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Ainsley Duke

Phillips

CML Honors

5/21/18

Moana’s Defeat of Gender Stereotypes

Moana, aside from being Disney’s first Pacific Islander princess, is a role model for

young girls who still live in a world full of gender roles. From beating a giant crab using her wit,

to diplomatically leading an entire island of constituents, to knowing her worth does not depend

upon romantic acceptance, this film subverts the patriarchal paradigm of the average Disney

princess movie in many ways. Throughout this movie, the lead character’s journey is determined

by her ability to not confine herself or be confined to traditional gender roles expected of

women.

Moana is a leader at heart, and does not succumb to men in leadership roles as tradition

dictates. Throughout the movie, she takes on several leadership roles, such as chief of her island.

However, she never once faces criticism for her gender in the context of the roles she fulfills. No

one tells her that a she cannot lead because she is a girl, and none of the islanders she is in charge

of question her ability to lead based on her gender (Clements, Musker). This is a first for Disney

movies. In comparison to Moana, Disney’s Brave has characters throughout the film questioning

the heroine, Merida’s, competence in physical strength and leadership ability due to perceptions

of different performance between men and women (Andrews). Merida must prove herself to be

as strong and talented as men are, who are shown by the movie’s dialogue to be perceived as

more deserving of honor and respect, while Moana never must face this in the first place. The

absence of traditional gender-based expectations like what Merida faces is particularly

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empowering to young girls as it teaches them the need to prove themselves to men is futile, as

they are already equal to men.

Another way Moana differs from the traditional Disney princess movies is in how the

film shows Moana as a servant to society, rather than a servant to a man or another person.

Moana gives nuanced advice to her people as she fulfills her role as the chief’s right hand. When

people of the island come to her with dying coconut trees, she quickly and accurately tells them

to “clear the diseased trees, and start a new grove [over] there.”(Clements, Musker) By showing

competence in this way, the film Moana departs from previous Disney films that would show the

heroine as answering to someone else, rather than answering to the good of the people she leads.

For example, Cinderella shows the namesake character first answering to her father, then her

stepmother and stepsisters, then to her fairy godmother, and finally the prince. Cinderella does

not have a choice in what she does; rather she is forced or lead into every decision she makes by

someone else (Peed et. al). However, Moana not only makes her own decisions, but shows

leadership by giving advice to and guiding others. The empowerment of a female lead in this

way is especially valuable to the lessons the film teaches young girls. By portraying a girl who is

not at the beck and call of other people, the film teaches girls that they are rightfully empowered

to make their own choices and serve others in a beneficial, willing way.

Another way Moana shows leadership in ways different than the average Disney princess

is that she shows quick, independent decision making skills in times of crisis. For example, she

tricked Tamatoa, the giant, greedy crab, into thinking she was going to give him the Heart of Te

Fiti by coating a rock in bioluminescent algae, thereby saving Maui. This clever thinking departs

from what other Disney princesses would do. For example, Ariel was dependent upon Prince

Eric to get her voice back, and she had no way to defeat Ursula unless Eric was involved
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(Clements). However, Moana was able to save herself, the Heart of Te Fiti, and Maui. Moana’s

independence teaches young girls that they are capable of making empowered choices and that

they don't need a knight in shining armor to save the day.

Outside of leadership, the film Moana is incredibly important for young girls in that it

shows shows girls that they do not need a husband or a boyfriend to have worth. Moana is not

searching for love or ever told that she needs to find love by anyone. Additionally, and maybe

most importantly, she doesn't have to define herself as against finding love in order to seem self-

actualized. Moana is recognized as a whole person without a husband or boyfriend ever being

included in the picture, which is revolutionary in Disney movies. For example, in Beauty and the

Beast, women do not speak in the film unless is has to do with finding love and a husband. In

fact, men speak nearly 75% of the time in this movie, because women do not have a talking role

unless they are talking about finding a husband (Guo). Girls are taught from a very young age

that validation of their worth and beauty comes from male attention. By showing that Moana is

not confined to finding a husband by a certain age, or that having a husband increases her

legitimacy in society, young girls are taught that they too can accomplish things on their own,

and that they are worthy and beautiful regardless of whether or not they have a male love

interest.

Moana’s journey from her island of Motunui across the ocean is guided by the principles

of not being confined to a gender stereotype. Without the freedom monaa has, she would not be

able to save her island. Her decision making skills save her from Tamatoa, the animate coconuts,

and Te Ka, and help her to restore the heart of Te Fiti. Because people on her island do not judge

her for her gender, she is able to lead her island fearlessly. Without the pressure to find love on

Moana, she is able to complete her mission and save her island. In conclusion, Moana’s journey
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was formed by her freedom from gender stereotypes. She serves as and inspiration to young girls

and a beacon of hope for how society may one day be free from gender roles and stereotypes.

Works Cited

Andrews, Mark, director. Brave. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, 2012.

Clements, Ron, director. Disney's Little Mermaid. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment,

1989.
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Clements, Ron and John Musker, directors. Moana. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment,

2017.

Guo, Jeff. “Researchers Have Found a Major Problem with 'The Little Mermaid' and Other

Disney Movies.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 25 Jan. 2016,

www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/01/25/researchers-have-discovered-a-

major-problem-with-the-little-mermaid-and-other-disney-

movies/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.033877355e5f.

Peed, William, et al. Cinderella. Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures, Inc., 1949.