Seeing White: Children of
Color and the Disney Fairy Tale Princess
Dorothy L Hurley
In this source, the author writes about the skin color and
its symbolism in the Disney princesses. Her main argument is that there are
only 3 princesses who aren’t European descent and how it can be affecting the
self-image of young girls. She states that young girls who watch these films
identify themselves with the main characters, which is always the princess. If
the viewer isn’t white she may feel left out and can’t relate to the princess.
These girls can grow up feeling excluded and could believe that they are
unworthy to be someone like those princesses. Another thing Hurley mentions is
the color symbolism in the films of black and white. As mentioned, the
princesses are typically white and are associated with the color white, like
animals, their clothing, and their castles. The villains in the movies are
associated with dark color, specifically black. This also can have a negative
impact on its viewers especially if they aren’t white. If a viewer is African
American, they don’t have much to relate to with the princesses, and it goes
way beyond their skin color. Their culture and backgrounds are different, and
darker colors are represented by the evils in the movies. Growing up, this can
really impact girls who already have low self-esteem. If they can’t relate to
someone like a Disney princess who is supposed to represent goodness and
selflessness, they’re missing out on good role models. They also grow up
thinking they are less than people since in nearly every film; darkness and
blackness represent evil and badness. This source is very useful for my paper
since it really captivates my thesis. It brings a different perspective on how
these films can negatively impact young girls. It is something that I wouldn’t
have thought of on my own, even though its argument is very obvious.
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