Maegan O’Herin



Maegan O’HerinMrs. WhetstoneA.P. Language28 March 2014A Dream is a Wish your Heart makesBeginning with the classics, Mulan and Ariel, then transitioning to the fresh, spirited women, Merida and Anna, Disney’s purpose has been to inspire young children to never lose faith and most importantly, to be true to oneself. Each Disney princess’s rags to riches story, and equally the hero and sidekick’s plot lines, are enriched by the characters’ individual personalities and strive to stand out in a world where they feel they don’t belong. Disney films have and will continue to accentuate the importance of fulfilling unimaginable dreams and defying typical gender roles in a perpetually changing, modernizing culture.In the classic Disney film Mulan (1998), the strong, individualistic heroine is far from the typical ball gown adorned and prince charming seeking story. Mulan, a young woman from a collectivist community in Japan, is raised constantly hearing the same notions ordering conformity to the esthetics and make-up and beauty of their culture, not to please themselves and promote self-esteem, but rather, to please men, the supposed superior gender. It is Mulan’s drive to dismiss Paul Theroux’s claim in his piece “Being a Man” that a woman, “…learns to be sexually indispensible, socially decorative and always alert to a man’s sense of inadequacy” (Theroux 379). She does not conform to the idea of shaping her future based on a purposeless, unsatisfying future with a man in which her sole role is to please him and to serve as a trophy of his “winnings”. More importantly, this princess sees the value in self-competence and seeking self-value. Craving the chance to prove her worth and bring honor to her family’s name, Mulan does the unfathomable. She becomes a man. Mulan upholds the point that Rebecca Walker, mother and social expectations journalist, concludes in her essay “Putting Down the Gun” regarding masculinity, “…that to be of value he must stand ready to compete, dominate, and, if necessary, kill, if not actually then virtually, financially, athletically” (414). Mulan understands the only manner in which she can prove her worth is to fight like a man. She disguises herself as a scrawny, unthreatening man in order to show not only to her country’s army and to her family, but primarily to herself, that she is not “marked” by a man’s name or belongings (Tannen 388), that she cannot be categorized by her appearance, and ultimately that she has the gusto, grit, and guts to be more than a pretty face. Mulan is a prime example of the many Disney classics in which to be a princess means immeasurably more than beauty, poise, and sophistication. Since the beginning, Disney has re-designed gender roles, defying the social norms to remind girls of any age that they are not expected to conform to society’s rules, but rather, to make their own.Just as Disney holds accountable for their encouragement of young women to be independent and liberated from conformity, a majority of the films are filled with uncharacteristic men and many extinguish the false accusation that, “money is masculinity,” (Theroux 380). In today’s society, too many women have traded their education and futures for a man and his fortune. They are enticed by the idea of endless riches to waste indefinitely without having to lift a finger. Just as women are captivated by a wealthy man, some men do not fully comprehend their worth until they can provide jewels and mansions and luxurious Lincolns for a woman. Contradictory to popular opinion among many men, the famous “street-rat” in the original Disney film Aladdin (1992) rejects the theory that a man is only worth what he has to offer in money. Aladdin is the antithesis of affluent. Climbing stairs to escape, scavenging trash to survive, breaking laws to thrive. Aladdin’s journey from “street-rat” to prosperous prince is intended not as a false hope to children to rub a magic lamp and wish for one’s most inconceivable dreams in return, but rather, to demonstrate to children, especially boys, that a man is defined by the ways in which they use their common knowledge and skills to prove their worth when they do not have even a penny to their name. Aladdin is an accurate portrayal of Disney’s long-time commitment to proving a man’s worth not based on riches and appearance and belongings, but instead, their determination and ability to think outside the box in perilous situations, redefining a true man as one that can protect the love of his life. As society’s views regarding gender roles have broadened over the past decades, Disney has continued to inspire children to express their individuality with their increasingly rebellious, free-spirited characters. The typical princess is idolized for her sweet sophistication, bountiful beauty, and captivating charm. In Disney’s most recent film Frozen (2013), all of the stereotypical princess representations are abolished by the protagonist, Anna. Every inch of Anna’s presence oozes with awkwardness and confidence–two contradicting characteristics–embodying the figure of a typical teenage girl to remind young children that being clumsy and unsophisticated, yet confident and unique in one’s own skin simultaneously is what makes an individual a rarity. In the opening of the film, Anna is shown—just like every teenage girl—waking up to an unattractive, ratted mess atop her head, accompanied by the waterfall of drool gushing from the corner of her lip, groggily and wearily scanning the room. Anna’s realism is continuously displayed throughout the film by the way she interacts with boys and her chocolate obsession, both of which any teenage girl, including myself, experience on a daily basis by the way one awkwardly flirts with a charming boy, or the way one regrets a playful giggle later by drowning their sorrows devouring a delectable chocolate bar. Disney realizes the importance of not italicizing the unrealistic lifestyles of being a proper princess, but instead, reinstates the significance of real bonds that can be formed by real people with real weird and wonderful personalities.Irrefutably, Disney films are an inspiration to finding self-competence and self-confidence. Parents, of course, may want to interject, claiming that Disney is merely a ploy to express the importance of attractiveness, esthetics, and typical gender roles to young children. In Disney’s classic film Beauty and the Beast (1992), Belle’s love pursuer, Gaston, undeniably defends the idea that, “Being a drunkard is another assertion, if misplaced, of manliness” (Theroux 380). Being that Gaston is seen in the majority of the movie dizzy and drowning his sorrows in mugs upon mugs upon mugs of alcohol in the local tavern, the idea of manliness’ direct correlation with drinking is implanted in children’s minds. Additionally, those who question Disney’s morals and ideals thrust upon children, point out the emphasis of the statement made by Mark Bauerlein and Sandra Stotsky’s, authors of “Why Johnny Won’t Read” and national education researchers, exposed in Beauty and the Beast that: “Girls read; Boys don’t” (Bauerlein & Stotsky 408). Although Disney’s overall moral of Beauty and the Beast is to convey the deeper message that beauty exudes from the inside rather than the outside, Gaston’s message as a secondary character may give the false impression to some young boys in particular that the key to being a man is to act ignorant. While his counterpart, Belle, is an extremely intelligent bookworm, perpetually seen with her nose in a book, Gaston in opposition is clueless. In an opening scene from the film, Gaston snatches a book from Belle’s tower of texts, and holds the book with repugnance and confusion as if he has absolutely no indication of what to do. He merely stares, holds the book disapprovingly, and returns to his womanizing, muscular persona. Every film has their flukes. The question is: Are Disney’s errors purposeful? Occasionally, Disney exposes some false illusions which in turn stress the importance of uncommon gender roles in society to children. Disney accentuates the role of a “normal” male by equipping Gaston with the typical masculine characteristics: brawn and no brains. By embodying such qualities in the antagonist of the plot line, Disney cleverly disguises their encouragement of dreaming the unthinkable with irony. In the end, Gaston loses. Obscurely, his role in the movie is actually Disney’s ploy to discourage conformity, alluding to the idea that the bad guy, who may be muscular and a real ladies’ man, is the one who loses; whereas the characters who follow their dream and fight for their true love, in this example, the Beast, win in the end.Counter to the opposition’s opinion that Disney glamorizes traditional gender roles, one of Disney’s recent films Tangled (2010) not only encourages young girls to follow their dreams, but equally boosts boys’ self-confidence. As Rapunzel, the protagonist of this Disney film, sets off on her endeavor to discover who she really is after being trapped and tormented in a tower for sixteen years, she meets a few men along her journey that truly challenge the prescribed gender roles. Rapunzel’s perseverance to follow her dreams is tested when she enters the “Ugly Duckling” tavern where she encounters a throng of seemingly ferocious, monstrous men soaked with the stench of alcohol and despair. Upon joining in on a musical number, the men reveal their hidden desires and dreams—to fulfill their aspirations of becoming florists, pianists, interior designers, bakers, knitters, and unicorn collectors (“I’ve”). Regardless of Theroux’s assertion that, “…the arts are pursued by uncompetitive and essentially solitary people,” (Theroux 380), Disney actively illustrates the belief that men have the right to be creative, inspired, and feminine, yet remain brave and dauntless in moments of danger. While the men are adequately equipped with the weapons and wit to trick the kingdom’s guards, they actively demonstrate their capability to be sensitive and imaginative through revealing their dreams. Arguments occasionally arise that Disney movies are strictly written to encourage young girls to follow their dreams at any cost, but more predominant, is Disney’s strive to promote individuality in all children. Disney disputes all notions that boys are required to fit a cookie cutter form of masculinity because it is their responsibility to explore their horizons and become anything in their wildest imaginations, even a creative baker. As Walt Disney, the creator and inspiration of Disney itself once said, “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them” (“Walt”). Disney inspires children to not only have the audacity to dream outside the box and wait for one’s prince charming to come along, but rather they express the significance of acting upon one’s dreams. The rare diamonds in the rough are the ones who make the world interesting, creative, and thrive. Disney films are more than opportunities to idealize beauty and masculinity to children; they are about having the tenacity to search and fight for what makes oneself happy, even if it challenges the set rules and roles in society.Works CitedBauerlein, Mark and Stotsky, Sandra. “Why Johnny Won’t Read.” The Language Composition. Shea, Renée H. et al. Ed. New York: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2008. 408-410. Print."I've Got a Dream Disney Tangled Song Lyrics." I've Got a Dream Disney Tangled Song Lyrics. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.Tannen, Deborah. “There Is No Unmarked Woman.” The Language Composition. Shea. Renée H. et al. Ed. New York: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2008. 388-392. PrintTheroux, Paul. “Being a Man.” The Language Composition. Shea, Renée H. et al. Ed. NewYork: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2008. 378-381. Print.Walker, Rebecca. “Putting Down the Gun.” The Language Composition. Shea, Renée H. et al. Ed. New York: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2008. 412-414. Print."Walt Disney quote." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. ................
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