At four years old the only role model we have in our life is our mother. If we’re lucky enough we might have a big sister but chances are, it’s mom that takes the cake. We admire the way she brushes her hair, her soft affectionate tone she has when she tucks us in at night, and the little habits she has in her day to day routine. The next introduction of a girly personality we have more than likely originated from a Disney princess. We start watching these movies at a young age and we revisit them in our teens. One thing about these girls is that they’re timeless classics. They speak to young girls as if they’re sophisticated, mature women, and they speak to our older selves as if they were a girlfriend giving us advice. But have you ever noticed the underlying messages the princesses give to us? Take a look at what each princess says specifically:
Snow White.
Sweet Snow White taught us that talking to animals was completely normal. If you see an abandoned cabin, it’s totally okay to go inside and clean it up making it look spick and span. The reality is that Snow White taught us envying beauty will kill you. The Evil Queen was so envious of the beauty Snow White portrayed inside and out that she went to extremes to take that beauty away from her. In the end, it was Snow who won and the Queen who was defeated. Sure Snow White was absolutely beautiful but what made her the genuine princess she was, was the affection and compassion she gave when she would hang out with the animals and when she was surrounded by her precious seven dwarfs. This is what the Evil Queen didn’t realize. True beauty comes from within.
Cinderella.
If you go onto Pinterest and type in Cinderella you’ll find all of these cheesy gifs telling you “Cinderella proved that a perfect pair of shoes can change your life.” Yes, this is very true. But it’s not the most important message to send to girls of all ages. Cinderella never settled. It was one of her best qualities. From the beginning of the movie she tells us that “the dream that you wish will come true.” This is exactly what happened for her. She worked her way up to royalty. She wished for a better life rather than living in a mansion with her evil stepmother and stepsisters. She catered to them and did all she had to do to make sure they were satisfied. When word got out that the Royal Ball would take place she worked hard to make sure she was able to go. Because her horrid sisters ruined her chance to go, her fairy godmother granted her the wish to go to the Ball and have the time of her life. All because Cinderella’s hard work made her worthy of it. When everything failed and Cinderella returned to her everyday life, faith fell into place when the prince was led her way, and the shoe was returned to the rightful owner. Hard work pays off ladies!
Aurora.
Fun fact, Aurora has the least amount of dialog out of all the princesses, with under 50 lines throughout the entire movie. Out of all the dialog there is throughout the movie, one of the best life lessons that Aurora teaches us is to respect your elders. Her father asked the three fairies to look after Aurora until the time would come that the curse would hit her. The least Aurora could do for them was to respect the rules and boundaries they set for her, which is exactly what she did. For a little girl, it is a valuable lesson to teach them to listen to those that are older and, therefore, wiser. And those of us that are older could use this little reminder from time to time indicating that maybe sometimes our parents really do know what they’re talking about.
Ariel.
From a young age, we’re taught to never change who we are, and to stay true to ourselves. This is a very accurate statement. But at the same time Ariel taught us that if we’re truly unhappy, don’t sit around complaining about it. Do something about it! Even though she practically sold her soul for the life of a human being, Ariel won, defeated Ursula, and ended up with Prince Eric all with her father’s blessing.
Belle.
Belle was able to teach us all many life lessons. She didn’t have to dumb herself down to get the attention of anyone. She stayed true to herself even though Gaston teased her for reading silly books all day. She was the true definition of beauty and brains. And the most beautiful thing about her was that she never judged. Yeah, it sounds really cheesy. But she fell for the Beast even after he told her she was to be his prisoner for life, she would never see her father again, and he treated her horribly. She saw through the harsh exterior and fell for the true prince he was the whole time. And when every girl in town was fawning after Gaston; Belle didn’t care at all because she knew looks were only temporary, and personality was what would last a lifetime.
Jasmine.
Some might argue that Jasmine is the most beautiful out of all the princesses. Maybe it’s because of her exotic background. But even though she is the most beautiful out of them all, she taught us not to judge a book by its cover. She may have only liked Aladdin because of his status, but when she learned about his true street rat background, she gave him a chance. Aladdin must have done something right because they ended up together living happily ever after at the end of the movie. Even though Aladdin lied to her (which no girl should accept), she looked past his flaws and gave him a chance. The fact of being in different social classes didn’t stop her.
Pocahontas.
Another fun fact. Pocahontas is NOT the first Native American princess. Tiger Lily from Peter Pan was actually the first, but she received practically zero credit. Anyway, Pocahontas taught us to cherish what we have. She didn’t live the most glamorous life what so ever. She lived a life full of nature using the only resources she knew of (whatever Grandmother Willow’s forest allowed her). And when the white settlers came to corrupt their land, Pocahontas fought to defend both sides. The land and home she loved, as well as the man she loved. Even though in real life she doesn’t actually end up with John Smith, but Disney kind of got the picture right.
Rapunzel.
Rapunzel’s quirky antics throughout the movie led her to the life she truly wanted. She went out and searched for the life that she was always looking for. The entire time she was trapped in her castle (might I add it was cute and tastefully decorated), she knew this wasn’t the life she was destined to live. So, even though she broke the rules and went out with a criminal and her lizard, she was reunited with her family, re-crowned as princess, and escaped that horrid witch and the tower she was imprisoned in. So go ahead, the next time you want adventure, go out and seek it.
Anna and Elsa.
Anna and Elsa have yet to be officially inducted into the Princess Hall of Fame, according to Disney. But they’re still added to this list because, let’s be real, most of us are in our 20’s and we’re secretly obsessed with their hair. Even though these two don’t end up with an actual prince, they proved that it's not a man that you need to have a happy ending. It’s family. Family is forever. Like many princesses, they do not have both of their parents throughout the duration of the movie, but they have each other. Through thick and thin, Elsa ignoring Anna and more, these two sisters prove the bond they share is no match for anything getting in their way. And isn’t that all we really need in life to get by? Our loved ones by our side?
So the next time you want to take a trip down memory lane, go ahead and be nostalgic by belting out the lyrics to your favorite Disney songs. But just remember the little girl that once listened to these stories is still in there, and she’s able to apply some of these lessons to life even at 20 something years old.
