The Empowering Frozen Princesses
Mostly in fairy tales and Disney movies, we get to see princesses rarely possessing the traits of an empowered woman. It is always the stereotypical norm of her Prince Charming saving her at the end of the movie from some mortal peril and she cannot do anything. Moreover the main purpose of the popular Disney princesses is to win their lovers alongside a few other missions.
Thus amidst such representation it is really refreshing to see Disney princesses wanting to live life for themselves, for each other, to fall in love but not make it their life’s centre and to discover themselves. This is exactly how Elsa, Queen of Arendelle and her younger sister Anna live.
Elsa was born with magical powers. She could generate ice and snow at will, thus the movie name: Frozen. Anna, although born without magical powers, was nothing short of extraordinary. After their parents passed away, Elsa became the Queen of Arendelle. She loved her sister a lot and was always up for protecting her at all costs. It was also refreshing to see how Elsa had no prince wooing her in the movies or her needing anyone’s love. She was complete by herself. Later when she discovered her true powers, it was a moment of self-discovery for herself where she sang aloud, “I am found” which was really overwhelming and later lived in the presence of nature assuming her role as the bridge between people and Nature.
Anna too has some really bold traits uncommon in a Disney princess. She loves not any prince as expected by a princess but a common man Kristoff who tends to reindeers and helps people with transportation. This is a strong depiction because often it is shown how women ‘need’ men in their lives to complete them. But it is not any need or protection she gets from Kristoff, she herself is a princess and later becomes the Queen of Arendelle. She just loves Kristoff for who he is. She is with him not because she needs him but loves him. Also when Elsa froze in Ahtohallan, she single-handedly saved her kingdom and the forest they were in.
Precisely one of the most strong and pious moments in the movie is in the climax of Frozen I when Anna had to be touched by someone who truly loves her to save from freezing to death. It was presumed to be the touch of the prince she was in love with then, later it was thought to be Kristoff but at the end it was Elsa’s touch that saved Anna showing sisterly love and interdependency of women on each other.
If you love animation and want something refreshing with well written characters and good story-line, the Frozen movies are a must watch. They break stereotypes delivering quality content at the same time. So here is the time to choose your favourite Disney princess.
