Language and Gender Analysis of Three Walt Disney Movies: A Study of Female Language Features of Three Princesses

Abstract

Gender portrayal of characters in Disney princesses’ movies has been a rich topic of research by scholars, especially in the field of linguistics. Many studies examined the impact of these films on children’s perception of gender and gender roles. Some papers concluded that there are many prevailing stereotypes in the portrayal of the female leading characters in the films. Utilizing qualitative and quantitative methods, the aim of this research is to study the language of three princesses from three films produced in three different periods of time. The research examines the use of women’s language features introduced in the field of language and gender, with focus on seven of the features only. Results show significant change has happened in the discourse of the princesses towards progressively commanding language. Features that have been perceived as feminine disappeared gradually, and the verbal utterances of the three protagonists may have become more forceful.