Ah, Disney princesses. The women we grew up watching and will never forget. It’s safe to say we all wanted to be a princess or two at some point in our childhoods. Although many of the original princesses are iconic, like Cinderella (1950) and Snow White (1938), their stories are certainly outdated. From plots simply revolving around “finding a prince” to a lack of representation across races, not everyone could always find a princess they related to. Or, at least one that conveyed the character development or moral lessons that are most important and meaningful for young girls to look up to. But in recent years, Disney has made efforts to change that. Let’s take a look at the evolution of these renowned, influential characters.
Complexity of Plotlines
Disney Princesses sang some of the most memorable songs of our childhoods, typically singing about what they so longingly wanted in life. The most classic example of this is Snow White (1938), who sang of wishing a prince would come for her (“Some Day my Prince Will Come”). Don’t get me wrong, it’s a cute song. But, kinda boring, isn’t it? The same goes for Sleeping Beauty (1959), where Princess Aurora could only be awoken from Maleficent’s curse with a kiss from a prince. In both of these cases and the majority of early Disney Princess movies, the characters and their stories are limited to the men around which the plot revolves. We don’t get to see much of their inner complexities or their character development. What does this teach the young girls watching?
Disney must have caught onto this, delivering more empowering storylines for the more recent princess productions. For instance, Snow Queen Elsa from Frozen (2013) sang of battling fear and isolation in “Let it Go.” Moana (2016) sings of an urge to explore the unknown in “How Far I’ll Go.” And my personal favorite song is “Colors of the Wind,” sung by Pocahontas (1995), which is about the importance of culture and respect for nature. These newer plot lines actually feature breakthrough moments and character development for the princesses, teaching viewers to practice emotional awareness, perseverance, and other important lessons so these young girls can grow just as their favorite princesses do.
Portrayal of Characters
In older Disney princess films, the princesses are portrayed as “fragile” and “delicate” in their tones and mannerisms. This can be seen in several of the classics, including Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. In songs like “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes,” the vocals are very soft and feminine. Although they are pretty, they lack dynamics and strength.
Modern Disney princesses excel in this category. For instance, Merida from Brave (2012). Merida is bold and headstrong, which is portrayed in her many adventurous scenes throughout the film. She isn’t concerned about what anyone thinks of her courageousness, even her mother, who vocalizes how she wishes Merida was more “ladylike.” Rapunzel from Tangled (2010) is creative and curious, with big dreams and aspirations. Both of these characters, along with the other modern princesses, are more dynamic and stray away from the refined version of women Disney used to portray. This teaches young girls that they are more than just beauty. That they are strong, smart, and capable.
Diversity of Characters
“Mirror, mirror, on the wall. Who’s the fairest of them all?” (From Snow White, 1938).
Diversity is one of the most important, yet often the rarest, lessons to teach children. It’s important for every child to grow up with an appreciation of other cultures and ethnicities. Disney often limited itself to white princesses, and those who were women of color were often based on racial stereotypes or simply were not given the same level of princess luxury that others were. For example, Tiana from The Princess and the Frog (2009): Tiana is Disney’s first and only black princess. But, she was only in her princess form for a short time, as she spent most of the movie as a frog…
This year, in May of 2023, Disney is coming out with a live-action remake of The Little Mermaid (originally done in 1989) starring Halle Bailey, the 22-year-old singer and actress. For the first time, an originally white princess is portrayed by a black woman. A viral TikTok trend showing young girls reacting to the trailer after it was released showed us that they are nothing but excited about the new remake. There are countless black girls across the world who will finally feel represented, and that they could be like any princess they want to be without being attached to racial stereotypes. All young girls should feel this way.
What’s Next?
I hope Disney continues to progress and create princesses with more diversity across the board. All young girls who are watching Disney should feel like they are represented in some way. I am eager to see new storylines unfold and more representation amongst the princesses themselves. For instance, an LGBTQ+ princess. We cannot undo the past, but we can create a better future for young girls and many more princesses for them to look up to.