Research on the Variations of Female Characters in Disney Movies —Taking the Seven Dwarfs and Moana as Examples
Abstract
Disney is one of the most famous film companies in the world, and its Disney Princess series is also one of the most popular movies for women and children. The characteristics and personalities of the princesses influence people’s ideas. However, with the passage of time, the image of women in Disney movies has also undergone great changes. In this regard, based on Disney’s first princess movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and the last officially certified princess movie Moana, this paper makes a case analysis and comparison of female characters in these two movies. Through the method of literature analysis, it can be concluded that with the development of feminism, Disney’s portrayal of female characters has changed from a single, weak and innocent flat image at the beginning to a diversified and independent image of the brave in the modern era.
References
- England, D. E., Descartes, L., & Collier-Meek, M. A. (2011). Gender role portrayal and the Disney princesses. Sex roles, 64, 555-567.
- Sawyer, N. (2011). Feminist outlooks at Disney Princess’s. Journal of James Madison University, 13, 1-19.
- Davis, M. M. (2014). From snow to ice: A study of the progression of Disney princesses from 1937 to 2014. Film Matters, 5(2), 48-52.
- Widasuari, N. W. D. (2020). The Representation of Feminist Ideology in the Characterization of Moana in Disney’s Moana (2016) from Perspectives of Ecofeminism (Doctoral dissertation, Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha).
- Johnson, R. M. (2015). The evolution of Disney princesses and their effect on body image, gender roles, and the portrayal of love. Educational Specialist, 6(10).
- Hays, C. (2019). From Snow White to Moana: how Disney’s leading ladies became more than just a pretty face.