Shivatopia
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2011
- Messages
- 100
When I first saw Jasmine, I admit I thought, "Poor, whiny, rich girl," but looking deeper I saw that while her position is financially comfortable, she does suffer from an oppressive set of rules that don't allow for freedom as she defines it. You might even say it is because of money/position/title that she doesn't have her freedom, which is contrary to the commonly shared idea that money can get you anything. She is presented with opportunities to marry and continue to benefit from financial security as a royal (though I doubt any of the money is really hers - she probably just has access to it), but she denies this until the right situation for her is presented. There are some issues of classism and sexism in "Aladdin" that make for good discussion. I don't put Jasmine on the same level of Mulan as a strong female protagonist, but I mention her because it is easy to overlook the deeper issues we see with her.
I don't think I'd necessarily rely on most of the Disney princesses as role models either, but there could be good discussion with a child on which character strengths (bravery, compassion) they can identify and apply to their lives.
As for most of them not working, I keep in mind that some of the stories were set in times before women were able to hold trades/jobs the same way men did. I don't really hold that against the princesses because their positions in life were dictated by a patriarchal society, but the whole thing about having tunnel vision when it comes to a romantic interest (e.g., Ariel), that is something I don't really smile on.
One can take what they will from any character or role model, as it's all subject to one's own personal sense of ethics and morals. Personally, what I like about the Disney Princesses is that they all exhibit kindness, which is a trait that a lot of people these days have forgotten. The whole got-to-get-married thing... well, let's face it, the stories the films are based on were definitely made in a time where that's what a woman was expected to do: become a good wife and mother. Furthermore, the earlier Disney Princesses were created when that way of thinking was still largely promoted to the American public, though things were (slowly) changing. The 60s and 70s really shook that up, but Ariel still holds onto it, because that is what people associated with fairytales and it's also what the original story called for. What does not change from Snow White to Rapunzel is that the Princesses are not mean spirited.