Fairy tales between transformation and repetition: How audiences rethink the big romantic myth through Disney princess stories

Abstract

One of the ways in which culture becomes enriched is through reconsideration and reinterpretation of well-known stories, and classic fairy tales provide promising material for investigation of the nature of this complex process. The Walt Disney Company is among the most powerful tellers of classic tales, its line of princess animations being an example of simultaneous development and preservation of the fairy-tale phenomenon in a changing cultural context.
 We analyse the dialogue among classic and modern princess stories and the discussions that these stories give rise to in English-language academic criticism and English-based participatory culture. We focus on the interaction among authors, texts and readers, showing how traditional tales balance between mythological and nonmythological consciousness, between innovative and canonical art.
 The diversity of fans’ practices may be seen as a key to possible explanation of why fairy tales exist in culture as a complex, constantly growing web, not as a limited number of selected final versions. Amateur authors demonstrate their interest in the mythopoetics of classic fairy tale plots. They are attracted by the old romantic myth that stands behind princess stories, participate in the creation of the romantic antimyth that is supported by the professional critics, and expect the appearance of new modern myths that might be generated by the new productions of Disney. New fairy tales appear, but this does not result in the disappearance of the old ones. Not only the interests towards the plots themselves, but also discussions and conflict around classic stories keep them topical for contemporary heterogeneous audiences.

Deconstruction of maleficent characters in the movie titled 'maleficent'

“…In the "Sleeping Beauty" story. This story may be because Sleeping Beauty may be closer to a classic fairy tale (Menise, 2019). The beginning of the story tells the story of his encounter with Stefan (who would later become king) and his conversation with Stefan, who no longer has parents.…”

“…In this study, Maleficent's literature study The films have become a widely accepted spectacle as a worthy entertainment show (Menise, 2019). This thinking's uniqueness is that the deconstruction story uses a logical hegemony approach (Kitus, 2020).…”

Disney characters as moral role models: a discourse analysis of Coco and Encanto

“…In a way, films can be considered as useful tools for moral educators and education in general (Wonderly, 2009). The commonly known formats of myth and fairy tale are adopted in almost every Disney film, making it a societal template to consume moral meanings (Wasko, 2013;Menise, 2019). The application of the myth and fairy tale is commonly seen across Disney's films and can be argued is Disney's style of cultural production through the circulation of morality embedded in myth and fairy tales.…”

The Reimagined Princess, The Empowered Female Warrior

“…Among all its works, the Princess Line, which includes 14 characters so far, serves as the most famous and successful franchise that flaunts the hegemonic idealisation of female images. This "lengthy reign of the princess productions" can be classified into three stages, revealing constant interactions between conservative gender representations and changing feminist ideologies behind these princess stories (Stover 2013, p. 2;Menise 2019).…”

“…The plot, centred around an adorable young princess, prioritises traditional familial morality from a white, capitalistic mainstream view and preaches the logic that women with ideal gender traits, such as glamour, kindness, domesticity, and naivety, can be saved by a charming prince and enjoy a happily-ever-after life (Wilis 2017). This film also sets the male-determined, unrealistic beauty standards that prevail until today: appealing women are those who have doe eyes, fair skin, shimmering hair, a tiny waist, and slender legs (Menise 2019). Further reinforced by Cinderella (1950) and Sleeping Beauty (1959), Disney's princess formula repetitively emphasises this 'good girl' image as well as the narrative trope that well-behaved princesses are rewarded by praises, recognitions, and romantic promises of princes and other male characters.…”