Sleeping Beauty is a classic Disney fairytale that is loved by generations of fans. It has one of the most interesting plots in an animated film. However, because the tale is set in 14th century Medieval France, the nature of the narrative does not seem to fit the context of the modern era anymore.
The story is based on a tale by an Italian poet Giambattista Basile called The Sun, The Moon, and Talia, which was published in 1634. Disney’s 1959 animated film and 2014’s Maleficent are some of the most popular adaptations of the story. There are just a couple of things that didn’t age well in the cartoon version.
Typical Princess Plot
As one of the older classic Disney movie princesses, Aurora’s character never reached its potential. She was presented as a baby and suddenly a teenager wandering around the forest. The next thing we know, she meets Prince Philip.
When we think about it, Aurora doesn’t have any interesting background and doesn’t actually do much in the film. The way she conforms to the typical princess trope, such as talking to animals, only proves the point. This goes to show the stereotypical plot device used for female characters during the ‘50s.
Falling In Love In An Instant
‘Love at first sight’ is not a new concept to all of us, but the way Sleeping Beauty romanticized this unrealistic set-up does more harm than good. Prince Philip effortlessly falls in love with Aurora after hearing her voice in the forest. They danced and sang together, after which they parted without even knowing each other’s names.
Many popular classic Disney tales followed this template, but thank goodness, our modern Disney characters know better than this. In the wise words of Kristoff from Frozen, “You can’t marry someone you just met!”
Shallow Gifts
The kingdom welcomes baby Princess Aurora, and at her christening, three adorable fairy godmothers bestow their blessings upon her. One gave her the gift of beauty, the other a gift of song, and before the last one could say anything, Maleficent walks in.
In today’s condition, no one wishes for those gifts anymore. Modern young girls strive for higher and more self-assured goals. There’s nothing wrong with wanting a beautiful voice or face, but in all honesty, there are far better things to wish for.
True Love’s Kiss
It’s a known fact that the antidote to any curse in the Disney universe is true love’s kiss. But, kissing an unconscious woman in this century will certainly put you behind bars.
There is a darker, more sinister story in the original material, but Disney toned it down. Regardless, it is still wrong to kiss someone without consent.
Absent Mothers
The concept of mothers being always either dead or out of the picture has been an issue in a lot of Disney films. Aurora’s mother was only mentioned in passing, and there was not even a mother-daughter relationship portrayed.
It is quite sad that even in today’s Disney films, mothers still don’t get enough credit. There may only be a few ones, like Lady Elinor from Brave and Helen Parr from The Incredibles, that put them in the spotlight.
