The current module assigned reading is an essay by Jack Zipes entitled, "Breaking the Disney Spell", in which the author discusses his views on how Disney "ruined" the fairy tale. One of the biggest issues I have with fairy tales, whether they are Disney's or someone else's, is that the female protagonist characters are frequently portrayed as weak, or needing a man to succeed, or having to rely on her beauty. I was surprised that while Mr. Zipes mentions this phenomena in his essay, this was not one of his bigger criticisms about the ruination of the fairy tale. According to Zipes, "The young women are helpless ornaments in need of protection, and when it comes to the action of the film, they are omitted." See, "Breaking the Disney Spell", by Jack Zipes, p.349.
The weak, helpless girl whose only purpose is to be beautiful so she can attract a prince to save her is really disturbing to me as this could lead to self-esteem issues if girls and women today adhere to these principles. I much prefer stories where the heroine is allowed to possess spirit and bravery, and exhibit intelligence and self sufficiency in addition to being beautiful (it is a fairy tale after all).
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