“Disney’s Magic Mirror: The Disney Corporation’s Impact on the Folk & Fairy Tale Genre"
It’s an essay written by Dr. Lynda Haas and Shaina Trapedo that evaluates the development of Disney movies and their portrayal of gender roles through time. The essay begins with a synopsis of the Disney corporation’s beginnings, and its goals and motives. It then moves onto analyze a variety of classic fairy tales like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Little Mermaid, and Cinderella to convey the use of traditional gender roles based on the plot and characters. However, the essay illustrates a gradual progression towards more a liberal and progressive representation of princesses and women through evaluating more modern films like Frozen and Maleficent. The source can be used to illustrate Belle’s depiction of traditionally masculine gender values in Beauty and the Beast, as to show a breaking of standards. Stating, “Belle is literary and outspoken… [and] while she’s adventurous like Ariel, her ambitions lie far beyond romance… with her dreams of finding fulfillment outside of her provincial existence,” the narrators effectively convey Belle’s drive and aspirations for success and independence (10). The idea will fit well into the script as the podcast will develop Disney’s homogenization of gender values.
Once Upon a Patriarchy: Beauty and the Beast
It’s a podcast hosted by Wanda Swan and Dr. Shannan Palma and has Dr. Susana Morris as a guest speaker. The podcast begins with a plot summary of the 1756 fairy tale and discusses the “disneyfication” of it to form the 1991 and 2017 versions. Moreover, the speakers assess the presence of patriarchy in the film, and analyze the gender roles of Belle, Gaston, and the Beast. The podcast can be quite resourceful with its evaluations of the main characters breaking the traditional gender values, such as when Dr. Morris claims that the “emphasis on books was surprising for [her] because [she] feels like so many of the other princesses don’t have learning as their forte,” illustrating how the film portrays Belle as an erudite and scholarly figure in comparison to other beautiful princesses that establish reliance to male authority figures (18:30). Furthermore, Wanda interprets “ the powerful moment when the Beast had the opportunity to kill [Gaston], but he said ‘I’m not a beast,” illustrating mercy and humanity as a gender value rather than the toxic masculine attributes that Gaston represents (52:16). With the primary evaluation of Beauty and the Beast’s gender roles, the podcast can serve as an asset.
"Feminist Empowerment in Beauty and the Beast: An Analysis of Beauty’s Feminist Qualities from 1740 to 2017"
It’s an essay found on a scholarly database called FTTV: Analyzing Fairy tales on Television, written by Abby Elkins. The essay begins with a thesis statement regarding the demonstration of strong feminist ideals and how the authors, setting, and characteristics of Belle play a role in that development. The essay discusses the origins of the Disney fairy tale with its two progressive authors and the gothic time period that represented female power and a challenge to patriarchal society. Moreover, it dives into how Belle exhibits certain gender values that contradict the traditional view of women, which makes the source an excellent form of consultation and support. For instance, when claiming that “Belle’s choice to sacrifice herself in her father’s place and remain with “the Beast” shows strong feminist ideals and strength of character,” the essay effectively evaluates Belle’s courage and selflessness as nonconforming gender roles (lines 5-7). This evidence can be used when providing examples of Belle’s breaking of conservative gender standards.
Comments