Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, & Frozen

Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, & Frozen

Interview

Definitions

• Wedding
• Marriage
• Utopic
• Intentional Community
• Critical Utopia

The Depiction of Weddings as Attainment of a Utopic State in Disney Princess Movies

Premature Weddings as Leading to a Dystopic State

Frozen

Emphasis on Weddings Rather than Marriage

Figure 1

• Say Yes to the Dress (2007)
• Sleeping Beauty (Disney 1959)
• The Little Mermaid (Disney 1989)

Figure 2

Figure 3

Thesis Statement

Weddings as a Utopic Attainment

Critical Utopia

Disney Princess movies misleadingly depict weddings as attainment of a utopic state. In comparison, original versions of fairy tales are often helpful in creating significantly more realistic expectations surrounding weddings and marriage. By using the literature reviewed in Dr. Hanan's Utopias and Dystopias capstone course, it can be proven that Disney's plots are overwhelmingly one-sided, favoring the weddings. Consequences of not addressing the issue of misleading information about weddings and marriage, including the disconnect they often have, include young women and men struggling to create realistic expectations about weddings and marriage.

• Sleeping Beauty
• The Little Mermaid

Figure 4

Frozen

Figure 5

Figures 7-10

Figure 6

Marriage Pertaining to Souls

Marriage as Social Dreaming

Figure 11

"' We do not have immortal souls. When we die, we shall never rise again. We are like the green reeds: once they are cut they will never be green again. But men have souls that live eternally, even after their bodies have become dust. They rise high up into the clear sky where the stars are. As we rise through the water to look at the world of man, they rise up to the unknown, the beautiful world, that we shall never see.'" The Little Mermaid, Andersen

"'After all, everyone belongs to every one else.'" -Brave New World, Aldous Huxley

References

• The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
• The Three Faces of Utopianism Revisited by Lyman Tower Sargent
• Sleeping Beauty -Disney Production
• The Little Mermaid -Disney Production
• Frozen -Disney Production

Tables and Figures

• Fig. 1. Say Yes to the Dress advertisement; Hulu.com, 2015; Web; 6 May 2015.
• Fig. 2. Sleeping Beauty cover art; fashion-kid.net, 2015; Web; 6 May 2015.
• Fig. 3. The Little Mermaid cover art; fanpop.com, 2015; Web; 6 May 2015.
• Fig. 4. Seeping Beauty book ending; pinterest.com, 2015; Web; 6 MAy 2015.
• Fig. 5. The Little Mermaid wedding scene; designsponge.com, 13 Jul 2015; Web; 6 May 2015.
• Fig. 6. The Little Mermaid end scene; buzzfeed.com, 4 Dec. 2012; Web; 6 May 2015.
• Fig. 7. Elsa quote; rangelthepawprint.com, 28 Mar. 2014; Web; 6 May 2015.
• Fig. 8. Aurora crying; imgarcade.com, 2015; Web; 6 May 2015.
• Fig. 9. Ariel crying; headoverfeels.com, 5 Dec. 2012; Web; 6 May 2015.
• Fig. 10. Aurora shaking her head; tumblr.com, 2015; Web; 6 May 2015.
• Fig. 11. Original little mermaid; dettoldisney.worldpress.com, 27 Nov. 2011; Web; 7 May 2015.

Marriage as an Intentional Community

• Live together
• Shared values
• Mutually agreed upon purpose