Samantha Castro

          Name the Disney Princess who escapes the restriction of gender roles while possessing the powers to defy against hegemony as she counteracts social and cultural norms. The truth is you cannot name that Disney Princess, she is a Disney Heroine. Do not call her a Princess; Moana is Heroine as she represents an individualized woman who leads the 2016 Disney film called Moana.
Moana is a story that breaks the traditional mold of a Disney Princess as it exhibits a disruptive hegemonic role as a woman through the character Moana. The film, Moana is directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, and produced by Osnat Shurer through Disney animated studio. Shurer, as a woman, it is important to note her role in the film in helping to show ideas of a strong female character. As storytellers, Disney is moving towards progressive and inclusive themes. Moana features a Polynesian woman in quest of saving the people from the destruction of her island.
          The announcement of a Polynesian Disney movie that portrayed a heroine was groundbreaking in the Pacific Islander community. I identify as a Pacific Islander however, I am not Polynesian. I am from Micronesia, and from an island called Guam. Closely identify with Polynesian culture. The Oceania and the Pacific Islands are a minority community that is more than its commercialized tourism. I selected this media text because of Disney’s progressive move towards inclusion of cultures. Moana helps to increase awareness on a culture and community that is slowly disappearing. However, with this movie shedding light on the Pacific Islands, I hope it opens the door to an important issue; the movement of all Oceania islands seeking independence from westernized colonies.   
Chief Moana
          The heroine Moana, is unlike stereotypical Disney movies, she follows her own path as a disruptive character who infringes on hegemonic theory. The character Moana objects to heteronormative standard as conventional behavior. The classic Disney princess story of a damsel in distress that can only be rescued from a man's true love kiss demonstrates the ideas of strict binary rules of sexuality and gender. Moving away from traditional Disney princesses, Moana is a heroine that is individualized by her defiance of operating outside the normative hegemonic gender roles.
          One tradition Moana follows is the cultural traditions of her native Polynesian roots as an heir to her father; she takes over as Chief Moana of her island. As a woman, Moana is not limited and placed in the box of finding a partner in order to take on the role as Chief. In typical fairytale fashion, the role as a woman is defined by her heterosexuality of the love of a man. Moana is seen as going against the grain of a patriarchal system, she has the fluidity of both gender roles. She can be the Chief of her people as a woman that is typically seen as a man's role. Searching the #Moana and term ‘gender’ on twitter helped to exhibit that consumers of the media text appreciate and are aware of Moana destroying gender norms. Aaron Jones tweets,‏ @ReelWeddingsUK “Finally managed to watch #Moana. The best bit about it was that the chief made her leader in waiting without her gender being any issue.” Gender is never shown as a downfall in the film, as a woman she is not crippled or discredited to play the role and exhibit characteristics of what is normative masculinity.
          It is clear that Moana is a woman but there is no clear sexual identity, she exists as a fluid sexual gender. Illustrating both male and female roles in the film. She takes on the role as Cheif and is never pressured to find love from a man in order to define her as a woman. Stated in the textbook, “Queer theory examines the social construction of all sexualites (not just LGBT ones), in order to deconstruct the ideologies and institutions of heteronormativity, a broad social structure that claims ‘marries-straight-white-man-on-top-of-woman-sex-for-procreation-only’ is the only normal desirable sexuality.” (297) She exists outside the normative role as a woman as she challenges the idea of a woman existing for only the subordinate of a man. She exists on her own fulfilling both genders.
          Moana helps to represent the new idea of being a woman. The character opposite of Moana, Maui, a Demigod, calls Moana a Princess and she quickly rejects the title that hold stereotypical gender roles. Instead she proclaims she is a Chief. I believe this is Disney demonstrating how the character Moana is given no gender stereotypes to exist under. She can be a woman while still possessing the branded hyper masculine characteristics. In the article, “The Little Princess Syndrome”, author Matthew Johnson presents an idea to challenge the Little Princess Syndrome. “What may be more effective is to make sure that girls (and boys) are also exposed to more positive female role models.” (Johnson). Children are exposed to princess fairytales that instill ideas that women must depend on the hyper masculine male in order to succeed. Women are conformed to the hegemonic role as being subordinate to men and only existing through the man. Yet Moana rejects these ideas just as she rejected Maui when she was called a princess.
Conclusion  
          Operating outside the hegemonic gender norms, Moana assists in the confirmation that breaking the traditional mold of restriction on gender is a progressive step in the right direction. As a woman she not only does she defy a role as woman by exemplifying no concept of gender norms, Moana illustrates that you can be your own hero.


References
Johnson, M. (2010, Nov). The little princess syndrome. Natural Life, , 34-36.

Jones, A. (2017, March 6). “Finally managed to watch #Moana. The best bit about it was that the chief made her leader in waiting without her gender being any issue.”

Lopez, Gressi (2016). Disney's Gender Messaging. JCCC Honors Journal: Vol. 8 : Iss. 1 , Article 1.

Shurer, O. (Producer), & Clements, R., Musker, J. (Directors) (2016). Moana [Motion Picture]. United States. Walt Disney Animation Studios
 

Next Essay

​Back to Table of Contents

Comment on this page