Final answer:
Historically, Disney portrayed feminine archetypes as somewhat submissive, often culminating in a narrative that focused on marriage or being rescued by men. Recently, Disney has shifted towards emphasizing female empowerment with characters who drive their own stories and exhibit agency, independence, and strength.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Disney princess culture has long been analyzed for its portrayal of feminine archetypes. In Disney's earlier films, such as Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty, the female characters often embodied a more traditional, sometimes submissive role, with narratives that focused on being rescued by a male character and the ultimate goal of marriage. This traditional portrayal can emphasize a submissive role for women and accentuate beauty and domesticity as primary feminine attributes.
However, in more recent years, Disney has made a conscious effort to depart from these stereotypes, creating characters like Tiana from The Princess and the Frog, Merida from Brave, Moana, and the sisters from Frozen, who seek independence, adventure, and personal growth. These newer films stress female empowerment, where heroines are the agents of their own stories, not reliant on a male figure for rescue or completion of their journey. Studies focusing on mass media demonstrate the potential impact these portrayals have on gender socialization, suggesting both the gravity of these narratives and the evolution of female representation in children's entertainment.
Reflecting on this progression, while older Disney films might have trended toward the conventional portrayal of women, emphasizing a more submissive role, present-day Disney is consciously working to present a more empowered feminine archetype, pushing against past stereotypes and creating a more balanced representation.