The lasting impact of stereotypes

Disney's portrayal of women is divided into distinct eras.

• First came the domestic era, where characters were portrayed as homemakers, often cleaning and in need of rescue by a man, like Snow White or Cinderella.
• Then came the rebellious, new-age phase of Ariel in The Little Mermaid and Princess Jasmine in Aladdin. Disney's women strove to free themselves from the bonds of society. The female characters in the five subsequent films started to speak less, and the male characters in the same films tended to boss the female characters around.