Q. What is the purpose of your essay?

A. The purpose of my essay is to examine and deconstruct how the princesses of (and subsequently
the female protagonists) of Disney’s animated feature films have changed over the decades.

Q. What are your big ideas / key theories?

A. Key theories and main ideas for this essay include feminist theory, audience theory, post-feminism
and the male gaze in lieu of the development of Disney’s female protagonists have changed over the
years reflecting the societal conditions of the time.

Q. What is the historical context of the dissertation?

A. The dissertation looks at how Disney’s representation of women and girls has changed over the
years owing to the political, societal, cultural conditions during the period at the films were made. The
more patriarchal 1950s, the civil rights era, and the more contemporary era.

Q. What’s your next step?

I plan on researching feminist theory and audiences and film theories for the dissertation. Laura
Mulvey’s male gaze and essays will be examined and applied. Disney films will be viewed and theory
will be applied to them.