Disney movies are widely considered to be the staple of educational viewing experiences for kids. However, as we have seen and analysed, these movies are packed with stereotypes which are expressed through the portrayal of characters and the plot development. Nevertheless, as the years pass by some progress has been made in such gender and race stereotypes; for example in films such as Mulan and Pocahontas. Mulan is a more contemporary character in Disney animation and is based on a true story. She is described as braver, independent, and less focused on finding a husband than the other female Disney princesses. Unlike some of the previous animated films, Mulan transforms herself into a man in order to enter the army in her ailing father’s place. She cuts her hair and dresses like a man and through discipline and determination is able to become one of the best soldiers in the army. Mulan did not wait for a man to come to her rescue, but instead, became the rescuer herself.
Along similar lines, Pocahontas was raised by a single father with no sign or mention of a mother. The heroine’s motherless life accentuates her own feminine virtues and independence, since her father is invariably domineering, feeble, and ridiculous. Pocahontas, shows that her potential as a leader is complicated by her position on the margins of tribal life. When she meets and falls in love with John Smith in the forest, she is forced to keep the encounter secret, trying to convince her tribe that the white men can be good. Her secret indirectly causes the death of Kocoum at the hands of one of Smith's friends, thus leading her tribe and the English to war. Her courageous act of defending Smith from her father, however, is an act of self-sacrifice, and she does it knowing she risks further alienation from her tribe.
The way Disney's animated movies represent women, race and other cultures has changed as you can see in the video above. In the Disney's early age animations, female characters with minor or even inferior roles didn't really give a good message to young girls today, in the 21st century. However, as gender roles have changed, the female characters in Disney animations have also changed by gaining more importance in their roles. I, as a woman, hope this change can have positive effect on young girls of today's society.