#Best role models for teenage girls free

Yet, these same detractors forget in her time period, Cinderella would have had few other options than to remain a servant to her abusive stepfamily. Detractors allege she simply waits around for a prince to rescue her, not doing anything to change her dismal situation. The titular character of Disney’s twelfth animated feature is often accused of being passive, weak, and anti-feminist. Esmeralda is a good portrait of what it means to strike a balance between changing one’s world and taking time to find your own place in it.Ĭinderella, Cinderella #4: Cinderella, Cinderella Yet it’s also admirable to reach out to the world around and above us for friendship, support, and assistance. It’s great to be strong and stand up for others. The fact that she turns to God – a higher power than herself – for help teaches viewers there is a world out there bigger than themselves. “I ask for nothing I can get by,” she sings in her famous solo “God Help the Outcasts.” She seeks divine intervention for her people and those like them, not wealth, fame, or even protection. Though she is one herself, she doesn’t play the victim.

She is one of Disney’s most selfless characters, with a deep concern for outcasts in her society. Quasimodo is not the only recipient of Esmeralda’s goodwill. Esmeralda’s attitude gives Quasimodo the chance to start rebuilding the self-concept Frollo and others have worked to destroy. She does not judge him as ugly or a monster she sees him as a friend who is worthy of love, dignity, and respect.

#Best role models for teenage girls free

When Quasimodo is abused during a festival with Frollo’s explicit approval, Esmeralda defies the priest and the law to free him. At her core, she is a gentle and kind woman who is no respecter of persons. That said, Esmeralda’s positive behavior and character traits far outweigh her shortcomings. Whatever their other feelings about Disney heroines, most parents would not want their daughters engaging in some of her behavior or repeating some of her sassy dialogue. Second, Esmeralda herself, though she resists Frollo, does engage in mildly provocative behavior, such as sensual dancing. He refers to Gypsies as “vermin,” but makes blatant sexual advances toward Esmeralda. In Hunchback, he’s a fanatical priest who sees corruption “everywhere except within.” He kills Quasimodo’s mother and tries to drown the infant because he was born with deformities. The villain Frollo is not simply a power-hungry, greedy monster. It’s noticeably darker than most Disney films. First, her film is not as well-known as it could be and is widely considered one of Disney’s worse installments. Top Five Best Disney Heroine Role Models Esmeralda, The Hunchback of Notre Dame #5: Esmeralda, The Hunchback of Notre DameĮsmeralda gets the lowest spot on this list for a few reasons. One could argue that within the canon of Disney heroines, there is a group of top five best and top five worst role models. Others embody more negative traits than positive, and don’t give our girls much to aspire to or work toward. Careful analysis of princesses and non-princesses shows some truly are worth emulating. However, some of these characters – princesses and otherwise – make better role models for girls and young women than others. When it comes to the role model question, it seems Disney heroines can’t win. The same moviegoers who applauded princesses like Brave’s Merida for being strong, later decried the messages she sent after she was given a “sexed-up makeover.” Many grown women love Mulan, while others claim her story is offensive because it teaches a woman must act like a man to be accepted or feel comfortable with herself. Others cry a vehement “no.” To them, the early Disney females are too passive and dependent on men, while later incarnations are spoiled, brassy, and perhaps mannish. Some argue yes, pointing to these characters’ kindness, gentleness, and patience as traits everyone should emulate. Best and Worst Disney Role Models for Girls and Young WomenĮver since the Disney Princess line began with Snow White in 1937, debate has raged over whether Disney’s princesses and other female protagonists are good role models for young women.