TPE 2018

              After having analysed the three chosen films, and their historical background, a conclusion has been drawn that Disney cartoons have succeeded at presenting the evolution of the female image in society. "Snow White" has been used to show the traditional, conservative portrait of a woman, who lacks ambition and has stereotypical goals, like finding true love and looking after their significant other. This portrayal can be connected with the beliefs of society in 1940, in the sense that dependance on men was still an ongoing issue and marriage was an important part of the lives of women. "Mulan" on the other hand, represents the flourishing ideology of 1990s, where the feminist mouvement climaxed for the third time in history. The focus was placed on giving women more rights and arising concerns regarding their sex and its discrimination. In the movie, this is portrayed firstly through the heroine's rebellion against the system and in the end, through emperors recognition of Mulan's potential and strength. The third film, "Vaïana" paints an image, which is associated most with the modern woman, showing a protagonist who does not correspond to traditional stereotypes in any criteria: she is independent, adventurous and is a character of a foreign origin. Therefore we see, that through time Disney played an intermediate role in the way women were perceived. Considering that little girls from all over the world grow up watching cartoons like this, and the fact that they are evolving and adapting to the modern perception of women shows that society is maturing and getting closer to equality between sexes, ethnicities, religions and becoming more accommodating regarding different body types and physical appearances. In addition, ambition is encouraged and the main characters no longer aim to just live up to the stereotypical beliefs, motivating women all over the world to follow their own paths and stand up for themselves.