Frozen - A Feminist, Gender Roles and Queer Studies Approach PDF

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DISNEY’S “FROZEN” - A FEMINIST, GENDER ROLES AND QUEER STUDIES APPROACH

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Instructor: Dr. Lorelei Caraman Practicum: Text Analysis (Criticism and Theory)

ILIE REBECA, 3 rd year English – Romanian

A FEMINIST, GENDER ROLES AND QUEER STUDIES APPROACH TO DISNEY’S “FROZEN”

Two years ago I attended a conference with the theme Family and education between ideology and science which took place in the Mihai Eminescu Aula Magna of the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University. The guest of the evening was Dr. Virgiliu Gheorghe, a well-known biophysicist and physician of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. I remember that he accused somehow a Disney movie of promoting homosexuality. He said that it can become a danger for children’s mind and I was quite astonished because I enjoyed watching it and I didn’t find something unusual. Of course, when I arrived home I looked it up on the Internet and I found information that supported his affirmations in a way .The movie I am talking about is Frozen. I watched it for the second time and I will try to analyze it from a Feminist, Gender Roles and Queer Studies approach. I think we all know that the Disney movies have an amazing effect on children worldwide, being some of the most influential sources of gender role images for the little ones, given their popularity. These films, especially their portrayal of princes and princesses, have been analyzed for their gendered content. Young girls and boys aspire to be like their counterparts and take their messages to heart. Different movies, such as The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Brave, and Frozen are all being discussed on multiple forums; in the hundreds of blogs, articles, and websites that I have found in my personal research, I saw how every viewer has a strong different opinion. An interesting fact is that the Disney princesses in the 21st century are different from the princesses of the 20th century. Many researchers, bloggers, and journalists argue that these women reject stereotypical feminine behaviors from the past. For example, Tiana from The Princess and the Frog goes beyond the notion of simply working as a waitress and desires a career in which she owns her own restaurant, which breaks the traditional female gender role. There seems to be a progressive movement that focuses on independence and empowerment. The root of this is the critical theory of feminism. The First Wave of feminism started in the late 19th and early 20th century and was focused on equal political rights for women, as they did not have the right to vote or to own property. The Second Wave of feminism was centered on “social issues including a woman’s right to enter the workforce and receive equal pay, and reproductive issues such as access to birth control. Many of these issues, including abortion and birth control rights, are still being discussed today.” [ CITATION Mor14 \p ", 4" \l 2057 ] In time, feminism has grown into a critical theory. It focuses essentially on diversity of voices, points of view, and it is mainly about freedom from the patriarchal gender norms and also freedom from discrimination for all human beings. Feminism concentrates on the

Instructor: Dr. Lorelei Caraman Practicum: Text Analysis (Criticism and Theory)

ILIE REBECA, 3 rd year English – Romanian

deconstruction of the binary woman/man, implicitly the binaries know/unknown, reason/feeling, and consciousness/unconsciousness.[ CITATION Cla \l 2057 ] “The idea of a man and woman, prince and princess are beginning to change in children's films and are becoming a direct reflection of where society is heading with gender expression, women's rights, and the LGBT campaign for equality. The characters' respective gender expressions are less restricting, accepted and seen as positive and better than those before.” [ CITATION Placeholder1 \p ,35 \y \t \l 2057 ] The majority of Disney princess series “follow a similar format, including a plot centered on finding romantic love, a princess in need of rescuing from some physical or emotional danger, and a brave handsome prince.” [ CITATION Mor14 \p ", 2" \l 2057 ] One film that faces up the traditional pattern and offers a new perspective is Frozen, movie which appeared in 2013. It ”shatters all previous of gender role limitations” by incorporating for the first time two strong female leads, princess Anna and queen Elsa. [ CITATION Gar14 \p ,24 \l 2057 ] They are the heirs to the kingdom of Arendelle, and shortly after the film’s beginning, Princess Elsa becomes queen Elsa as their parents die. However, Elsa has a big secret that she has been forced to keep hidden from everyone, including her sister. Elsa has magic within her that makes the world freeze around her when she is upset, or scared. Initially, she believes that she must conceal her powers in order to keep her little sister safe. However, this tactic has the opposite effect later. Elsa accidentally hurts Anna, freezing the younger princess’s heart in a moment of panic. Anna finds out that the only way to melt a frozen heart is with true love. In a conventional Disney moment, Anna believes that “true love’s kiss” is the only solution to her problem. But rather than a fairy godmother, or a handsome prince arriving to save the day, Anna saves herself. With her heart nearly completely frozen, she struggles to reach Kristoff, the film’s leading male, in the midst of a blizzard caused by Elsa. As the snow becomes denser, Hans corners Elsa. Hans is convinced that the only way to end the eternal winter is to kill the snow queen. Anna turns away from true love’s kiss in order to jump between Hans’s sword and her sister. In the process, Elsa is protected, as Anna turns to ice. Initially, it appears that it is too late, but few moments later Anna comes back to life. The love between sisters is expressed as the strongest and most powerful bond of all. [ CITATION Sal14 \p ,131-132 \l 2057 ] In terms of their physical appearance, in the beginning they both fit the typical princess standards of being beautiful, thin, having small waists, long hair, and large blue eyes. Elsa is portrayed as a strong and powerful woman. She goes from being a princess to becoming queen and ruling alone over the entire kingdom, being equal with a man. This is “the first time we see a Disney princess who become the highest authority figure” [ CITATION Joh15 \p ", 24" \l 2057 ] and reign throughout the whole film. It should be noticed that Elsa’s appearance changes dramatically when she

Instructor: Dr. Lorelei Caraman Practicum: Text Analysis (Criticism and Theory)

ILIE REBECA, 3 rd year English – Romanian

leaves the kingdom and comes into her own ice palace. We can see how her dress is much more revealing, she has on heavier make-up, and her hair is worn down. Even the way her body moves as she walks appears more passionate compared to how it was before. The extreme power that she possesses leads to her being hidden away in her room. This alludes to the stereotypical belief that women of power are threatening. She is seen as “a frigid ice queen who is totally devoid of emotions” [ CITATION ORo13 \p ,web \l 2057 ]. Elsa, however, fights this perception by embracing her magical gifts as a part of her identity. She learns to accept herself as she is and moves over other people’s opinions, which is immortalized in the famous song Let it Go1. The inhabitants of the town gradually change from seeing her as something to be feared of into a woman they respect and value. Elsa integrates masculine characteristics into her femininity as she proves strength and takes an active role in her duties as a ruler. ”Anna is another princess who pushes gender role boundaries.” [ CITATION Joh15 \p ,25 \l 2057 ] She is exceptionally courageous and goes to save her sister. I noticed from the first time that she does not wait for a man to rescue Elsa , she chooses to go after her alone, risking her own life. Even though she travels with three male companions: Kristoff, Olaf the snowman, and Sven the reindeer, she does not depend on them . Anna’s performance of true love in the ned saves her rather than her love for a male , it makes her ”the enlightened hero that Disney has been progressing toward for nearly 80 years”.[ CITATION Gar14 \p ", 24" \l 2057 ] She stands up to Hans at the end of the film and shows physical strength by punching him. [ CITATION Joh15 \p ", 25" \l 2057 ] In Frozen females are not saved or progress only through the help of men, so patriarchy is left away. The patriarchal ideologies displayed in many Disney princess films can become problematic

when

viewed by young children in today’s society. In his book Cinderella Ate My Daughter Author Peggy Orenstein discusses the negative messages found in Disney films in the context of raising young girls in American society. He points to the concern that they will embrace patriarchal ideology and miss out on the opportunities for personal advancement as a result.[ CITATION Sal14 \p ,10 \l 2057 ] Regarding the Queer studies, there exists the potential for main character Elsa to be coded as queer (Greydanus, 2014, web ). Originally centered on LGBT history and literary theory, the field of Queer Studies which is ”the study of issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity” ”has expanded to include the academic study of issues raised in raised in biology, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, psychology, [...] and other fields by an examination of the identity, lives, history, and perception of queer people.” [ CITATION Wik \p ", web" \l 2057 ] With her great powers, Elsa is different from other people. “Born this way or cursed?” asks the troll king in the movie, and her parents confirm that she was born that way[ CITATION Chr13 \p ", 0:06:49-0:06:53" \l 2057 ]. Incorrectly, her parents teach her to hide it, not to feel . This repression of her true nature leads to 1 Official Disney UK song performed by Idina Menzel https://youtu.be/L0MK7qz13bU

Instructor: Dr. Lorelei Caraman Practicum: Text Analysis (Criticism and Theory)

ILIE REBECA, 3 rd year English – Romanian

isolation, anxiety, fear and finally a meltdown at Elsa’s coronation, when she reveals her ice powers to all. Seen with terror and repulsion by the others, Elsa challenge the unjust restrictions imposed by her parents, as well as the society that has refused her, celebrating the acceptance of her true identity in the powerful song Let it Go 2[ CITATION Placeholder1 \p ", 24" \y \t \l 2057 ] .There is no more “ Don't let them in, don't let them see /Be the good girl you always have to be/conceal, don't feel, don't let them know”(Disney UK, 0:48-1:00) ; now she sings: “ Let it go, let it go, Can’t hold it back anymore/ I don't care what they're going to say. Let the storm rage on / The cold never bothered me anyway.”(Disney UK, 1:05-1:32) She also says in this song that ” the perfect girl is gone / No right, no wrong, no rules for me/ I’m free !” ( Disney UK, 1:58-2:05) Some people have drawn parallels between the kingdom's rejection of the magical powers of Elsa, and nowadays society's rejection of homosexuality. Watching her struggle to keep up her mask of normality is heart breaking. She wears gloves all the time, being afraid to touch people or the things around her . Many connect the film's most recognisable song, Let it Go, with the experience of coming out and accepting one's sexual orientation. [ CITATION Kie14 \p ", web" \l 2057 ] All in all, I think that creating female characters who are more diverse could help combat stereotypical views that exist when it comes to the critical notions of gender roles, perception of women and queer studies. It would also allow girls and boys alike to have characters they can relate to and have healthier representations of women in the media. In order to serve as appropriate role models and examples for children.[ CITATION Joh15 \p ", 32" \l 2057 ] I believe that all characters from children movies should be complex and realistic to depict the true situation in present-day society. As Garabedian says, the contemporary audiences need to see strong female leads who can stand alongside their male counterparts. By doing so, it encourages the idea of equality between genders and helps to build a universal acceptance of the concept of defining oneself not just by how one is born, but by his or her own actions.

2 Official Disney UK song performed by Idina Menzel https://youtu.be/L0MK7qz13bU

Instructor: Dr. Lorelei Caraman Practicum: Text Analysis (Criticism and Theory)

ILIE REBECA, 3 rd year English – Romanian

Works Cited

Caldwell, Michael. The Occurrences, References and Projected Attitudes About LGBT Lifestyles in Children's Media: A Content Analysis of Animated Films. Portland State University, 2014.

Class material of Text Analysis Practical Course Disney UK . FROZEN | Let It Go Sing-along, perf. Idina Menzel. Jan 30, 2014. YouTube. Accessed Jan 14, 2018 Frozen. Dir. Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck. Walt Disney Animation Studios. 2013. January 2018. . Garabedian, Juliana. Animating Gender Roles: How Disney is Redefining the Modern Princess. James Madison University , Undergraduate Research Journal, 2014, volume 2, issue 1, pages 22-25, web accessed on January 2018 < http://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1009&context=jmurj > Johnson, Rachael Michelle. The Evolution of Disney Princesses and their Effect on Body Image, Gender Roles, and the Portrayal of Love. May 2015, a research project of James Madison University Educational Specialist, accessed on 13 January 2018. < http://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=edspec201019 >. Kierran, Petersen. Disney's Frozen and the 'gay agenda. BBC News. Washington DC Bureau, 27 March 2014, accessed on 13 January 2018 . Morrison, Danielle. Brave: A Feminist Perspective On The Disney Princess Movie. 2014. Bachelor of Arts, California Polytechnic State University. Accessed on January 2018. . O’Rourke, Jill. Why frozen’s twist ending sends an awesome message to girls. 2 December 2013, accessed on January 2018 . Saladino, Caitlin Joanne. Long May She Reign: A Rhetorical Analysis of Gender Expectations in Disney's Tangled and Disney/Pixar's. University of Nevada Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones, no 2137, Las Vegas, 2014.

Wikipedia. n.d. 14 January 2018. < https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queer_studies >

Instructor: Dr. Lorelei Caraman Practicum: Text Analysis (Criticism and Theory)

ILIE REBECA, 3 rd year English – Romanian...