The Animated Fairytale

It is impossible to imagine a fairytale without considering Disney's influence. Animation has allowed Walt Disney means to link vivid imagery to classic stories. The monumental success of these films has made Disney the perceived standard for fairytales.  In Breaking The Disney Spell Jack Zipes claims this misguided connection has prompted viewers to "long nostalgically for neatly ordered patriarchal realms" (352). The article suggests Walt customized his work to highlight the entrepreneurial spirit of the American dream. In doing so, the male hero further overshadowed the heroine beyond that of the Brother's Grimm version. Zipes notes the prince's immediate presence in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as an example of this change. The prince has ignited the narrative and eventually his kiss becomes the conclusion.

Zipes states that "Disney wants the world cleaned up, and the pastel colors with their sharply drawn ink lines create images of cleanliness, just as each sequence reflects a clearly conceived and preordained destiny for all the characters in the film" (350). By producing a full-length animated film, Disney was able to draw his lines sharply. The art of cinema is like folklore because the plot can be manipulated by the storyteller. The danger however, is that film provides a lasting image that is seen similarly by viewers. Disney was not revolutionary in his male dominated storylines. Many traditional fairytales stem from other Western cultures in Europe. Marcia R. Lieberman identified the passive female hero in "Some Day My Prince Will Come": Female Acculturation through the Fairy Tale. Lieberman asserts that the female lead is "waiting to be rescued by a passing prince, that the helpless, imprisoned maiden is the quintessential heroine of the fairy tale" (389). The helpless woman has long been featured in fairytales. Male dominance was not how Disney degraded the art of folklore.

Disney fulfills the traditional role of storyteller. He has added culturally specific values that are expected within retellings. The films reflect Walt's personal views as well. We cannot assume that the traditional tale has not also been manipulated by individual preference. The issues arise from animation. Technology allowed Disney to broadcast his version on an international level. The imaginative world of fairytales has been replaced by an illustrated reality. Had Disney not had the means of production or distribution, his stories would be more open to interpretation. The masculine elements featured in Disney movies are clear. Although the Grimm's Snow-White is filled with feminine passivity, the moral of the story is less conclusive. The traditional fairytale invites personal interpretation. Active engagement began with creating an imaginary world. Film devalues the lessons that can be extracted from these classic stories. The viewer has become nothing more than a spectator. Disney provides a finished product of his own imagination. Imprinting his concept on screen gives life to the stereotypical world of fairytales. Learned gender roles are more easily adapted when they are illustrated within our standard Disney fairytale.