Ariel from The Little Mermaid represents a new chapter for the Walt Disney Company. It jumpstarted the animation studio's Golden Age, returning to the their roots of emotional storytelling that captured people's hearts. With The Little Mermaid, we see a return to a style emotional storytelling that requires characters to burst into song (Broadway-style) in order to fully convey what they are feeling.
We also see some character development within Ariel. While I adore Snow White, Cinderella, and Aurora, they did not do much changing internally throughout their respective movies. Their circumstances happen to them and they must be strong and brave enough to overcome them. Ariel's circumstances happen because of her. She chooses to disobey her father and explore the surface and even saves a human, something seen as absolutely reprehensible in her community. Also unlike the other previous princesses, Ariel is headstrong, feisty, and stubborn (often to a fault). She refuses to let something like losing her voice, and potentially her life, to keep her from doing what she wants and following her dreams.
I have heard and read many comments that claim it is disturbing that Ariel has to be mute in order to find love with Eric, but technically he has already fallen in love with the beautiful woman with the angelic voice that saved his life. If anything Eric is clinging as fiercely to his dreams as Ariel is--he is holding out for the girl that keeps eluding him, “the one.” I have wondered if the animators were conscious that they were trying to persuade audiences that Eric falling in love with a mute girl that is actually not mute and if that is one of the reasons Ariel seems so animated and lively as a human even though she has no voice. She takes Ursula’s advice and communicates with the other characters and the audience through her body language and emotive facial expressions.
Throughout the movie, Ariel demonstrates how she is different from the other princesses. She is truly gutsy and brave. She gives up everything in order to become human because she feels that it is the right path for her. She has total and complete faith in herself and the fact that she becomes human via a deal with Ursula shows that she is relatable, she is a flawed character. Ariel definitely challenges the notion that Disney Princesses are perfect, proper ladies that do not make mistakes. What is powerful about her is that even though she makes a few mistakes, Ariel is still easy for us to love and connect with; she shows us all how to be brave and confident and how to trust ourselves--really great attributes for us to admire and find within ourselves.
**The Pocket Princess comics are drawn by Amy Mebberson. You can find her tumblr here or you can copy and paste this link into your browser: amymebberson.tumblr.com.
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