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The Conversation

Lifestyle

Robyn Muir, Lecturer in Media and Communications, University of Surrey

Disney's The Little Mermaid review: Ariel finally finds her feminist voice

Ariel Disney Prince Eric Vanessa Halle Bailey Jasmine Melissa McCarthy

Warning: the following article contains spoilers.

I was brimming with nerves and excitement as I took my seat to watch Disney’s seventh live action princess film. As a Disney fan, their live action remakes help me revisit my childhood. But as a Disney scholar and a feminist, these adaptations often frustrate me.

In my research, I comment on how from 1989 to 1992, Disney’s animated princesses (Ariel, Belle and Jasmine) can be characterised as “lost dreamers”. While they can be assertive, rebellious and brave, with hopes beyond romance (Ariel wants to explore the human world, Belle wants adventure and Jasmine wants to leave the palace), these traits disappear when a relationship is introduced.

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