Introduction

One of the best places to find inequalities and stereotypes present in and between genders is the media.  Interestingly, these stereotypes are seen and even heavily emphasized in children’s movies, including Disney films.  To examine this, we took a look at the movies Cinderella (1950), Tarzan (1999), and Mulan (1998), keeping in mind the work of Goffman and other sociologists studied in class, and analyzed their content regarding gender.  We found that all three movies, even those attempting to equate gender, reinforced the negative gender stereotypes of women as weak and men as dominant.     

Cinderella

          The Disney classic “Cinderella” is a timeless movie seen by most Americans. Cinderella tells the story of a young girl who is mistreated by her two stepsisters and step mother after her beloved father passes away. Although Cinderella is heavily abused and treated like a maid, she acts with kindness and poise and even befriends the animals that live around her. Cinderella falls in love with the Grand Duke, and he finds her by identifying her glass slippers. Although her step mother and sisters try to sabotage her, love prevails. Cinderella and the Duke get married and live happily ever after… This movie shows specific gender roles that dominated the 1950s, when the movie came out. Cinderella portrays women as compliant, fragile, and passive. It also makes beauty, riches and prosperity a top priority and entrance to a happy life.

            The movie can be looked at from Goffman’s gender display, the process when we perform the roles expected of us by social conviction. Cinderella acts obedient towards her stepmother and sisters because she knows that is expected of her. They make her do chores such as cleaning and sewing, and Cinderella does as she is told. This reflects societies expectations of women in the 1950s. Women were looked at as the homemakers and were expected to do all the cooking, cleaning and house duties. This type of conformity in the movie reflected the gender roles and stereotypes of the 1950s.

           Another gender stereotype Goffman pointed out is depicted in “Cinderella.” He described man’s touch as commanding and firm and stated that  women are subordinate in the relationship. Cinderella is characterized as a damsel in distress, and is only saved by a powerful man. The movie frames the story so that Cinderella is shown as only truly finding happiness because a man saved her, and that conveys the powerlessness and dependence that Goffman noticed.  

Cinderella possesses all “lady-like” characteristics and is a typical feminine and passive girl that Goffman describes. She is pictured as dazed in many parts of the movie, and never angry or vengeful. This is a cultural portrayal and shows what a perfect girl would be like in their time. She has a coy look and at times is seen as being nervous, the perfect girl for a man.

Finally, this film shows how stereotypes play a role in society. It idolizes beauty and wealth. Cinderella is helped by her “fairy god mother” before she attends the ball. Her fairy god mother transforms Cinderella from an unkempt looking maid, to a beautiful suitor for the Grand Duke. This implies that Cinderella might not have won the Dukes heart, had she not looked as beautiful as she did.  This movie also confirms the stereotype that marriage is the ultimate goal for women. A ball is hosted for the Grand Duke to fine a lover, and everyone wants to attend, including Cinderella and her step sisters. Her step sisters are horribly angered when the duke chooses Cinderella, which reiterates how important the women find marriage.

Cinderella can actually serve as a device to remind people of the continuation of many gender issues. It shows the stereotypes of women as being passive and obedient, portrays perfect lady- like qualities, and idolizes marriage.

Tarzan

      Tarzan is one of few Disney stories centered on a male character; however, this does not mean it is rid of gender stereotypes. The story follows Tarzan, a boy raised by gorillas, and his first contact with other humans. Despite limited human characters, and the title character being a male separated from society, gender stereotypes are still perpetuated. The movie, for the most part, shows women to be weak, and dependent, relying on a man to save them and support them.

       The main female protagonist in the movie is a researcher, named Jane, in search of gorillas to study. Despite the purpose of the journey being to travel to the jungle and meander through dense vegetation, Jane is shown wearing a bright yellow hoop skirt in the beginning of her journey. Initially, Jane is often shown to be in danger or overwhelmed; only to be saved by Tarzan or her guide Clayton.

         Here Jane is shown to be unable to defend herself. She is on the ground looking up helplessly. This defenseless position parallels the stereotypes portrayed about the weakness and helplessness of women in Goffman’s codes of gender.  After being saved by Tarzan, Jane exhibits further stereotypes of Goffman’s codes of gender, as she swoons over Tarzan as she recants the story to her father.

         Gender stereotypes in the film are not limited to the female characters. The male characters of the story perpetuate stereotypes as well; always showing to be dominant and strong, coming to the aid of the damsel in distress.

           Jane’s guide, Clayton, is shown to be the big and strong protector of his helpless companion. Clayton fulfills the stereotype of the typical gender role of the man as shown by Goffman. He stands upright, confident and strong, never showing the feminine weakness of his companion. He solves all his problems with a gun, and he shows ruthlessness in the pursuit of accomplishing his own goals.

          Tarzan also depicts many typical male stereotypes as described by Goffman. He is strong and shows his dominance through physical prowess and displays of strength. Tarzans primitive nature is reflected in his posture; however, he puffs his chest out to show the same positions as described by Goffman asserting masculinity and male dominance. Tarzan does not show the same ruthless ambition as Clayton, but he uses his strength to assert his masculinity and to serve as the classicly male symbol of the protector.

           Both male characters are shown as protective figures over the weaker incapable female. This assentation follows suit with Goffman’s observations of the advertised male and view of masculinity, as well as the corresponding views of the advertised female. This trend is present through the majority of the movie, until the end. In the end of the film, Jane goes against gender norms and saves a helpless Tarzan, showing a reversal of roles.

              This reversal in roles marks a shift in Jane. She no longer perpetuates gender norm, but goes against Goffman’s  idea of the weak and subdued female that is expected by society. Jane proves to be strong and capable of the same feats of strength that punctuated Tarzan’s masculinity; however, this does not free her of other gender norms.

               This shows despite Jane proving not to be dependent or Tarzan to save and protect her, she is still depicted in the unstable canting position, conforming to the female gender norms she had just gone against. Though some attempts are made to go against gender norm, the depiction of gender in this film is consistent with Goffman’s Codes of Gender.

Mulan

Mulan

Mulan tells the tale of a Chinese girl who secretly takes her fathers place as a warrior and ends up saving China from the Huns.  Although the plotline breaks free from Disney’s normal damsel in distress theme, it is not as much a feminist movie as it seems. Mulan as a character powerfully overcomes gender stereotypes, but the movie as a whole reinforces the norm of a domestic, quiet, submissive woman.

The opening scene of the movie presents Mulan reciting the qualities of an ideal woman that she needs to remember for her meeting with the matchmaker.

            “Quiet and demure, graceful, polite, delicate, refined, poised, punctual.”

Later as she is bathed, made-up and prepared for her appointment, the ladies around her sing the lyrics,

“Men want girls with good taste, calm, obedient, who work fast paced.  With good breeding and a tiny waist, you’ll bring honor to us all.”

From the beginning of the movie, especially set in the heavy patriarchal, honor-based culture of old China, Mulan is pressured to fit into the stereotypical subordinate category of woman.  After failing miserably with the matchmaker...

... Mulan wonders about who she truly is, as she is unable to fit culture’s expectation of who she should be as a woman.  She sings,

            “Now I see that if I were truly to be myself, I would break my family’s heart.”

 This line shows that Mulan is not endeavoring to act out her gender role for herself, but for her family.  When linked to the larger topic of gender, through this we see gender as a social construction that humans act out not only to validate our own identities, but to gain acceptance from others.  This is also relatable to Cooley’s looking-glass-self theory in that when others are seen to respond positively to this acting out of self, the portrayed gender identity is validated and reinforced; or in Mulan’s case, diminished.

When her injured father is called to war, Mulan sacrifices her image as a woman.  By cutting her long hair, a symbol of femininity and beauty, leaving her hair clip by her parent’s bed and taking her father’s warrior gear, horse and sword with her, Mulan adopts the role of a man, “Ping”, in order to protect him.

 After initial difficulty in the military and having a hard time physically keeping up with the men, Mulan soon uses her wit and intelligence to excel and win the favor and friendship of the military leader, Shang.  Doing this purely out of determination and without the help of men, Mulan breaks Disney’s gender stereotype of a helpless woman in need of a man to rescue her.  She applies herself to a goal and is strong enough to achieve it, saving a man, her father, in the process. 

After being injured while saving Shang, another man, Mulan’s gender is revealed to the rest of the troops.  Although they trusted and respected her as a man, when they discover her true sex, their opinions change, they become angry, and she is left behind.  

While alone, Mulan discovers that the Huns are alive, but when she finds her military leader and tries to tell him, he refuses to hear her out.

Mulan: “The Huns are alive, they’re in the city.”

Shang: You don’t belong here Mulan, go home.

Mulan:  Shang, I saw them in the mountains.  You have to believe me.

Shang:  Why should I?

Mulan:  Why else would I come back? You said you trusted Ping. Why is Mulan any different?

These lines reveal gender classifications in the movie establishing men as authoritative and trustworthy and women as ditzy and not to be involved in serious matters.  However, Mulan soon proves Shang and society wrong, and by leading men to carry out her plan, ends up saving China.  When presented as a hero in front of the emperor, she is verbal attacked by his assistant, Chi Fu, who says, "This is a woman.  She will never be worth anything."  Chi Fu's opinion is soon disregarded as Mulan is offered his position in office and honored by the emperor.  However, Mulan declines it, and instead decides to return home to her family.  Although she exemplifies feminine strength in the conventional male realm, Mulan gives it all up to return home and fulfill her duties as a daughter, reinforcing the norm of the domestic woman. 

                                          (Watch 0:00-1:00)

The movie reinforces gender stereotypes in some ways, but overall, it portrays a strong female character who excelled even though she was unable to be what culture expected her to be.  Mulan proved among contrasting Disney movies that females are capable of being strong, sometimes stronger than men, in a male-dominated world.