By this I mean that Merida is the strong female protagonist that Disney princess movies have needed all along. Princesses need to be independent and strong, because the minds of girls and boys are shaped by these characters, and Merida is the best example of that strength. This is crucial for a modern-day princess movie because the misogyny associated with t he “damsel in distress” type princesses is frowned upon now more than ever.

I really enjoy this part of the movie as an adult because it teaches young girls, like my two younger sisters, that they don’t need to marry a prince to be happy. To quote the article, Disney’s Darlings: An Analysis of The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Brave and The Changing Characterization of the Princess Archetype, “Merida’s defiance challenges the romantic conventions of nearly all Disney films” (Stephens 102). Typically, even the most hard-headed female protagonists like Mulan or Belle develop some form of romantic relationship at the end of the story. And I’ll be shooting for my own hand!” She does this as a display of her rebellion against her planned marriage. For example, during the archery tournament in which suitors compete for her hand, Merida steps forward with her bow in hand and says, “I am Merida, firstborn descendant of clan DunBroch. Instead of marrying a foxy male savior at the end of the movie like many Disney princesses have, Merida works throughout the film to prevent her fate, which consists of being forced to wed someone she doesn’t even know. Brave defies the stereotypical role of the princess as a distressed heroin who must be saved by an age-appropriate male and instead features a princess capable of solving her own problems in her own way. This is, in my opinion, the most important Disney princess movie yet. This movie shattered my previous conceptions of what composed a princess movie. As a kid at the time, my first thought at the end of the film was “well I’ll be darned, that sure wasn’t what I was expecting.” As someone who grew up watching Sleeping Beauty and The Little Mermaid, I was shocked. The first time I saw Brave was at the movie theater. She rebels against her planned marriage, deciding for herself that she isn’t ready to marry, and that she may never feel the need to do so. She meets her initial conflict when she faces betrothal, which she sees as a threat to her freedom.

The protagonist, Merida, is a Scottish princess who defies tradition throughout the film. This princess movie has a rather different format than the ones that came before it. Most Disney princess movies fail at these aspects but the film, Brave, does not.ĭisney’s exemplary film, Brave, was released in June of 2012. Finally, modern day princesses need to be more relatable and have less unrealistic personalities and body types. In other words, true happiness comes from within, not from a prince. Another important lesson for children, especially young girls, is that they don’t need to find a romantic love interest to be happy. This is the most important aspect because it teaches children to not feel helpless. She also needs to be able to rescue herself from the conflicts in the movie, at least for the most part. A way in which a princess movie can have a good moral is to have a strong female protagonist, like a lady who is able to think and make decisions for herself. Unfortunately, almost every Disney princess movie up until very recently hasn’t had the most productive morals. In order for these specific movies to be productive is to provide a good moral for children to learn from. Disney princess movies are watched by many children in this country, and there are certain stereotypes that these movies build in young minds.

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