Ariel's Dependency on Males
Have you noticed throughout The Little Mermaid Ariel’s interactions with females is extremely limited? The only real interaction she has with a female is Ursula, who is portrayed as being mean and evil. Disney strategically begins the movie with Ariel only having a father, which limits her female encounters from the very beginning. Although she has six older sisters, they never talk and they are characterized as being rather snotty and catty. During one of the opening songs the sisters are performing for the kingdom Ariel is expected to appear from a clam shell.
When the shell opens, Ariel is not inside. The audience is distracted by all of her sisters and overlooks the fact that Ariel does not in fact interact with them. Throughout the entire film her only interactions are with males and Ursula, who portrays the female sex as mean and wicked. In their article “Good and Bad Belief: Teaching Gender Lessons through Fairy Tales and Feminist Theory,” Jerilyn Fisher and Ellen Silber posit “children’s exposure to images of women’s malevolence as a curative, allaying their guilt by providing an acceptable outlet for unconscious, hostile fantasies about their mothers” (122). Ursula is clearly evil; however, she does exhibit some motherly characteristics throughout the film. When Ariel first goes to Ursula’s house, Ursula asks Ariel, “Come in, come in my child. We mustn't lurk in doorways. It's rude. One might question your upbringing. (Little). Young audiences watching the film may identify some of Ursula’s cruel and unusual sayings with phrases their mothers say, thus paralleling Ursula’s evil with their subconscious negative feelings towards their mothers. This also leads to the audience wishing to emulate Ariel even more because she does not have a mother who bosses her around, thus she is free to do as she pleases.
When the shell opens, Ariel is not inside. The audience is distracted by all of her sisters and overlooks the fact that Ariel does not in fact interact with them. Throughout the entire film her only interactions are with males and Ursula, who portrays the female sex as mean and wicked. In their article “Good and Bad Belief: Teaching Gender Lessons through Fairy Tales and Feminist Theory,” Jerilyn Fisher and Ellen Silber posit “children’s exposure to images of women’s malevolence as a curative, allaying their guilt by providing an acceptable outlet for unconscious, hostile fantasies about their mothers” (122). Ursula is clearly evil; however, she does exhibit some motherly characteristics throughout the film. When Ariel first goes to Ursula’s house, Ursula asks Ariel, “Come in, come in my child. We mustn't lurk in doorways. It's rude. One might question your upbringing. (Little). Young audiences watching the film may identify some of Ursula’s cruel and unusual sayings with phrases their mothers say, thus paralleling Ursula’s evil with their subconscious negative feelings towards their mothers. This also leads to the audience wishing to emulate Ariel even more because she does not have a mother who bosses her around, thus she is free to do as she pleases.
Ariel’s only other interactions throughout the entire film are with males: King Triton, Prince Eric, Sebastian, Flounder, and Scuttle. Her world is completely controlled by men, which leads her to be ultimately dependent on a man. Without a mother, Ariel only has her father to depend on. The motherless Disney Princesses are very common and all serve the same purpose: to immerse the princess patriarchal society so she learns her submissive role and will grow up to need a man to once again depend on when she leaves her father’s care. Despite Ariel’s courageous disposition, she constantly requires male assistance throughout the film. She asks Scuttle what the names of the human objects she collects are, she constantly requires Flounder’s companionship, Eric saves her life at the end of the film, and ultimately her father turns her back into a human to be with Prince Eric. The significance of King Triton giving Ariel legs at the end of the film is immense as it represents him giving permission and allowing his daughter to be with Eric. Without his male consent, Ariel would never have been able to marry the prince and achieve her happily ever after. This further demonstrates women’s submissive role in society; women need men’s permission and assistance to accomplish tasks.
Ariel has depended on her father her entire life and once she meets Prince Eric, she realizes she is ready to leave her father and depend solely on the prince. Ariel sacrifices her voice, fins, and her ability to see her friends and family for a chance at love with Prince Eric. Susan White says, “And here is the danger: even though girls know that happiness in marriage is at best a fifty-fifty proposition, the intoxication of approval and recognition is so heady and addictive that they will often pursue what they suspect to be a losing battle” just to find comfort in a man’s arms (191). Disney glorifies the institution of marriage and implies that every little princess needs a big, strong prince to rely on.
Ariel has depended on her father her entire life and once she meets Prince Eric, she realizes she is ready to leave her father and depend solely on the prince. Ariel sacrifices her voice, fins, and her ability to see her friends and family for a chance at love with Prince Eric. Susan White says, “And here is the danger: even though girls know that happiness in marriage is at best a fifty-fifty proposition, the intoxication of approval and recognition is so heady and addictive that they will often pursue what they suspect to be a losing battle” just to find comfort in a man’s arms (191). Disney glorifies the institution of marriage and implies that every little princess needs a big, strong prince to rely on.