In 1937 when Walt Disney released his first movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, a completely new era of language acquisition started. The former fairy tales were turned into movies and instead of old complicated language, easier and child friendly language was established. The former, sometimes brutal, fairy tales were changed to convey a different message, the core of the story often stayed the same but the plot around the central issue was changed. The same is true for Beauty and the Beast. By supporting his films with music and accents, Walt Disney invented a new kind of storytelling.
By answering the questions: How do Disney and the fairy tale present the female main character? Is it easier for children to understand the character traits of a person by only hearing about them or by simultaneously seeing the character act? Which cultural representations can be found in movie and fairy tale and what influence do they have on the language of the main character? Which kinds of stereotypes appear and how are they presented? Is the presentation of Bella in the fairy tale still current today or is it too old-fashioned? I will compare the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast (La Belle et la Bête) of 1740 by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot, Dame de Villeneuve, with the same-titled movie by Walt Disney.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Comparison of movie and fairy tale
2.1 Presentation of the female main character
2.2 How do the other characters interact with Belle in the movie
2.3 How do the other characters interact with Bella in the fairy tale
3 French (and other frailties)
4 Conclusion
Objectives and Research Focus
This academic paper examines the evolution of cultural representation and stereotyping by comparing the original 1740 fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast" (La Belle et la Bête) by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot, Dame de Villeneuve, with the 1991 Walt Disney film adaptation. The research investigates how language and character interaction are used to construct gender roles and how linguistic choices, particularly accents, perpetuate specific social stereotypes in the modern medium compared to the historical text.
- Comparison of female character development in literature and film.
- Analysis of linguistic stereotypes and their impact on children's perceptions.
- Examination of the "homemaker" archetype versus the "emancipated" woman.
- The role of accents and social markers in defining character status.
- The moral and social implications of Disney’s specific interpretation of the fairy tale.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 Presentation of the female main character
Both interpretations show the main character as heroine. Directly in the second paragraph of the story, the fairy tale provides characteristics of the main person. In their new home “the girls had to work hard, like peasants” (appendix 13) which was very common for people at that time. The biggest part of the population was working on the fields, which is why the story was so famous at that time. It was also common, that families were with many children as Bella’s family is. People always wrote fairy tales about something they desired and which was impossible for them to have. They wrote stories about the unknown. Puigderajols argues that“[t]his phenomenon has very deep roots and it can be traced back to most classical or modern writers and audiences throughout civilization” (16). And as Jerome Bruner states “Our told stories, in short, are about particular deviations from the ordinary. But though particular, they find connection with the general […]” (48). Although the work on the field was hard, the main character did not complain, which was very surprising for normal people: “She had been as sad as anyone when misfortune overtook her father, but, soon recovering her natural gaiety, she set to work to make the best of things.”(appendix 13) That the behavior of the youngest daughter was not common and that it was unexpected is underlined by the sentence “only the youngest tried to be brave and cheerful”(appendix 13).
Chapter Summary
1 Introduction: This chapter establishes the theoretical background on how language transforms society and introduces the comparative study between the original fairy tale and the Disney adaptation.
2 Comparison of movie and fairy tale: This section provides a comparative analysis of the narrative structures, specifically focusing on how the female protagonist is introduced and defined within her environment.
2.1 Presentation of the female main character: This chapter analyzes how "Bella" in the fairy tale and "Belle" in the movie are portrayed as heroines, exploring their differing levels of agency and domestic roles.
2.2 How do the other characters interact with Belle in the movie: This chapter examines the roles of secondary characters like Gaston, the father, and the Beast, emphasizing how language and social markers shape Belle's identity in the film.
2.3 How do the other characters interact with Bella in the fairy tale: This chapter details the interaction between Bella and her family members, highlighting the moral themes and stereotypes present in the 1740 text.
3 French (and other frailties): This chapter discusses how linguistic choices, such as accents and dialects, are used in the film to create and limit character archetypes through stereotyping.
4 Conclusion: This final chapter synthesizes the findings, arguing that the Disney adaptation utilizes more limiting, potentially racist stereotypes, while the original fairy tale reflects the traditional, albeit dated, gender norms of the 18th century.
Keywords
Beauty and the Beast, Fairy Tale, Disney, Stereotyping, Language Acquisition, Gender Roles, Sociolinguistics, Accents, Cultural Representation, Feminism, Literary Analysis, Characterization, Belle, Bella, Narrative Theory
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary objective of this research?
The paper aims to compare how the original 1740 fairy tale and the 1991 Disney movie represent cultural norms and gender roles through language and character interaction.
What are the central themes of this work?
The central themes include the evolution of storytelling, the use of stereotypes in film vs. literature, the portrayal of the female protagonist, and the sociolinguistic impact of accents on audience perception.
Which methodology is applied in the paper?
The author applies a comparative literary and sociolinguistic approach, utilizing theories from scholars like Rosina Lippi-Green and Jerome Bruner to analyze text and film passages.
How is the "main character" presented in the two versions?
In the fairy tale, Bella is portrayed as a traditional, devoted daughter and homemaker, whereas Disney's Belle is depicted with more modern, emancipated traits, albeit within a framework of limiting stereotypes.
What is the main argument regarding language and racism?
The author argues that the Disney film uses accents to create stereotypical, and in some cases, potentially racist caricatures, which influence children's perceptions more negatively than the original fairy tale.
What is the role of the Beast in the fairy tale?
The Beast serves as a moral character who teaches children not to judge based on appearance and encourages the protagonist to follow her heart rather than external expectations.
Why does the author focus on the "naming" of the protagonist?
The naming of the character as "Bella" (meaning beauty) is used to illustrate the 18th-century female ideal, where being beautiful was prioritized over intelligence or personal agency.
How do accents function in the Disney movie according to the author?
Accents are used as social markers that limit characters; for example, the French accent is associated with characters who are portrayed as either flirtatious, comic, or unintelligent.
- Quote paper
- Anna Winkelmann (Author), 2012, Disney vs. Fairy Tale: Representations of culture and stereotyping through language according to the main character in "Beauty and the Beast", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/207156
