Fairytales aren’t ploys to brainwash young girls into the patriarchy
It’s become commonplace to hit out at the concept of fairytales as brainwashing little girls into the idea of Prince Charming, marriage, and the sacrifice of female identity into the patriarchy.
I grew up on the Disney classics, the ones that would soon require some Blu-ray restoration, as I suspect most of my generation did. While my developing mind found them to be magical landscapes of mystery, good vs evil, love and dreams, returning to them in adulthood has revealed an equally undeniable importance.
In particular, those that follow the narrative arc of woman + man = love, have fallen prey to the greatest scrutiny. But these arguments are often missing the entire point:
Sleeping Beauty
Be patient in true love. That’s it. Stay the course, remain steadfast, fight for what you believe in, and in the end, true love prevails and overcomes all obstacles.
Cinderella
It is imperative to always be kind towards others, to forgive, to live as a being of love and radiate that love to the world.
Beauty and the Beast
A determined, book-smart Belle denies the ongoing advances of an abhorrent, vacuous man’s hand in marriage, instead falling for what people only see as a Beast. This one’s obvious, and by far my favourite: look beneath the surface; inner beauty and morality is more important than the superficial.
Snow White
Insecurities are not an excuse to harm others — develop self-love. Don’t trust strangers. And of course, the dangers of vanity, ego and pride.
Mulan
Be brave, persevere, never give up on your dreams and don’t stop just because others won’t listen, don’t believe, or place obstacles on your path.
The Little Mermaid
Dare to dream. Be open minded and curious. Take care to be aware of other’s true intentions.
Aladdin
Be yourself and don’t be greedy.
Pocahontas
Be wary of materialism. Follow your heart. Listen to your gut. Embrace change and learn from other cultures. Appreciate nature and life on this planet for all its natural beauty.
Sure. All these films had leading women who ended up falling in love with a man and getting married, living ‘happily ever after’. But they all reached that point after a journey of self-discovery, development, and virtuous growth and intention.
Which ultimately created stories that contain the exact lessons we’ve all seemed to forgotten, and really ought to start remembering — and continue to teach children — in society.
