AP Research: Women on the Verge
Advisor: Bryan Meyerowitz
Soman Chainani once wrote, “A female villain is infinitely more clever than a man. Her evil relies not on
brute violence, but on the ability to manipulate, seduce, or recruit—in sum, a deeper, more thrilling
corruption.” Classical fairy tales often depict female relationships in a way that demonizes women,
particularly through the recurring presence of female villains, and film serves as a particularly compelling
medium for this analysis because, while few people closely study fairy tales and their contemporary
retellings, most encounter these stories through cinematic adaptations, particularly Disney films. In my
research paper, I aim to explore how the vilification of different archetypes of female characters in fairy
tales —often expressed through villainous women—has evolved in films derived from classical fairy
tales. To study this, I conducted a study of different Disney films over time that prominently display such
archetypes, connecting my study to themes of good and evil, society, collective unconsciousness and
archetypes, and what characterization of fairy tales tells us about the human experience.
From the demonization of female politicians’ sexuality to the enduring themes of Aristotle’s hysteria,
literary theory has long been used as a foundation for arguments that police and punish women. These
historical narratives continue to manifest in modern portrayals of women in media, reinforcing long-
standing anxieties about female power and autonomy. As evolving tropes and characters in media shift, it
is essential to examine how the figures in our literary and cultural canon, our archetypes, influence more
than just the screen—they shape social norms and establish baselines for how women are perceived and
judged in the real world.
Project Blog
Post 1: Introduction
Soman Chainani once wrote, “A female villain is infinitely more clever than a man. Her evil relies not on brute violence, but on the ability to manipulate, seduce, or recruit—in sum, a deeper, more thrilling corruption.” Classical fairy tales often depict female relationships in a way that demonizes women, particularly through the recurring presence of female villains. The prevalence of tropes such as the evil stepmother, the vengeful ex-wife, and the maternal figure turned antagonist suggests a pattern in which women’s conflicts are framed as destructive and inherently antagonistic. In my research paper, I aim to explore how the vilification of female relationships—often expressed through villainous women—has evolved in films derived from classical fairy tales.
Fairy tales have been a personal love of mine, and postmodern fairy tale studies is a field that deeply interests me. Film serves as a particularly compelling medium for this analysis because, while few people closely study fairy tales and their contemporary retellings, most encounter these stories through cinematic adaptations, particularly Disney films. Late-century translations and postmodern theory will likely inform my literary review, but the broader cultural impact of fairy tales stems primarily from their portrayal in film. As evolving tropes and characters in media shift, it is essential to examine how the figures in our literary and cultural canon influence more than just the screen—they shape social norms and establish baselines for how women are perceived and judged in the real world.
From the demonization of female politicians’ sexuality to the enduring themes of Aristotle’s hysteria, literary theory has long been used as a foundation for arguments that police and punish women. Helen King’s Hippocrates’ Women explores how Aristotle’s hysteria theory, perpetuated through literature and medicine, laid the groundwork for rape-based punishment and the shaming of women for their own assault. These historical narratives continue to manifest in modern portrayals of women in media, reinforcing long-standing anxieties about female power and autonomy.
My central research question is: Do Disney’s adaptations of classical fairy tales overrepresent villainy with traditionally feminine traits? My hypothesis is that Disney’s fairy tale adaptations disproportionately assign villainous characteristics to female characters in ways that reinforce traditional gender stereotypes, perpetuating societal fears surrounding female ambition, power, and nonconformity.
Post 2: Literature Review
Hi Guys,
Welcome back! Today we will be parsing through various different sources that have informed my knowledge and the direction of my research project. My research explores the gendered portrayal of villains in films derived from classical fairy tales, investigating how these portrayals have evolved over time in response to cultural perceptions of gender, female power and competition. The following three sources are crucial to my investigation as they provide insight into the tropes, themes, and societal implications surrounding female villains in fairy tales and their film adaptations.
Weibel, Apolline. “Bad Mothers and Wicked (Step)Monsters: Ambivalence, Violence, and Subversion of the Mother/Daughter Plot in Contemporary Fairy-Tale Retellings”
Weibel argues that fairy tales are inherently about hierarchy and the fear of disrupting it, particularly in the context of female relationships. She proposes that the villainization of women in fairy tales stems from the subversion of the maternal role, reinforcing societal anxieties about women who reject traditional female roles. i.e. traditional fairytale narratives frame conflict as power struggles between women rather than between men and women.
Fairy tales were originally cautionary stories meant to regulate behavior, reinforce gendered hierarchies. Her analysis of the maternal figure as the root of female villain tropes is crucial in understanding how evil women are depicted in storytelling. → Maria Tatar’s “Off With Their Heads: Fairy Tales and the Culture of Childhood” and Gilbert/Gubar’s The Madwoman in the Attic explain this concept both directly related to fairy tales and general portrayal of women in literature in general
This source provides a strong theoretical foundation for my research by explaining the origins of female villain tropes, as well as broad analysis of women in fairy tales. Understanding how maternal subversion informs villainous portrayals helps me contextualize how film adaptations continue or challenge these themes.
Wellman, Natalie S. “Disney’s Portrayal of Women: An Analysis of Female Villains and Princesses”
Wellman’s study argues Disney films reinforce rigid gender roles by depicting female villains as primarily motivated by jealousy, vanity, or inherent evil, while male villains are more often driven by power and wealth, influencing the perception of children
Wellman categorizes common tropes and behavioral patterns in Disney’s portrayal of female villains and princesses using thematic and codex analysis → this provided the first basis of my decision to use codex and character analysis. Specifically, she quantifies/analyzes the motivations of male and female villains → showing how women are often villainized for superficial reasons.
This study was very helpful in identifying patterns in film adaptations of fairy tales. Her method of thematic analysis informs my own approach to defining villainous tropes, and her discussion of film’s influence on childhood perceptions broadens my understanding of the cultural impact of these portrayals on kids and general audiences.
Fisher, Jerilyn, and Silber, Ellen. “Good and Bad Beyond Belief: Teaching Gender Lessons through Fairy Tales and Feminist Theory”
Fisher and Silber argue that fairy tales serve as “pedagogical tools”that reinforce gender hierarchies, shaping societal perceptions of women through their depictions of good and evil. Their study is very broad and theoretical → It explores how feminist theory can be used to deconstruct these stories/narratives and their effects.
This article is a very broad thematic analysis of fairy tales, categorizing key tropes that contribute to traditional gender norms. The authors also discuss how these tropes have influenced feminist discourse and societal perceptions of women. It also works well with Weibel’s study by more deeply examining how hierarchical structures in fairy tales influence perceptions of female characters → furthered my understanding of how these narratives operate and their lasting social effects.
Research Gap
While many studies discuss fairy tale hierarchies and their representations in film, they do not fully explore the evolution of villains over time in relation to shifting cultural attitudes toward gender dysmorphia and gendered power. There is a gap in research regarding how contemporary reinterpretations of these characters challenge or uphold norms by blurring the lines of gender. My study will bridge this gap by analyzing the transformation of villains in film adaptations of classical fairy tales over different time periods. Using a combination of thematic coding and comparative analysis, I will examine how changing cultural perceptions influence the motives, actions, and characterizations of antagonists → this will provide deeper understanding of how media representations of villainy reflect and shape societal attitudes toward women’s power and agency.
Oral defense question:
How did you evaluate the sources you collected to make sure they would be credible, valid, and reliable? Which sources did you discard and why?
I had a very broad direction in regards to stories, gender, villany → so I started out with a very broad range of sources. As I was more certain of the direction I was going, I specifically chose sources that were very directly related to the methodologies and background I wanted to use/was interested in. I evaluated the sources credibility by using ones published in journals/affiliated with colleges or books/media/magazines.
Post 3: Methodology
This study aims to track and examine the change of the shadow archetype in Disney movies over time. In my methodology, I specifically will examine characters and archetypes that I have previously identified.
Disney has eight well established eras, but I have chosen five films from five eras that I think convey the time significance:
The Golden Age (1939 – 1942): Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
The Silver Age (1950-1959): Sleeping Beauty
The Disney Renaissance (1989-1999): Hunchback of Notre Dame (also could have The Lion King or Beauty and the Beast)
The Revival Era 2010-Present: Frozen
The Live Action(Added) Present: Cruella (Maleficent)
I have chosen each film based on cultural significance and lasting impact (as something most representative of the cultural norms and perceptions of such time period)
To analyze the presence and effects of the shadow archetype, I will be using quantitative methodology involving content analysis inspired by the work of researchers at Malayalam University and Jungian Reflections within the Cinema: A Psychological Analysis of Sci-Fi and Fantasy Archetypes.
To analyze narrative gender dynamics(anima and animus), a codebook will be developed to classify traits commonly associated with villainy. Initial traits will be drawn from literature on gender and media stereotypes, including themes of manipulation, vanity, jealousy, greed, ambition, and use of psychological over physical power. This codex will be based off of preexisting codexes on femininity and gender dysmorphia by fellow scholars in the field, so that it is more accurate and tested.
I will watch each of these “keynote” films several times -
First Viewing: focuses on the main villain’s dialogue, actions, and interactions.
Second Viewing: focuses on specific villainous behaviors, motivations, and visual traits (e.g., costume, expressions, gestures)
These will be noted down and compared using a predefined coding sheet on whether qualities are more feminine or masculine.
Coded traits will be grouped into thematic categories (e.g., "psychological manipulation," "physical aggression," "vanity") → Traits will be compared across films to identify recurring patterns and contrasts.
Using findings, I aim to assess how it relates to dynamics of that to dynamic between gender or good and evil
The limitations of the method are that I’m not sure if only doing 3-4 films is sufficient data go really see any change over time in characterization, and also finding a common codex that actually works for all films is hard(I could leave out something in the codex, which is why finding a wide range is important)
Oral Defense: How is the method/process aligned with the goals of your research? What are the methods that you rejected? : The method I chose aligns because it offers a more focused tackle on my question: by analyzing that change of one archetype over time, rather than myriads of different characters and storylines, change over time in characterization is easier to see and track. The methods I rejected were analyzing 10/20ish films in the hopes of getting more data and a more holistic look at change over time in tropes
Post 4: Data Collection Update #1
Hi guys, welcome to the first update on my data collection.
So recently, I’ve been changing up my methodology a little bit because there are a few different methodologies I could use, and I’m still working on deciding on the best one. When looking at ways to analyze archetypes, I’ve considered everything from methods for analyzing archetypes in fantasy films to studies on the difference between character archetypes and narrative archetypes, and even specifically looking at the difference between film archetypes and fairy tale archetypes.
Because I haven’t finalized my list of movies yet, I’m doing a bit of a trial run and performing early analyses of films to see which ones best fit my analysis of the SHADOW archetype. Again, during my research on archetypes, I found it really fascinating how many of the archetypes I was interested in actually lined up perfectly with the characteristics and sociopolitical and gender points I wanted to investigate about Disney movies and Disney in general. With Disney, I specifically wanted to explore ideas of masculinity and femininity within evil, and how gender identity is tied to and influences our concepts of Good and Evil. The archetypes of the anima and animus perfectly represent this, talking about femininity within masculine characters and masculinity within feminine characters.
The shadow archetype seems perfect for the way I want to talk about villainy in Disney films and how villainy is often a projection or subversion of the protagonist. When we look at evil as a direct subversion of some values or fears, it makes the storyline and the interaction between characters much deeper, giving more meaning to the roles their archetypes are playing. Additionally, because I’m talking about the shadow being the subversion of the persona, I find it interesting that in many fairy tale scripts and translations of fairy tales, the relationship between two women is often the most important and interesting part. The demonization of female relationships—whether that’s the complete subversion of the mother figure or having the characters’ relationship be indicative of something more—makes the idea of using the stranger archetype really clearly tie into the points about gender I want to explore.
Early Analysis:
I’ve just rewatched a few of the films that I shortlisted to analyze in greater detail, including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Lion King, Maleficent, and Cruella. I think these films are especially interesting because, yes, they all feature specific and iconic villains, but I think analyzing the subversion of what each of these characters represents is very intriguing.
I haven’t done an in-depth analysis yet, but so far, I’ve noticed an interesting shift in the shadow dynamic. As I mentioned, the idea of pitting women against women is a story that’s been told for a very long time. In Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Sleeping Beauty, you clearly see the idea of the jealous stepmother or the jealous, magical older woman in competition with a younger damsel in distress. When we talk about the shadow being a darker reflection or repressed feelings, these films are about innocence, femininity, and women fighting women.
However, somewhere along the way, there’s a shift. I’d argue that The Hunchback of Notre Dame introduces a dynamic where two men—Quasimodo and Frollo—are posed against each other. This makes for an interesting dynamic that I might want to explore further. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is an incredible movie full of ideas about sin, religion, politics, and loss—concepts that Disney typically doesn’t delve into. But there’s a point where it shifts from women fighting women to women fighting men. In Beauty and the Beast, the main villain is Gaston, and the film touches on toxic masculinity. In Beauty and the Beast, the patriarchy represents the repressed shadow that needs to be fought. Similarly, in Frozen, something that’s often overlooked is how Elsa can be seen as a typical Disney villain: a possibly asexual woman with magical powers. However, in a surprising twist, Hans becomes the villain instead, and in doing so, it almost seems like the film is making a statement about fighting patriarchy. At some point, within these films, the protagonists aren’t just fighting patriarchy—they are also fighting other reflections of themselves. This makes the shadow archetype more complex, and I find it incredibly fascinating in relation to the ideas I’m trying to explore. It opens up a larger door for analyzing gender in these films.
There is still a lot more data I need to collect, and I will be working on finalizing my movie list, doing more in-depth analyses, and using quantitative methods to analyze characters based on a codebook and a set of traits. However, the data I’ve already gathered shows promise that the shadow archetype does evolve over time, and there’s something interesting to say not only about the change of the archetype itself but also about the evolution of other archetypes, such as the anima and animus, over time.
Oral Defense Question of the Week:
If you had three more months to work on this research project, what additional research strategies would you put into practice?
I honestly would probably analyze a film or a few from each of Disney’s eight eras. I’m still wondering if not covering all eight will create some bias, especially since choosing more than one film from a genre that’s more prolific than the others feels slightly off to me. I would also analyze more than just one character archetype; I’d likely explore a few different archetypes. I think it would be interesting to dive deeper into the connections between various archetypes and how they interact in a film, as well as how philosophers view those interactions in the psyche. Additionally, I would research more types of archetypes—not just character archetypes, but overall narrative archetypes and structures as well.
Post 5: Blog 5 and 6: Data Analysis II: Implications and Updates
Methodology Update
I have decided that, in order to track change over time most effectively, I will be analyzing all eight of the primary accepted Disney eras. Below, I have listed some of the most impactful and influential films from each era that I am considering. I will update very soon with the final movie list.
1. The Golden Age (1937–1942)
The beginning of Disney's feature animation, characterized by hand-drawn animation and fairy-tale adaptations never seen before in the industry. The original films → the basis of Disney’s fairy tale industrial complex
Notable Films:
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Pinocchio (1940)
Fantasia (1940)
Dumbo (1941)
Bambi (1942)
2. The Wartime Era (1943–1949)
During World War II, Disney focused on producing propaganda films and package films → had fewer full-length narrative features. This era is rather unusual and deviates from the Disney mold and the overt fairytale structure, but I think can provide an interesting perspective on wartime narratives and analyzes the side of Disney many don’t discuss.
Notable Films:
Saludos Amigos (1943)
The Three Caballeros (1945)
Make Mine Music (1946)
Fun and Fancy Free (1947)
Melody Time (1948)
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
3. The Silver Age (1950–1967)
Disney’s “Restoration Era,” this period saw Disney return to more high-quality animated storytelling and technological innovations. Again, a crucial period in fairy tale adaptations.
Notable Films:
Cinderella (1950)
Alice in Wonderland (1951)
Peter Pan (1953)
Lady and the Tramp (1955)
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
The Sword in the Stone (1963)
The Jungle Book (1967) → this is Walt Disney’s last film
4. The Bronze Age (1968–1988) (sometimes called the Dark Age)
Post Walt Disney’s death(1966), the studio would focus less on animation and their content turned a lot darker, more dismal narratives.
Notable Films:
The Aristocats (1970)
Robin Hood (1973)
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)
The Rescuers (1977)
The Fox and the Hound (1981)
The Black Cauldron (1985) (Disney’s first PG-rated animated film)
The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
Oliver & Company (1988)
5. The Disney Renaissance (1989–1999)
Disney commercially and critically skyrocketed in this era, with diverse, interesting, and widespread stories + Broadway-esque, hugely successful songs. This would actually hugely evolve and shape our perception of classic Disney.
Notable Films:
The Little Mermaid (1989)
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Aladdin (1992)
The Lion King (1994)
Pocahontas (1995)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Hercules (1997)
Mulan (1998)
Tarzan (1999)
6. The Post-Renaissance Era (2000–2009)
Disney’s extremely experimental era → new ways of storytelling, CGI integration, non-musical films(speaks hugely to the success of the Renaissance era that this is considered odd). This era received mixed results, critically and commercially.
Notable Films:
Fantasia 2000 (2000)
Dinosaur (2000)
The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)
Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
Lilo & Stitch (2002)
Treasure Planet (2002)
Brother Bear (2003)
Home on the Range (2004)
Chicken Little (2005) ( fully CGI Disney animated film)
Meet the Robinsons (2007)
Bolt (2008)
7. The Disney Revival (2010–Present)
This period is again, expansive like that of the Renaissance. More CGI, more diverse storytelling, and huge amounts of critical success
Notable Films:
The Princess and the Frog (2009) (return to hand-drawn animation)
Tangled (2010)
Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
Frozen (2013) (biggest animated film at the time)
Big Hero 6 (2014)
Zootopia (2016)
Moana (2016)
Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)
Frozen II (2019) (another box office record)
Encanto (2021)
8. The Streaming/Modern Era (2024–Present) (speculative)
This era is all about new approaches to storytelling, but I’m going to replace with with talking about Disney’s increased fascination with live action movies and how they try to “rewrite” history and fix the problems of the original films, to mixed results.
Maleficent (2014)
Cinderella (2015)
The Jungle Book (2016)
Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Aladdin (2019)
The Lion King (2019)
Mulan (2020)
Cruella (2021)
The Little Mermaid (2023)
I've explained in my previous post a lot of what my data is telling us, so I'm going to explore more of the implications and how it fills the gap here.
Gap and Implications of Study/Data
While many studies analyze gender ideals and portrayals in Disney villains, my research focuses on one particular archetype: the shadow archetype and its relation to female villains in Disney films.
My research contributes to discussions about gender and perceptions of evil, particularly the shadow archetype, which reflects the protagonist’s characteristics and fears. According to Carl Jung, the shadow archetype represents the unconscious mind’s repressed fears, weaknesses, and desires—“the darker side of the psyche.” In literature, it manifests as a villain or an internal struggle, often acting as a foil to the protagonist and a physical manifestation of their doubts. Studying this archetype in Disney films allows us to examine not just different villains but also the social anxieties they represent.
This study builds on the work of Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar in The Madwoman in the Attic, which explores the female archetypes of "angel" and "monster." Like a fairy tale version of the Madonna-whore complex, they argue that women in literature are often portrayed in extremes: pure and angelic or dangerous and unstable. This dichotomy aligns with the persona and shadow archetypes. Disney villains, created in sharp contrast to princesses, reinforce this “monster-angel” complex. Gilbert and Gubar argue that both archetypes must be deconstructed, as neither accurately represents female agency.
By analyzing Disney films, we gain insight into female relationships, gender dynamics, and morality in storytelling. My data suggests that Disney’s shadow archetypes reflect societal anxieties about femininity, toxic female dynamics, and gender roles, aligning with Gilbert and Gubar’s work.
Oral Defense Question: How do your findings relate to current work in the field?
As discussed above, my research reveals that Disney’s female villains often serve as reflections of their protagonists, reinforcing cultural narratives about femininity’s darker side. These portrayals contribute to broader discussions about gender representation and power dynamics in storytelling.