“You can’t marry a man you just met” : the evolution of gender role portrayal in Disney princess films

Abstract

This dissertation will examine at the evolution of gender roles in Disney Princess films focusing on the central princess from the chosen films. The study will look at five main themes; general overview of the films, personality traits, physical appearance, daily routine and happy ending elements. The films included in this study are Cinderella (1950), Aladdin (1992), Brave (2012) and Frozen (2013). The method of research chosen is semiotics and visual analysis. This way the signs relating to gender roles in the films will be noted and then discussed in relation to the five main themes. The analysis shows that when compared to the first and second generation princesses, the more recent princesses are being portrayed with less stereotypical traits, and a more balanced personality. Cinderella is seen to be very passive, depending on nothing but her beauty to find a prince to save her from her situation, while Jasmine is seen as naive and although she tries to fight for her destiny she is still dependent on Aladdin to save her. Brave and Frozen show a big step forward with the act of true love and the happy ending being dependent on the relationship between family rather than that between a prince and a princess.