Representation of Women in Disney Films
Proper representation of the society in films is essential as it enables the viewer to generate an accurate understanding of the community. In fact, lack thereof leads one into making erroneous judgments of the people represented in the film. With this in mind, it is worth acknowledging the fact that the representation of gender roles in Disney films has undergone constant developments over the years with relation to the changing roles gender roles in the concurrent society. Precisely, women have evolved from the lesser powerful and weaker entities described through conventional tales to stronger and independent individuals in the concurrent community. In the film, Sleeping Beauty, the male gender is depicted as a superior sex as opposed to the females. However, Maleficent reveals the potential of the female gender by depicting them as independent beings that do not require the intervention of men to strive. Gender inequality has been pervasive for a long time in the previous societies due to misinformed perceptions about the masculinity, femininity and culture.
In the film, Sleeping Beauty, Princess Aurora is portrayed as a rather weak character that looks upon the good will of men to restore her life. She anticipates her inevitable demise, long sleep, would be eliminated with a kiss from the Prince Phillip. The latter is portrayed as a strong and heroic character. As such, the females in this society are depicted as weaker beings as opposed to the men who are considered robust and heroic. The impact on the viewer leads one to a conclusion that females are emotional, innocent and pure while men are authoritative and influential. This makes the females gullible to the will of men. Arguably, the male’s nature in this society is mainly attributed to their physical attributes and lack of emotions as opposed to those of women. Conflict theorists argue that men are more advantaged as opposed to women in the societal perceptions due to the power inequalities built around them (Appelrouth & Edles 2008). For instance, women are weaker due to the historic efforts made by men to restore stability to the society. These differences make males authoritative while the females are submissive to their rule.
Contrastingly, the movie Maleficent redefines the conservative perception of gender roles. Initially, women were portrayed as beautiful and weaker individuals in the society while men were the stronger and authoritative figures. As such, they relied on men’s efforts to make their lives more successful. Nonetheless, Maleficent is an independent, strong, and an active character in the film. She endures multiple instances of discrimination but still manages to keep up her personality. On the other hand, males are represented as passive figures in this film. For instance, King Stefan is quite powerless over the outcome of her daughter’s life. This depiction explains a lot about gender roles in the twenty-first century. Precisely, the globe has experienced a shift in the way men and women are perceived. Through female empowerment, men are not needed for women to be happy and successful (Sutherland & Feltey 2012). For instance, Aurora did not need the kiss from the prince to awaken from her long sleep. Rather, the intervention of a woman’s love brought King Stefan’s daughter back to life. The functionalist theory proposes that each aspect of the society is interdependent and it contributes to the overall function of the society (Appelrouth & Edles 2008). In this case, femininity and masculinity are interdependent and they complement one another.
In conclusion, the overall perception of gender roles in the society has changed over the years. This change is largely accredited to the fact that men and women have become more empowered through global changes in education and culture. Initially, societal success was accredited to the efforts made by men in bringing success to any community. Precisely, the historical portrayal of men led to the discrimination of the female gender, as it was perceived to be lesser superior. Nonetheless, through scholarly enlightenment, the position of women in the society has restored. Their contribution to the stability of the global affairs has led to the change in their overall perception. They do not require men’s efforts to strive and make the most out of their lives. Rather, they are equals as they complement each other’s endeavors. Consequently, the role of men and women in the ancient society was biased due to erroneous culture and misinformed perspectives.
References
Appelrouth, S. and Edles, L. (2008). Classical and contemporary sociological theory. Los Angeles, Calif.: Pine Forge Press.
Sutherland, J. and Feltey, K. (2012). Cinematic sociology. Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge Press.
