Board Thread:Off-Topic Fun/@comment-24863788-20150712021406/@comment-24863788-20150712142619

Edward Zachary Sunrose wrote: Pocahontas stopped a war between settlers and natives and risked her neck (literally) for John Smith. Anna risked everything for her kingdom and her sister, almost dying in the process. Rapunzel didn't really save anyone, but she was definitely independent and strong. I would put all three in the second category.

Belle is totally smart but her Disney incarnation is definitely a damsel. Beast saves her from wolves and can do nothing during his fight with Gaston. Ariel, while incapacitated during the fight with Ursula, gets a lot of character exposition in her prequel cartoon so I would definitely say Ariel can handle herself. I would switch them.

As for Cinderella, she was locked in her room and was saved by the mice, I don't really consider that damsel in distress because she was a 20 year old girl, it's not like she could physically break the door down. Yeah, Pocahontas and Anna are definitely the second category, but I'm still not sure about Rapunzel (in my opinion). She reminds me a lot of Ariel and Belle a little bit, she's very curious and wants to see the world, but not necessarily strong.

To be honest I personally categorize Belle as a damsel, but since most people (that I've seen) classify her as strong and independent, which she kind of is. I would say she's an in-between.

As for Cinderella, she may not have chose to be a damsel, but she was definitely not strong and independent. "Someday my prince will come", she said. She might not have been physically fit to break a door down, but the message that sends is "don't stand up for yourself, just wait for a man to come and save you". She is my least favorite Disney princess, and I definitely categorize her as a damsel.