Classic Fairy Tale Stereotype Vs. Disney Version

Although there is the occasional “trickster” tale or feminist female character, the mainstay is that a woman must lose her voice and/or her identity in order to retain her place in society. There are specific gender roles in the classic fairy tales that state that the men have the voice and the women are to be subservient.

In the classic fairy tale, “The Little Mermaid,” the character of the seventh daughter is being taught what it is to be a woman. When she complains about grooming for her first trip above water, her grandmother tells her, “Yes, one can’t have beauty for nothing.” (Tatar, 220) A woman must be beautiful and must suffer the cost in silence. Silence is reiterated throughout the tale as being a virtue. The mermaid suffers the pain and blood of her feet and the cutting out of her tongue to be with her love, even though he does not want her in return. The Disney version of this tale also shows Ariel learning about the importance of outward beauty and suppression. Ursula convinces Ariel that she doesn’t need her voice in the human world. “You’ll have your looks, your pretty face, and don’t underestimate the importance of body language.” (Disney) Women can live in the “human” or man’s world, so long as they lose their opinion. In the same song, Ursula declares, “She who holds her tongue gets her man.” (Disney) So long as a woman chooses to be withdrawn, stay at home, and defer to men, she can find fulfillment within a relationship.

At first, Disney’s Ariel seems to be less of a stereotype. She is rebellious, curious, and looking for more than the traditional trappings of marriage and royalty. However, her feminist views transform when she meets Eric and her focus becomes being his wife. (Sells, 180) She is willing to trade her voice,