Depiction of Women's Strength and Independence in Disney Films

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In our society, women are being misjudged, discriminated against, and repressed. However, these women continue to battle the inequalities in our world. Women face difficulties, but these will not stop them from being brave. Women remain to symbolize strength and independence.
We can see strong female characters in Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué’s “Undine,” and the Disney films “The Little Mermaid” and “Frozen.” These female characters are characterized as strong because they can think, act, and speak independently. Unlike in different stories, these women need not be afraid or rely on their fate. They can act independently. These stories will tell us how strong women are.
In “The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen, the first female character who is shaped to be strong is Ariel. The statement, “…but the youngest was the most beautiful of all. Her skin was as clear and soft as a rose petal, her eyes as blue as the deepest sea. However, like the others, she had no feet. Her body ended in a fishtail” (Andersen, 1983, p. 67). Ariel is the youngest of the six sisters, and she is considered the loveliest. Ariel also has the loveliest voice. However, no matter how lovely she is, this cannot erase the fact that she is not a human – she is a mermaid. Among the sisters, she stands out because of her differences. She is peculiar. Her joy only comes from listening to her grandmother’s stories regarding the humans and the world they live in. Each of the sisters will be allowed to see land once they turn fifteen. Since Ariel is the youngest, she still needs to wait for a long time. Furthermore, among the siblings, Ariel is very eager to see the land above the sea. Hearing stories from her sisters who went up fascinates her. Ariel’s desire to see and experience the land grows deeper and deeper each day. She says, “I am sure that I will come to love the world up above and the human beings who lived there!” (Andersen, 1983, p. 71).
Truly, Ariel loves the world up above and even humans, specifically that one handsome prince that she saved from drowning. Ariel cannot take the handsome prince out of his mind, so she tells her sister about it. She describes the prince as “…the one I love more than my father and mother, the one my thoughts cling to and in whose hand I wish to place my life’s happiness” (Andersen, 1983, p. 77). They give hints to Ariel regarding the danger that it may bring. Nevertheless, because of Ariel’s desire to live with humans, she is eager to do anything. Ariel visits the sea witch. The sea witch also warns her, but Ariel remains to be persistent. Ariel gives her voice to the sea witch in exchange for feet and an immortal soul. Ariel is now accursed. Ariel hurries to the land and finds the prince. Her sisters, grandmother, and father come to visit her. However, her desire still prevails. Ariel is devastated knowing that the prince is set to marry another woman. She knows that this will cause her death. She has an option to stop the curse by killing the prince, but instead, Ariel chooses to die (Andersen, 1983).
The following situations demonstrate fluidity: Ariel’s birth order has impacted her. She is the one who is most eager to see the land, but because she is the last one to reach the age of fifteen, she will not be able to see it soon enough. Furthermore, as the youngest of the sisters, she has the closest relationship with her grandmother, which her age may influence. Finally, her father is overly protective of her. Ariel’s identity had a significant impact on her life as well. She is a mermaid, by the way. She is unable to carry out her desires. Her tail represents an impediment. She will be unable to live on land because of her tail. Ariel’s identity became a way for female subjectivity. She must lose her tongue to have feet. The loss of her tongue may be associated with castration, which indicates that she is maturing. The loss of her tongue also means that she can fulfill her desire to live on land. This fluidity, however, results in the construction of a strong female character. When Ariel decides to live as a human, she goes against her father’s wishes. She acts defiantly and eventually makes her own decision. When Ariel lives in the land, she transforms into a woman who belongs there.
Moreover, Ariel has accomplished everything by paying a large sum. They do not believe that Ariel is independent and capable of making her own decisions, so she devises a means to accomplish this. She wants a pair of feet and a life on land, so she pays the price by losing her voice and being cursed. Ariel was able to defy the ruler of their kingdom. Ariel was able to rule on her own. Ariel decided to be Ariel. Like Ariel, girls in today’s society must fight for their dreams and desires. Ariel’s limitations and adversities shaped her into today’s strong young woman. Ariel learns to speak up for herself. She learns how to fight for what she wants. Moreover, she learns to make her own decisions. The story’s presentation contributed to the construction of female subjectivity so that the story underrepresents women. The story made women appear weak and dominated by men.
In the tale “Undine” by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué, there is a strong female character named Undine. This tale is inspired by “The Little Mermaid” by Andersen. An elderly fisherman, his wife, and their foster daughter, Undine, live in the woods. It is inhabited by spirits hostile to the mortal humans who live outside the forest. Sir Huldbrand of Ringstetten, a young knight, is traveling when he comes across their home. Undine’s family welcomed Huldbrand with open arms. Undine and Huldbrand fall in love with each other over time. They marry each other in an instant. Undine’s personality changes over time due to her water-spirit nature. Undine behaves strangely shortly after their wedding. She is kind and gentle. She then admits to Huldbrand, her husband, that she is a cursed water spirit. She does not have a soul, but she can get one by marrying humans. As a result of their marriage, the curse has been broken. On the other hand, Undine is concerned that if Huldbrand discovers the truth, he will abandon her, but Huldbrand promises not to forsake her (De la Motte Fouqué, 2016). Kuhleborn, another water spirit and Undine’s uncle, appears and interfere. He destroys the peaceful life of Undine and Huldbrand. He can change his appearance, allowing him to deceive other people easily. Bertalda’s secret love for Huldbrand causes another issue. Bertalda discovers the truth about her biological parents as well. The perpetrators were Undine’s foster parents. Bertalda is dissatisfied with their way of life, and her actions cause both her foster and biological parents to abandon her, so Undine forgives and accepts her.
Huldbrand’s attraction to Bertalda rises, causing another tension. Bertalda leaves in disgrace, but Huldbrand pursues her. Kuhlebo...