Breaking gender roles through Moana

1. ByOLIVIADICKSON
Gender Roles in

2. BIG CONCEPT
In applying feminist film theory to
Disney’s Moana we can see that Disney
has made strides to break its previously
rigid gender roles and norms.

3. CHANGING STEREOTYPICAL
GENDER ROLES IN DISNEY MOVIES
visual
elements
CONTENTS
motivationplot

4. “You’re Welcome” From Moana
CLICK
HERE

5. 1
plot

6. on Moana’s
island: crops are
failing and the
fisherman can’t
catch any fish
Moana is told of the
Legend of Maui -
who stole the heart
of the goddess Te
Fiti - she has cursed
the island
Moana discovers
that her ancestors
were once voyagers
who travelled across
the ocean
PLOT
Moana sets sail to
find Maui and force
him to return the
heart and end the
curse.
Moana finds Maui
but he no longer has
the heart, so they
hunt for it together
They find the heart
and Moana returns it
to Te Fiti
The crops grow and
the fish return.
Moana is celebrated
as the island’s new
chief
** Moana is an active character who makes choices and doesn’t
let anyone stand in her way.

7. FEMALE CHARACTERS

8. THEDISNEYPRINCESSES

9. COMPARISON
love stories adventure stories

10. COMPARISON

11. The Disney
Formula
I. Opening Song or
Narration
Narration by
Gramma Tala
II. Everyday Life
Song
“Where You Are”
III. Angst/ ‘I Want
More’ Song
“How Far I’ll Go”
IV. Friend/Mentor
Solution Song
“I am Moana”
V. Love Song
None
VI. Finale
“We Know The Way
(Finale)”

12. Lack of a Love Story
● Representative of the spectator -- young viewers are not caught
in a love story.
● Women are not represented in relation to the men in the film.
● Women are not represented as sexual objects
From:“Women’sCinemaasCounterCinema”

13. I can lead with pride
I can make us strong
I'll be satisfied if I play along
But the voice inside sings a different song
What is wrong with me
-Moana, “How Far I’ll Go”

14. “If you keep on believing,
the dreams that you wish will come true.”
- Cinderella

15. 2
visual elements

16. design

17. design
- Realistic body dimensions
- Stance / body language
- Apparel
shoulderwidth
Moana’sWaist
Cinderella’sWaist

18. MALE CHARACTERS

19. SIDEKICKS
sidekicks

20. HEROES
heroes

21. ?
role of a sidekick appearance of a hero

22. 3
motivation

23. “You are your father’s daughter, stubbornness
and pride. Mind what he says but remember,
you may hear a voice inside. And if the voice
starts to whisper, to follow the farthest star
Moana, that voice inside is who you are.

24. MOANA vs CINDERELLA

25. MOANA vs CINDERELLA

26. MOANA vs CINDERELLA
MOANA
- Passionate
- Brave
- Powerful
- Outgoing
- Human
- Active
CINDERELLA
- Modest
- Graceful
- Hopeful
- Subdued
- Demure
- Passive

27. SO WHAT?
why does all this matter?

28. ““From birth, children are given toys
and encouraged to play in the ways
that reinforce cultural stereotypes
of gender appropriateness”
(Dines 493).

29. Where do these toys come
from?

30. Moana is making an impact; proving that
children want to see an empowering female
protagonist lead a film.
Disney has great influence and has the power to
change the standards and norms of how gender
represented in films.

31. $145,000,000
...made nationally since its Thanksgiving opening
96% critic score / 92% audience score (RottenTomatoes.com)
3rd consecutive week topping the box office

32. Thank You!