If the princesses wearing puff sleeves and Clinolin's big skirt at the beginning created the bright idealism of young girls at that time, then in 2021, Princess Moana in "The Legend of the Sea" used her slightly fat figure, a wide nose and a brave and resolute image to break the

We have long said goodbye to Disney 's princess dream

Since 1937, Disney company has created a total of 14 princesses with different personalities in 85 years. If the princesses wearing puff sleeves and Clinolin's big skirt at the beginning created the bright idealism of young girls at that time, then in 2021, Princess Moana in " Ocean Story " used her slightly fat figure, a wide nose and a brave and resolute image to break the shackles of the image of the "princess" in mainstream aesthetics.

From a good wife and a good mother to a female heroism, these changes are always closely related to the social and cultural context and ideology. To a certain extent, the history of the change in the image of Disney princess is also the history of the growth of girls. From narrative strategies to communication language, how exactly does Disney present the characteristics of every princess’ era?

"Invincible Destruction King 2": Disney princesses collection

princesses are all "beautiful and weak"

I think to this day, everyone will not forget the description of Snow White "skin white as snow, hair like ebony, and lips like snow". "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves", released in 1937, was the beginning of the Disney princess clues and also laid the public's understanding of the princess' image - besides noble origins and excellent bloodlines, beauty is a necessity for women.

Therefore, you can see that in " Xianlu " released in 1950 and "Sleeping Beauty" released in 1989, there are similar settings for princesses, such as Cinderella "although she wears this rag, it is hard to hide her noble temperament", while Sleeping Beauty is "long golden hair, like sunshine on it, and a shy lips as red as a rose."

"Snow White"

"Sleeping Beauty": In the past, only a prince could kiss the princess, but now if you don't study hard, you will punish you to kiss the gentleman of East Eight District

. The princess character under patriarchal culture cannot escape the role setting of "gods and helpers". They are easier to obey than independent thinking, and they appear more vassal than independent creation. For example, Snow White cleaned the room spotlessly for the seven dwarves; and Cinderella even did all the housework alone. Of course, there is never a gender distinction between hard work, but for Disney princesses, housework that cannot be quantified by economic value is still the whole of life.

In addition, all princesses' fate cannot escape the proposition of "save". When facing difficulties and persecution, they tend to obey and escape. For example, Cinderella, who wants to attend the prince's dance, will only hide and cry secretly after being troubled by her stepmother. But for marginal characters like the prince, even if they appear as short as a song, they are enough to become a key role for princesses to change their fate against the will of heaven. Women's definition of the word happiness depends entirely on whether there is a happy love. At this time, you can apply the famous saying by Beauvoir in "The Second Sex", "Women are not born as princess, but men and society make her a 'princess'."

"Cinderella" live version: Only under the gaze of a prince can one become a princess, otherwise it is just Cinderella

Of course, character settings like Disney are also closely related to the background of the times. The first feminist movement in the United States ended in 1920, nearly half a century between the outbreak of the second feminist movement in the United States in the late 1960s. The three princesses in Disney's first stage happened to be born in this period of decline. Therefore, overall, they are still as kind, weak, pure, and good at housework as women of the previous era. They have no pursuit and self-will, and are more like an accessory.

Photo source: BBC/New women who entered the workplace due to World War II also look more concise in their dress and simply

However, World War II broke out in 1937, which also gave birth to the entire society's redefinition of the gender of men and women.On the one hand, due to the need to boost morale, men inevitably become heroic; on the other hand, under the mobilization of the war of Roosevelt , a large number of American women went from families to society. Some of them joined the army, and some joined factories and hospitals. The realization of work experience and self-worth greatly impacted the old view of women, promoted the development of American women's consciousness, and also planted seeds for the next stage of Disney princess prototype.