Disney's Representation Of Women Essay

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The modern era of Disney from 2009 to present day brings new representation of women completing acts of heroism without a love interest. Modern day feminists believe in equality for both men and women, whilst maintaining differences between different sexes and races. In Disney’s “Moana”, Moana is consistently portrayed an independant figure, determined to prove herself to her family. She is also shown to have no interest in finding true love, and does not peak a love interest at all throughout the movie. “I can stop the darkness, save our island. This cave has boats, huge canoes - we can take them to find Maui and restore the heart. We were voyagers, and we can voyage again. This is how I help our people”. At the beginning of the film, Moana …show more content…

In the golden era, women were portrayed as the stereotypical housewife living to serve men, reinforced by Miss-Representation’s theory that women are deprived of positive and realistic role models. The renaissance era of Disney introduced two racially diverse leads who aspired to acts of heroism, while assisting important male figures in their lives. Supporting this, Betty Friedan's “The Feminine Mystique” suggests that the only way for women to find themselves is through creative work of their own. Finally, the current era of Disney has introduced the ideal female icons who contain all of the good qualities we have seen so far, as well as being selfless and compassionate leaders. Reinforcing these qualities, “Gender Performativity” by Judith Butler states that gender is performed, and that we control how we are portrayed simply by performing as we wish to be seen. The shift in representation from a housewife and domestic servant to an independent, heroic feminine figure is the result of Disney intending to appeal to modern day audiences and the shift in society’s values and expectations of women over time, making women realise that they can be who they want and that they do not need to let male icons dictate their

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