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- Title
Storm Power, an Icy Tower and Elsa’s Bower: The Winds of Change in Disney’s Frozen.
- Authors
Dundes, Lauren; Streiff, Madeline; Streiff, Zachary
- Abstract
In Disney’s box office sensation <italic>Frozen</italic> (2013), Elsa conjures powers rivaling those of Zeus, which is an echo of the shifting gender dynamics at the time of the film’s release. By independently creating offspring Olaf and Marshmallow through whirlwinds, Elsa’s parthenogenesis (virgin birth) evokes wind-driven pollination, allowing her to circumvent any male role in creation. However, Elsa’s autonomy clashes with the traditional gender hierarchy, which is reinforced by a cultural context replete with latent symbolic meanings. Examples include both carrots and carats as phallic symbols, eggs as representations of the procreative potential that is appropriated by men and devalued in women, gender bias in perceptions of magic and enchantment, and the value of the nubile nymph over the tempestuous termagant. The normalcy of male dominance likely drives the resolution of the plot, in which Elsa learns to wield power in a non-threatening manner. In addition to having implications for gender roles, <italic>Frozen</italic> also portrays a mélange of gender symbolism through Elsa’s snowmen creations, which function as an expression of the storm of controversy surrounding the subversion of binary conceptions of gender. In the end, <italic>Frozen</italic> serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers inherent in an unattached female as the ultimate potentate. This content analysis suggests that the film reflects fears surrounding the maelstrom of societal changes including expanding fertility options and the re-conceptualization of gender identity--pressing issues likely to sustain <italic>Frozen</italic>’s relevance.
- Subjects
SNOWMEN; SEX discrimination; ZEUS (Greek deity); SENSORY perception; CONTENT analysis
- Publication
Social Sciences (2076-0760), 2018, Vol 7, Issue 6, p86
- ISSN
2076-0760
- Publication type
Other
- DOI
10.3390/socsci7060086