Disney's Female Characters

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at several Disney films such as "Cinderella", "Snow White", "Little Mermaid", "Aladdin" and "Shrek" among others. The progression from strict adherence to prescribed gender roles, as in "Cinderella" or "Snow White", to the noticeably different messages about gender in "Shrek" and the films in between that provided a bridge between the differing messages regarding gender norms, are analyzed. Messages regarding sexuality in Disney films and arguably appropriate content are discussed as well. There is an emphasis on the depiction of female characters and the roles they play in Disney films.

From the Paper:

"When looking at female roles in Disney films, it is important to look at the inspiration behind those roles, Walt Disney. Walt Disney was a product of the 1940's and his patriarchal views of femininity most certainly reflect those ideals in the roles and manner in which his female characters are portrayed (O'Brien 157). In many of the Disney films children love to watch, the female characters are marginalized. The females are in unimportant or at least less important positions than are their male counterparts. Henke and others have this to say of Disney's female characters, "These alleged heroines are helpless ornaments in need of protection, and when it comes to the action of the film, they are omitted" (235). We see examples of this in the story of Cinderella when her gentleness and goodness is defined by her lack of resistance to the abuse she receives from her stepfamily (Henke 235). "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Damiani, Terri. Personal interview. 26 June 2001
• Downey, Sharon. "Feminine Empowerment in Disney's Beauty and the Beast." Women's Studies in Communication 19 (1996): 185-212.
• Gneiting, Lane. "Disney's Rhetorical Hunch: The Untimely Story of an Outcast." In publication. 2001.
• Hoerrner, Keisha. "Gender Roles in Disney Films: Analyzing Behaviors from Snow White to Simba." Women's Studies in Communication 19 (1996): 213-228.
• Henke, Jill., Diane Zimmerman Umble, and Nancy Smith. "Constructing the Female Self:

More papers on Disney's Female Characters:

• Research Paper # 17075 : "Women in Disney from 1937 to 1999"
• Persuasive Essay # 109606 : "Disney's Influence on Children in Terms of Gender"
• Descriptive Essay # 116283 : "Who Was Betty Boop?"

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