Gender Analysis: Gender Roles In Disney's Brave

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Gender Analysis of Brave Gender roles in society are becoming more flexible. The younger generation is less inclined to follow the same roles their parents and grandparents followed. In Disney’s Brave, the main character, Merida, is a perfect example of this. She does not follow the traditional feminine norms that princesses usually reflect; she is defiant toward her mother— especially in regards to her marriage — and she does not want to be a princess. Merida is not a typical princess. She does not like dresses, she does not want to obey the rules, and she is not into typical princess mannerisms, such as dressing to impress. When her mother forces her to wear a corset dress to the tribal competition for her hand in marriage, Merida is uncomfortable due to the restrictive nature of the clothing. Ripping the seams of her dress, she deftly robin-hoods her arrows in the competition for her hand in marriage. She outperforms all three of the suitors, causing her mother’s wrath. Her mother, Queen Eleanor, is outraged Merida brought disrespect to …show more content…

This movie also displays the queen as the one with the power, and the king as more of a sidekick; he is the strong one who does the fighting, but when it comes to diplomacy, the queen is in charge. Queen Eleanor 's prim and proper attitude is swapped for a more understanding and relaxed attitude by the end of the film. Merida starts out disrespectful, but by the end of the movie she and her mother gain a certain respect for one another and form a healthy mother-daughter bond. Brave portrays women as the ones wielding the power. When the tribal men begin an all out brawl in the castle, the Queen is able to stop them with just her presence. This demonstrates women are the ones with the power and is an interesting role reversal compared to the norms of Disney, where the princess must be rescued by the

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