Disney princesses are a part of many people’s childhoods, but there’s something we often overlook about them: mental illnesses.
Disney has always been seen as lighthearted, with most movies involving singing and dancing; however, many characters are actually dealing with mental battles that you probably never notice. Some have more serious issues, and others have minor ones, like Mulan’s savior complex or Tiana’s workaholism.
Although these princesses have these mental illnesses, they still stay strong and deal with them. For example, Elsa can be seen having anxiety because of her powers and depression from her long time in isolation, but despite these mental conflicts, she still can do the right thing and find her happy ending.
You could even say that these princesses can become relatable and feel more real to people, and while kids may not notice it, adults can, making them feel more connected. Disney is showing that even princesses, as perfect as they seem, aren’t actually perfect. And just those little things and problems can really make the difference between a picture-perfect princess and a princess who is more real and has real problems, making them more relatable.
“It makes them relatable. I feel like even as an adult, looking back, it’s like, oh, well, I can relate to that. And I think that Disney’s goal is just to make all of their movies relatable in some way,” said Shacarra Taylor, a counselor at Athens Drive.
Another example is Belle and the argument that she has Stockholm syndrome, a mental illness in which a captive/victim develops positive feelings and grows an emotional bond to their captor/abuser. Throughout the movie “Beauty and the Beast,” Belle shows many signs of Stockholm syndrome – while not affecting her badly, it is one of the more noticeable mental effects we see in princess stories. One way that she displays Stockholm syndrome can be seen as she’s slowly growing a relationship with her captor, the Beast. After growing this relationship, she starts to defend him, especially against Gaston and the townspeople who try to rescue Belle.
“I guess in some ways, yeah, Belle shows signs of Stockholm syndrome. But I don’t think it was that problematic or obvious to be honest,” said Chanelle Clark, freshman at Athens Drive.
Like the princesses, everyone has their own struggles, even if you don’t notice or can’t see them right away. This makes princesses feel more real, and even though they seem perfect with no struggles, they still do have struggles, just not as noticeable. Having them work through problems and still have their happy ending can be hard, but you can relate it to real life and try to be resilient and hardworking like some of the Disney princesses.
“What makes them a good role model is how they deal with their struggle, but then just having the struggle definitely makes them more human, more rounded, and more dynamic,” said Clark.
