karenleon16

[karenleon16]

Sleeping I said Sleeping Beauty

I liked Sleeping Beauty but mainly because in the Disney version, her name was Aurora and that’s the name of the city I grew up in. Also, Prince Phillip was one of the better-looking Disney princes. However, he’s terrible since he kissed Aurora without her consent much like Prince Charming in Snow White. What is up with the lack of consent, Disney? The plot of sleeping beauty is also questionable, an evil fairy puts a curse on Aurora which at 16 makes her prick her finger on the spindle on a spinning wheel and fall into an endless sleep until her true kiss comes. 

Bruno Bettelheim expands Freud's theory to Sleeping Beauty explaining that this represents sexual awakening and puberty as she goes through adolescence. In The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales, he writes  "During the months before the first menstruation, and often also for some time immediately following it, girls are passive, seem sleepy, and withdraw into themselves" (p. 225). A big thing in sleeping beauty is sleep and that it's something her parents want to protect her from. It is believed that her parents are trying to shield and protect her from puberty as well as sexual desires and thoughts that might come along. He follows up by saying, "despite all attempts on the part of parents to prevent their child's sexual awakening, it will take place nonetheless," (p.230) sleeping beauty's parents try to destroy all of the spindle wheels, however, she still manages to find one and falls into her sleep. Also, her drawing blood from pricking her finger can also show her first period something that the parents are also trying to protect her from. "Furthermore, parents' ill-advised efforts may postpose the reaching of maturity at the proper time, as symbolized by Sleeping Beauty's hundred years of sleep, which separate her sexual awakening from her being united with her lover" (p. 231). They can't prevent it from happening but rather just prolong the change one goes through to become an adult. 

[karenleon16]

Books, Books, Books, and I guess a Beast

Beauty and the Beast wasn’t one of my favorite fairy tales but I still enjoyed watching it with my family. I liked everything within it from the characters to the setting to the songs. I’ve always wanted to visit France so seeing Beauty and the Beast set in France made me want to go there more and be like Belle, living in a town in France reading books. “Ah, If it isn't the only bookworm in town!” (Beauty and the Beast, Disney). One of the small things I could relate to while watching this movie was her love for books. Books are one of my favorite things. I like being immersed in a new story. Watching Beauty and the Beast I’ve always wanted the library in the Beast’s castle, it was grand and amazing. It was filled with thousands of magical books and I wanted it in my house despite not having any room.

When I was younger, the mirror that the Beast owned also looked cool, and just like the library I wanted it. Just like Belle, I wanted to do more in my life and do things outside of my comfort zone. I wanted to explore the world and by going to college I feel like I’m doing things outside of what I know. Going to college was a huge scary step for me, I was going into unknown territory. I knew it wasn’t going to be like high school, it was bigger and more responsibility. But at the same time, it’s exciting and I’m ready to take on any challenge. I want to continue to explore things around me and travel to different countries like France.

[karenleon16]

Cinderellllaaaa

“Cinderelly, Cinderelly, Cinderella!” oh yes the classic cinderella story. Growing up she was never my favorite princess but I still have fond memories of watching Cinderella on DVD with my family. We watched Cinderella over and over again as well as the modern adaptations of Cinderella like A Cinderella Story. While growing up I realized a common theme in princesses which is that they are waiting for love and their prince. However, is that the case for Cinderella. One could argue both sides depending on how you look at Cinderella and her story. Marcia Lieberman states in her article, “Some Day My Prince Will Come: Female Acculturation through the Fairy Tale” from Don’t Bet on The Prince: Contemporary Feminist Fairy Tales in North America and England, “Cinderella plays as passive a role in her story. After leaving her slipper at the ball she has nothing more to do but stay home and wait.” If we look at Cinderella from the perspective of the ball and meeting Prince Charming then we get the idea that she only wanted to go to the prince. From the second she gets to the ball to the second she leaves she stays with Prince Charming and after he found it was her they get married and live happily ever after. A common trope with these princesses is that they get married despite having one interaction with each other. Cinderella and Charming only danced together when they decided that they loved each other, “So this is love”, but they didn’t even know each other's names. 

However if you truly look at Cinderella then you’ll notice she is so much more than someone just waiting for a prince to save her. Cinderella’s only real family was her father until he passed away leaving her with the wicked stepmother and stepsisters. They never cared for her only the money the father had and in the Disney version of Cinderella they describe the Stepmother as “cold, cruel, and bitterly jealous of Cinderella’s charm and beauty” and the stepsisters as no better; they squandered the family fortunes and added to Cinderella’s abuse and humiliation. “While Cinderella was abused, humiliated, and finally forced to become a servant in her own house.” 

They forced Cinderella to do everything for them and when she wanted one night to herself in the dress that was gifted to her they destroyed it. They abused her for years and despite that Cinderella continues to believe to look at the world with joy and to be kind. There’s this video by Liana C, If Cinderella isn't your favorite Disney princess, let's talk, that talks about how she was never waiting for a prince. Around 9:18, she talks about how Cinderella wanted one night in this beautiful palace that she’s obsessed with in her mind because it represents a distant magical world filled with happiness. Cinderella was content with only having until midnight to experience something more than what her stepmother and stepsisters were giving her. She believed this encounter to be a one time thing and never thought to be rescued from the life she was living.

Cinderella represents the idea of listening to your heart when it comes to doing things you like as well as being kind to everyone. Cinderella doesn’t teach kids to wait for a man but to believe in a dream and never give up. Also, “Be kind, have courage and always believe in a little magic.”