Rapunzel from Tangled
![Picture](/uploads/5/4/0/2/5402061/5977184.jpg?670)
Now when we look at Rapunzel from Tangled, it is apparent that this princess goes against the generic female character represented in most fairy tale stories. She doesn’t wait for a prince but instead she takes advantage of the situation and carries her own weight throughout the film. Instead, it is she who ultimately saves “the prince,” Flynn/Eugene, in the film and strives for her own passions and goals instead of depending on others. She fights for what she believes in despite what her "mother" says. Rapunzel inhibits a tenacious hunger for discovery and exploration of the world unknown to her before.
On the picture to the right, Flynn is literally wrapped around Rapunzel's hair - she has complete control over the male. The viewers get to see a reversal in gender roles. Not only does the audience see a change in the female character, but also in the leading male role. In previous Disney fairy tales, the prince exhibits little to no character. It is in fact the opposite in Tangled. Flynn reveals much character depth and internal/external conflicts that allow the audience to sympathize and root for him throughout the film. Both the lead male and female roles are solidly characterized. We also see a more realistic side to this princess than any other before her. In the scene where Rapunzel is about to finally witness her dreams come true (the floating lanterns), she questions herself and says “I've been looking out of a window for eighteen years, dreaming about what I might feel like when those lights rise in the sky. What if it's not everything I dreamed it would be?” (This can be seen in the clip below). Unlike many other female characters in Disney films, Rapunzel comes to a revelation that dreams and reality could in fact be different. She is one of the first female characters to actually take a pause and consider the reality that dreams may not be as picturesque and perfect as one may want it to be. Rapunzel truly becomes this ideal modern woman of the 21st century, a far cry from the earlier princesses like Snow White or Aurora. She sets a great example for young women in this day in age and represents a strong female heroine who is determined and mindful.
On the picture to the right, Flynn is literally wrapped around Rapunzel's hair - she has complete control over the male. The viewers get to see a reversal in gender roles. Not only does the audience see a change in the female character, but also in the leading male role. In previous Disney fairy tales, the prince exhibits little to no character. It is in fact the opposite in Tangled. Flynn reveals much character depth and internal/external conflicts that allow the audience to sympathize and root for him throughout the film. Both the lead male and female roles are solidly characterized. We also see a more realistic side to this princess than any other before her. In the scene where Rapunzel is about to finally witness her dreams come true (the floating lanterns), she questions herself and says “I've been looking out of a window for eighteen years, dreaming about what I might feel like when those lights rise in the sky. What if it's not everything I dreamed it would be?” (This can be seen in the clip below). Unlike many other female characters in Disney films, Rapunzel comes to a revelation that dreams and reality could in fact be different. She is one of the first female characters to actually take a pause and consider the reality that dreams may not be as picturesque and perfect as one may want it to be. Rapunzel truly becomes this ideal modern woman of the 21st century, a far cry from the earlier princesses like Snow White or Aurora. She sets a great example for young women in this day in age and represents a strong female heroine who is determined and mindful.