The film focuses on a princess, Aurora, who is cursed by a witch as a baby to die by her 16th birthday by a prick of a spinning wheel. To save the princesses life three good fairies bestow the gifts of Beauty, Song, and True Love, then spirit her away into the woods to keep her hidden from the evil witch, Maleficent. When her life is in threat, her true love must venture on a quest to save the princess, destroy the evil witch, and marry Aurora to live happily ever after.
Now, to address everything wrong with the female characters in this film, we must start from the beginning. The Un-Named Queen. The king and queen are introduced in the beginning of the film but in true Disney style, the queen is far less important; "And good King Stefan and his Queen made welcome their life long friend", to the point that she is not even given a name. It continues on this path throughout the film, the narrator completely ignores her existence after Aurora has been taken away by the good fairies when he say's; "Many sad and lonely years passed by for King Stefan and his people." The audience has to ask themselves, what about the queen. Surely the years were as lonely and sad for her as they were for King Stefan, maybe even more so due to the fact that she is the one who gave birth to the princess, who carried her in her womb for nine months. It depicts the gender inequality common in Disney animated films and creates a two dimensional character at best for the queen. She is made to be unimportant to the point of non-existence in the audiences eyes with no dialogue, no actions, and not even a name.
Next we proceed to the good fairies who play a major part in the story of the film, and also the fate of the princess. When they meet the princess as a new born they give her magical gift's to welcome her into the world. The first, given by Flora, is that of Beauty. Now, personally I would love if a good fairy gave me this gift but that is because I already have some intelligence and strength of character and morals. My question is why is Beauty the most important thing for a princess to have? It won't help her to rule in future years, or to make any accomplishments in her life. It isn't even handy in finding her a husband to stand by her side because she has been married off as a child. Next comes the gift of Song from Fauna. This gift is almost completely irrelevant, though at least it's better than other films in which the lead female character that Disney creates can sing songs perfectly with no explanation whatsoever. It only advances the story once in which she is singing in the woods and meets her 'true love' but that's a point I will be discussing later on in this blurb. Finally, after the curse is put on the princess we come to the gift of True Love bestowed by the good fairy Merryweather. This is the most frustrating gift of all. Merryweather excuses herself that her power is not so great as Malificents in order to stop the curse all together but instead she chooses a gift in which the princess will instead be put to sleep until she is awoken by true loves first kiss. This absolutely astounds me. In other words, Disney believes that a woman must be saved by a man, because she is unable to help herself. Why not bestow the gift of intelligence now? Maybe then Aurora would be intelligent enough not to follow a glowing ball up some creepy stairs to her doom. The three good fairies mean well but obviously their writers don't. They are marginalizing the female character into a narrow path of standing there and looking good, and being able to sing well while she waits for her true love to come and save her instead of working hard for herself to get out of difficult and threatening situations.
And so they take the princess away to hide her from Maleficent because the princess has no other way to protect herself from the curse. For 16 years they raise her until her 16th birthday when they plan to take her to the castle for her marriage to Prince Phillip. Here is where I come back to that useless gift of song, and finally where Aurora comes to play her part in the abysmal representation of Disney female characters.
The three good fairies send Aurora out to gather berries in the woods while they plan a surprise for the princess. So Aurora ventures out, singing all the while to the birds and animals of the woods which in turn attracts Prince Phillip, curious as to who the beautiful voice is coming from. As her song reaches a climax her joins in with her and takes her by the waist. Now, if I were singing happily in the woods and some random stranger sneaked up on me and grabbed me by the waist professing his love for me, I'd be running fast in the opposite direction without taking even a second glance. Aurora however decides to halfheartedly try to run, and then talk to him!
I know what you'll do
You'll love me at once
[Phillip joins her singing]
[Briar Rose stops to sing, Phillip continues]
This is absurd. Disney is presenting to his audience, made up mostly of young girls, that upon meeting a stranger in the wood's you should talk to them instead of attempting to leave. It is no wonder that young girls now are so intensely naive, like mirror images of these Disney princesses they admired as young girls. She goes on later to tell him where she lives and to meet her that evening, and all this without even asking his name! Is this what young girls should be learning? That if you don't love someone at first glance it isn't meant to be? That upon meeting strangers you should tell them where you live and meet them late at night? I think not, and yet this is what Disney has been showing us since at least 1959.
It frustrates me endlessly that Disney can't seem to give any female characters who don't need to be rescued, or helped, or have the ability to save themselves. Why cant Disney Studios turn out some Princesses who are incredibly intelligent and independent? Who see an obstacle in their way and use their ingenuity and talents to overcome it. Not just sing a pretty song and wait for some prince to come and save them. In my opinion the world would be much better off and far more advanced with some three dimensional Disney princesses teaching young girls that they are strong and beautiful and independent and they don't need a man to get through life.
Rant over.
Yes, indeed -- Aurora is a completely passive character and plays no part in actively driving the story.
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