KHUÔN MẪU NỮ GIỚI CỦA NHÂN VẬT CÔNG CHÚA DISNEY: TRƯỜNG HỢP PHIM HOẠT HÌNH THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG (2009) VÀ TANGLED (2010)

Abstract

The portrayal of Walt Disney’s animated princesses is often framed as an evolution from passive figures into active, independent ones. However, when comparing “modern and progressive” 21st-century princesses like Tiana and Rapunzel with their original Grimm fairy-tale counterparts, it becomes evident that traditional gender stereotypes have not vanished. Instead, this re-encodes biases within a new system of representation. Through the lens of post-feminist theory, this paper distinguishes between symbolic and structural power, as well as between the princesses’ individual choices and the underlying conditions that produce those choices. Ultimately, the paper argues that the characters’ newfound agency is largely superficial - a reflection of shifting social contexts. At their core, conservative values continue to persist, merely taking on modern forms such as self-management or self-monitoring.