causes Maleficent to discover Aurora’s location.

Aurora is responsible. All her life, she has been taught, like a good child, to not talk to strangers. So she is very cautious of Prince Phillip when she meets him in the woods. At first, she refuses to speak to him and even tries to avoid him, but he is charming nonetheless, and we see his attempts to woo her do not go unnoticed. So Aurora appreciates when a young man tries to win her heart. And he behaves like a true gentleman, and she can see that. Still, she does not give him her name, but she does agree to meet him in the woods again. And what does she do as soon as she gets home? She tells her fairy godmothers about the young man in the woods.

Again some might accuse Aurora of being a pushover when she is told she is promised to Prince Phillip (who she obviously did not know was really the young man in the woods), but Aurora’s character shines through all this through her obedience. No one can accuse her of being passive. She certainly is upset by the news of marrying a complete stranger and spends a good amount of time crying, which is perfectly normal. But instead of running away in rebellion, Aurora continues to obey Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. Imagine being in her place. You have just found out that not only are your parents alive but you are truly a princess promised to a prince, and even the name you’ve gone by for 16 years is not your real name. Obeying the fairies and returning to her parents to face the reality of her situation makes Aurora undeniably brave though she does need some time to let her emotions out. Aurora proves to be very mature. She does not run from her problems. 

Her obedience is possibly in question when she pricks her finger on the spinning wheel, but Maleficent does put her in a trance. Could Aurora have forced herself out of the trance? Perhaps…but we will never know, will we?

Aurora also has good taste in men. Not only was Phillip willing to go the extra mile to woo her, but look at the guy – he is willing to fight a dragon for her!

The one negative about Aurora’s situation could be attributed to her parents and to the fairies. Perhaps if they had shared with her the news about the curse sooner, Aurora could have prepared herself more so she could avoid pricking her finger. Obviously, she grew up a very obedient and responsible young woman so she could have been trusted with the truth.

Ultimately, good things come to those who wait. In the end, Aurora and her prince marry and live happily ever after – they are rewarded for their courage and their obedience. 

I would definitely let my daughter watch Sleeping Beauty, but if she’s little, the dragon fight scene could be a tad too scary.

Random Trivia

• Aurora was modeled after Audrey Hepburn.
• In the original version, Aurora was under the sleeping spell for a hundred years.
• Seven fairies were invited in the Charles Perrault version, but the uninvited eighth fairy placed the curse on sleeping beauty.
• In the Charles Perrault version, the prince also had a stepmother who hated the princess and ordered her cook to literally cook the princess, but the cook was compassionate and raised the princess along with her brother in a secluded house in the woods.
• Along with Belle, Aurora is second in command to Cinderella.
• Aurora is the only princess to have purple eyes.
• She is the third youngest Disney princess – behind Snow White (14) and Jasmine (15).
• Aurora was named after the Goddess of the Dawn so her name means ‘dawn’ or ‘sunrise’ in Latin.
• Aurora is the first Disney princess to have both her parents in the film. Rapunzel and Mulan are the others.
• Aurora is the tallest of the Disney princesses.
• Aurora only gets 18 minutes of screen time in the movie – the least amount of all princesses.
• Aurora’s dress flips back and forth between blue and pink, and there is no official statement on what the true color is supposed to be. (When we took a photo with her at Disney World, it was pink) 

Spin-Off

Don't know much yet about this film - Maleficent - but it looks very intriguing and I'm looking forward to it.

Cinderella

Cinderella

One could argue Disney's true claim to fame was due to the film and character Cinderella, which has seen countless film spinoffs including a musical. The timeless tale of an orphaned girl raised by her wicked stepmother and abused by her ugly stepsisters, who dreams of attending the prince's ball, and her dream comes true with the help of a fairy godmother and a host of beloved animals.

Ironically enough, Cinderella may be one of my least favorite of the Disney princesses. Like all princesses, there are pros and cons, but I find the cons outweigh the pros in the Disney version of Cinderella. 

Pro #1

Cinderella has Hope

"No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true."

Despite her tragic situation, Cinderella never loses hope. On a day to day basis, she rises early and finds something to be happy about and remains steadfast in her belief that her dreams will come true.

Pro#2

Cinderella is Industrious

Cinderella knows how to roll up her sleeves and get down and dirty. When you live with the world's laziest people and you're in charge of all the chores, you learn the essence of hard work.

Pro#3

Forgiveness

More than any other person, Cinderella would have the right and satisfaction of getting revenge on her wicked stepsisters. Instead, she forgives them. Again, we see a theme with Disney where revenge is not worth it. Cinderella could have easily put them to death, but she chooses forgiveness.

Pro#4

Cinderella is Positive

Cinderella has a good attitude. Though she is treated poorly, she remains thoughtful and kind. She doesn't complain.

And now for the cons...

Con#1

Cinderella is a Pushover

Cinderella never stands up for herself. Unlike some of the other princesses, she never speaks her mind, and she never tries to leave her negative situation. Technically, the house belonged to her father, and shouldn't Cinderella stand to inherit? In any case, she remains in an abusive situation and never tries to leave.

Con#2

Cinderella's Poor Choice in a Man

Her relationship with Prince Charming is quite shallow. By the time Cinderella arrives, he has yawned his way through hundreds of girls. This film sends the message that beauty matters the most to this man. Cinderella has one dance with him, and already she's fallen in love with him. If Cinderella came to the ball in her rags as a scullery maid, no doubt he would have yawned just like he did with all the other girls. He never even asks Cinderella's name, he is the most passive of all the Disney men, and he sends a servant to find the girl of his dreams without bothering to look for her himself.

Con#3

Her Fairy Godmother has Poor Timing

Cinderella's fairy godmother shows up just to give her a beautiful dress and whisk her off to the ball. However, there were far more important times in Cinderella's life the godmother could have chosen such as when Cinderella's father died or when Cinderella's stepmother began her cycle of abuse. But obviously it was more important to this godmother that Cinderella have one night of fun than to have some moral support during her darkest times.

Con#4

Cinderella is Too Naive and Oblivious

There is nothing wrong with a little naiveity, but Cinderella takes it to extremes. After a lifetime of living with Lady Tremaine, Cinderella seems completely astonished that her stepmother locks her up in the attic after they all learn of the king's proclamation. Just before this, Cinderella drifted onto Cloud 9 and began singing absentmindedly to herself while not bothering to look behind to see if her stepmother was following her. She completely let her guard down and gave herself away.

Con#5

Cinderella is a Contradiction

Though Cinderella is the hardest of workers, when she is locked up in the attic, she sends the poor little mice to get a key, which easily weighs a lot, and they must carry it up flights of stairs to her. Why is she not more proactive? She could try any number of things to escape from that little room, but she depends on these little guys instead of taking the bull by the horns and solving her own problem, which she basically caused - see Con#4. 

Cinderella Trivia

• For anyone who has ever wondered what Cinderella's shoe size is - wonder no more. Size 4 1/2. 
• Cinderella has become the iconic leader of the Disney princesses, often placed in the center of the photographs.
• Cinderella was introduced 13 years after Snow White.
• The glass slippers were symbolic that Cinderella was so delicate, she could walk in glass shoes and not break them.
• In the original tale, we never learn Cinderella's real name. Cinderella was a spiteful name dubbed by the younger stepsister while the older called her Cinder-clod
• Cinderella never had any animal friends
• In the original story, Cinderella spent time with her stepsisters at the ball, and they didn't recognize her
• Cinderella is the second oldest Disney princess, 19 years old
• Cinderella's hair has appeared to be different colors from the original as a light ginger to a bright, vivid blonde

Would I let my daughter watch Cinderella? 

Sure, but she'll know that I like other princesses better

My Favorite Cinderella Spinoff

Danielle de Barbarac is the best Cinderella I have yet to find in a pool of poor Cinderella films and adaptations. Her relationship with the Prince is well developed, and she draws his attention not simply from her beauty but most from her spirit and her desire to help people. Danielle is headstrong, stubborn, and sharp witted, and she bears a lot, but realistically she is an emotional creature, and we can see when her last thread has snapped like in the video below after Marguerite has insulted Danielle's mother. Who can forget this scene? 

It's much easier to get a handle on the reason behind Rodmilla's (the stepmother) cruelty. Her ultimate motivation was jealousy of Danielle and how her father's dying breath was used to express his love for his daughter and not his recent wife. Toward the end of the movie, we learn Danielle's greatest wish was for her stepmother as well as Rodmilla's reaction to it. 

Danielle: Was there a time, even in its smallest measurement that you loved me at all? 

Rodmilla: How can anyone love a pebble in their shoe? 

Rodmilla was a worse stepmother to Danielle than Lady Tremaine was to Cinderella, going so far as to sell Danielle to an older man who sexually harassed her. And the surprise comes in the end when Danielle, as a princess, chooses to speak for Rodmilla and extends compassion by stating: All I ask, Your Majesties, is that you show her the same courtesy that she has bestowed upon me. 

And who can forget Leonardo da Vinci and all his amazing quotes? 

Leonardo da Vinci: 

I know that a life without love is no life at all. 

I shall leave walking on water to the Son of God. Fortunately, I tripped over an angel. 

Snow White

Snow White

We all know the story of Snow White. If you don’t, I pity the poor rock that has been your home. 

Snow White: the beautiful princess known as the “fairest of them all” becomes the target of her jealous stepmother, who finally uglifies herself in order to poison Snow White with an apple. As Snow White was the first full length animated feature Walt Disney created, I felt it was appropriate to begin with her. 

Argument #1. 

Acceptance

Certainly Snow White longs for her own happily ever after as evidence in her song statements of “Someday my prince will come…and away to his castle we’ll go, to be happy forever I know…” One could interpret Snow White’s true desire is the acceptance of a man and therein lies her reasoning for happiness. However, when one considers the time period of Snow White’s making, it is not so complicated. 1937 was the year Snow White and the Seven Dwarves was released – a time when women’s roles still took place in the home, where marriage and homemaking were not just accepted and promoted. I could expound upon this, but the purposes of this blog is not meant for an endless societal debate, and the 1930’s can speak for themselves. And we also learn this isn't Snow White's final goal. She yearns for acceptance from others like the huntsman, forest creatures, and Grumpy. After a lifetime of her stepmother treating her as a slave, Snow White longs for someone to treat her right.

Also…when taking Snow White’s age into account, we learn that she is supposed to be portrayed as a 14 year old girl in the film. What 14 year old has a firm grasp on reality? What 14 year old girl isn’t naive without a desire to ride off into the sunset with her handsome prince? But is this a good concept to instill in a little girl’s mind? 

Argument #2

Is it realistic? 

One of my favorite quotes by my pastor, Rick Gamache, is this: In Jesus, the best stories always come true. No matter how much the world is stained by the sin of witches, evil stepmothers, poisoned apples etc, if a young lady is a follower of Jesus, then she is already a princess, the daughter of the most famous King, and she can look forward to the greatest happily ever after of all time. Perhaps the King has a prince in store for her, perhaps he does not, but she can always look forward to an eternal kingdom waiting for her just as Snow White looked forward to her prince’s castle. It is the classic symbolism of the relationship between Christ and his church, bridegroom to his bride. This is something we can remember when teaching our little girls about fairy tales. 

Argument #3

Envy of Beauty

The movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarves revolves around the Queen's jealousy of Snow White's beauty. Jealousy is a very real concept especially when it comes to girls in the modern age. There is a good amount of competition from the clothes girls wear to jewelry to makeup to toys etc. When it comes to beauty, Disney could send the message that if you're pretty enough, everything will turn out well, but ultimately, they show how jealousy can end up destroying you. The Queen is so envious of Snow White's beauty, it causes her to destroy her own beauty. That's probably why envy is listed as one of the seven deadly sins and is also forbidden in the Ten Commandments. Because it's so strong, it can make you break any of the other nine. 

Conclusion:

Would I let my daughter watch Snow White? Certainly, but I'd probably cover her eyes during the Queen's transformation to an old hag. It always scared me when I was little. 

Other Lessons from Snow White

1. Never accept an apple from a lady in the woods. Fruit sales belong in marketplaces, grocery stores, and farmer’s markets. The middle of a forest is a terrible sales spot so that woman was probably up to some mischief. 
2. Do not befriend random forest creatures. Any one of them could carry rabies or other diseases.
3. Manners are important. You should wash your hands before dinner, be a proper guest, do your part to help with household chores, respect your elders, and learn the art of being polite. 
4. Do not judge a book by its cover. Snow White is gracious to the “old hag” who is her stepmother in disguise. She scolds the birds who attack the old woman. One should be kind to the elderly. 
5. Do not talk to strangers. Be kind, say hello, but do not invite them into your home.  
6. Be positive. Snow White is very optimistic even in her darkest hour. She can always see the silver lining behind a cloud. 
7. Value purity over beauty.
8. A lively tune can help spread some cheer while you perform the daily drudgery. 
9. When you go out for revenge, you'd better dig two graves. The evil Queen's jealousy and envy get her nowhere, and not only does she ruin her own beauty, but in the end, it leads to her own demise. 

Favorite Snow White Spinoff

I am pretty much in love with this Snow White from the hit show Once Upon a Time. She is both gentle and strong, kind and spirited, and she can learn to forgive the Evil Queen despite all the wrong done to her. Though Once is sometimes a little too dark for little girls, I highly recommend the show and a good number of its episodes. 

Random Trivia

• In the original tale, Snow White remained in the coffin for years and grows into a young woman before the prince comes. 
• Snow White is the shortest of the Disney princesses. 
• The prince never kisses Snow White. In the end, while he helps the dwarves carry the casket, a dwarf trips and the poisoned apple chunk comes out of Snow White's throat. 
• Snow White is one of three Disney pincesses without a movie sequel. The others are Tiana and Merida. 
• In the original, the Queen is sentenced to dance in red hot, iron shoes until she drops dead at Snow White's wedding. 
• Snow White is the only Disney princess who prays in a movie.

Want to find out more about Snow White? Check out the website below.

http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Snow_White_(character)

Want to find some Snow White activities for your little girl? 

http://princess.disney.com/snow-white

As a mother of a little girl and an aunt to five little girls, I understand how important it is for girls to have good role models. For many modern day women, Disney can be considered as chauvinistic and misogynist. Disney princesses have taken much criticism over the years. And where Disney may give us unrealistic expectations of life (not to mention hair), through this blog, I intend to pursue each Disney princess, their personalities, place in their prospective societies, and how they influence young girls. Take into account that I was raised on Disney (not all the films) and though I am an avid fan, I will not only approve but also provide critiques of these fictional young women. Once finished with all the main princesses, I will move on to Disney heroines such as Meg from Hercules, Esmerelda from Hunchback of Notre Dame, Giselle from Enchanted etc. With the introduction of new films every year, I will also do my best to keep up with any new additions.

 

First, I am going to lay out the foundation of why I am setting upon this quest.

In Dr. James Dobson’s book Bringing Up Girls, he lists seven main reasons why Disney and their fairy tales appeal so much to little girls. Beauty, Song, Beautiful Clothes, Handsome Suitor, Rags to Riches, Happily Ever After, Dreams Coming True. No matter how many people think Disney has created and cashed in on this concept, it is quite old. Little girls may love the princess concept, but they are also drawn to stories like Esther and Ruth in the Bible. Girls fantasize about romance and the idea of the right man sweeping them off their feet.

A young mom in Bringing Up Girls puts it like this: Being a princess honors girls and “girliness.” It separates us from boys.

Another mother expounds upon this idea: Girls and women long to be treated like they are something special and worthwhile. Our culture often treats women like brainless sex objects who are put on this planet to satisfy men’s desires…When a girl sees herself as a princess, she feels valued for who she is…She is equal, worthwhile and special. Most important, she has the confidence to wait for Prince Charming to come and not settle for second best or a loser, no matter how long it takes.

My favorite quote on the princess movement is on page 120 of Bringing Up Girls by Dobson when he states “In a subtle way, Disney stories present a wholesome image of virginity until marriage and then lifelong love thereafter. They also promote femininity, kindness, courtesy, the work ethic, service to others, and “good vibes” about one’s personhood.” Compare Disney princesses to other little girl role models in culture such as Bratz, Monster High dolls, and many pop stars and teen actresses, and it’s easy to tell why Disney is considered a better role model for girls.

vs.

My personal favorite aspect of Disney: Tradition. Girls are girls and boys are boys. In the end, there is a husband and a wife, a young man with a young woman in a monogamous, lifelong relationship.

However, one could also raise concerns with Disney.

Most of the time, life does not turn out happily ever after. Sometimes the prince doesn’t show up or if he does, he turns out to be a wart-coated frog instead. One could also raise the question: does Disney try to promote an overemphasis on beauty when countless girls struggle with self image? My quest is to take all these factors into account as I scrutinize each film and its prospective heroine. I will ask myself the question: What does it mean to be a princess? Or a heroine? What makes this young woman a good role model? Should I let my daughter watch this movie and take cues from this princess? 

I’ll be posting once a week, one princess per blog post. I welcome any commentary and will do my best to respond. 

A Wonderful Disney Video from Jacob Fannin of Fannin 11

Chorus Lyrics

I'll admit that I've been brainwashed

But I wouldn't have it any other way

I started young on this diet of Disney

And it's filled my glass up way past halfway...