Femininity in Disney film "Alice in Wonderland" Leanne Lo
Does 'femininity' show what it means to be as a woman in Disney film? The issue of gender does not necessarily show the original meaning of femininity in the Disney film "Alice in Wonderland" in 2010. This film is an American computer-animated and live action film by director Tim Burton, which gets its ideas from the British novel "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll in 1865 and its 1871 sequel "Through the Looking-Glass". The story tells about the latest adventure of the main character Alice Kingsleigh to Underland, where she visited thirteen years ago when she was six. At that time the Underland (or Wonderland as Alice calls it) was the White Queen's reign, but now being controlled by her easily-irritated sister the Red Queen who hates animals and uses them as servants. Alice is foretold to be the only one who can slay the dragon-like creature Jabberwocky which is controlled by the Red Queen who terrorizes Underland's inhabitants, and finally with her courage restores the White Queen to power. The film Alice in Wonderland has showed different meaning of femininity by the three main characters Alice, the Red Queen , and the White Queen, who play other than traditional gender roles of women as expected by the society. Like Alice who is brave to confront the society's expectations of a young woman by being strong and courageous to choose her own life. Also, the Red Queen and the White Queen have shown the opposite situation of patriarchy when men usually act as superior and are dominant or controlling most situations, by playing the role of the other gender in being in-charge of Underland and having command of the soldiers and other male characters. Finally, the Red Queen has acted contrary to expected female personalities of being loving and patient, as shown by her easily-irritated character and hatred of animals. Therefore, femininity has different meaning as shown by women playing other than traditional gender roles as expected by society in the Disney film "Alice in Wonderland".
The main character Alice gives a new meaning to femininity with her braveness to confront the society's expectations of a young woman. In a society when referring to femininity, young women are expected to behave as playing the traditional gender roles. Any confrontation to the society’s expectation is unexpected and requires great courage. For the setting of the Victorian era, young women are expected to act according to the society's expectation. It is unexpected that women would confront such expectation and even stand up to make their own choice. However, Alice in this film not only confront to an un-wanted marriage proposal, she has further shown her braveness by being courageous to stand up to her family pledging to choose her own life path. This has impressed Lord Ascot to take her in as his apprentice to establish oceanic trade routes to China, which is rare for a young woman at that era . Therefore, femininity has a new meaning as given by Alice with her courage in confronting the society's expectation in this Disney film "Alice in Wonderland".
Also, the Red Queen and the White Queen have shown the opposite situation of patriarchy, which give a different meaning to femininity, by playing the role of the other gender. When patriarchy has nothing to do with women, the opposite situation involves femininity. It means that women are taking over the position of men, and not acting or playing their traditional gender roles as women. Usually in a society of patriarchy, men act as superior and are dominant or controlling most situations. Here in the film Alice in Wonderland, women are dominant and in control of most situations. Other than Alice being the heroine who finally restores the power of the White Queen, both the Red Queen and the White Queen are powerful. They are in-charge of Underland and having command of the soldiers and other male characters. Therefore, femininity has different meaning as shown by women playing the role of the other gender in this Disney film "Alice in Wonderland".
Finally, the Red Queen has acted contrary to the expected female personalities of being loving and patient, resulting in an opposite meaning to femininity. When femininity means what it should be as a woman, any act opposite to those expected female personalities are out of scope. This means women are not expected to act cruelly of being impatient. Acts opposite to femininity usually refer to masculinity relate to men's act, such as being easily-irritated or without special love to animals. These non-feminine acts are however shown by the Red Queen in the film. She has shown her easily-irritated character with her famous quote “Off with your head!" Moreover, the Red Queen has shown her hatred of animals by using them as servants and even as furniture, such as “the flamingo mallets & hedgehog croquet balls". Therefore, the Red Queen's act contrary to the expected female personalities has resulted in an opposite meaning to femininity as shown in the Disney film "Alice in Wonderland".
Hence, apart from the original meaning of femininity, the main character Alice gives a new meaning to femininity with her braveness to confront the society's expectations of a young woman, and being courageous to stand up to choose her own life path. Also, the Red Queen and the White Queen by playing the role of the other gender have shown the opposite situation of patriarchy which give a different meaning to femininity. Finally, the Red Queen's act contrary to the expected female personalities of being loving and patient has resulted in an opposite meaning to femininity. To conclude, this Disney animated film "Alice in Wonderland" has shown different meaning of femininity by the three main characters Alice, the Red Queen, and the White Queen, who play other than traditional gender roles of women as expected by the society.
Reference
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