The Politics of White/Black in fairy tales: Analysis of discrimination generated midst Protagonist Cinderella and Moana on basis of their color

 Author: Bakhtawer Batool Syed. 

Growing up as a girl, I have fantasized fairy tales which transmitted in me the desire of becoming like the protagonist many times. Fairytales have their past in oral literature and present in Disney movies. They have been playing a remarkable role in the formation of identities and cultures. There are so many different aspects of life which are elaborated and spread by this form of literature. These stories propagate and accomplish some economical or socio-political purposes as well. One of the political agendas propagated by some of these stories includes the politics of Black and White.

 The rise of desired feelings in the audience can be traced back in Grimm’s intention of constructing a German national identity and cultural consciousness. Jacob Grim once stated this as, “all my work is dedicated to my homeland…our country’s guidance is the most correct”. Similar to identity formation, politics of Black and White, where a few stereotypes are associated with both the races and they are assigned with specific roles, can be seen in these fairytales and Disney movies. This agenda can be visualised through the comparison of contemporary versions of Cinderella (2015) and Moana (2016).

 The racial depictions and treatments can be seen in the characters of Cinderella and Moana. Cinderella is a young, beautiful girl having blue eyes and blonde hair along with a fair complexion (British/occident). She is forced to be a maid at her own home by her step-sisters and step-mother. Apart from her servitude, she grows up with an aim to be a renowned designer. She is hoping to be independent, rich and free at her own rather than waiting for a rich match. She faces a lot of difficulties but does not give up on her ambition to do something for herself. Moana, on the other side, is a sixteen years old muscular girl. She has thick eyebrows, long and wavy black hair, brown eyes and brownish lips (African/orient). She is mentally strong, practically fearless and physically capable. At the same time, she is too stubborn to reject challenges coming in her life. Being the chief’s daughter, Moana is nominated to be the descendent of her father. She is seen devoting her life to the survival and prosperity of her tribe and people. She spends her entire time sacrificing her life to save her people from the curse. She remains so much indulged in her responsibilities to her tribe that she does not fulfill her duties towards herself. But what they represented on the screen had a politics behind it.

 Both Ron Clemnts and John Musker who came up with the idea to create the movie about Moana, are white men. They seem to be playing the white tactics in order to associate certain stereotypes with them. Being the white projectors, they are trying to normalize a serving and sacrificing stereotype for the black people. Moana being the heroine of the story is the character who is continually struggling for her people. Her act of sacrificing her own choices for the sake of other people is the insight projected by white men in black representations. Giving up so many things is something people do not idealize and being the part of continuous struggle sometimes becomes futile.

 Similarly, beauty and whiteness are considered to be correlated. Jacob in one of his essays observes that beauty has a complex relationship with the whiteness because of the glow and brightness it provides. Considering this fact, mesmerisation of Prince by her beauty shows that Cinderella is an epitome of beauty.  Her beauty is the reason she is granted whatever she wished for one. She got a whole palace. This pretty representation is missing in Moana's story. Although, she is displayed as a strong and muscular girl still she is not pretty. She is a black girl who is indulged with the thoughts of sacrificing her life for her people. Moreover, black women are presented as someone who will continue to live in deprivation and will not be rescued.

Discussing the very fact, this disregard of the existence of black people and black women can be traced back in American slave trading. These people are exploited for one’s own pleasure and profit without giving any security to their basic rights. During the period of slavery, the notion of black being physically and mentally fit for labor was propagated. The element of it can be traced through the depiction of Moana to be stronger enough to work in any setting than all other men in the tribe and all other princesses in Disney movies. This appears like the concept of a 'happy slave'. It is evident through Wipple’s Southern Diary, “they seem a happy race of beings and if you did not know it you would never imagine that they were slaves.” (Boskin, 1989, p.42)

    Furthermore, Cinderella’s struggle for independence also shows an acceptance of white women being determined and honorable. While the rejection of Moana’s wish of discovering the waters show that in general, black race and specifically, black women are still trapped in a world where their personal choice does not matter at all. Her character’s preference to value her community more than herself is a representation of her group being the servers. All that matters in the lives of these servers is their devotion towards their community. And this notion is presented and spread by white orient.

 The movies released almost same year have played so well with the minds that we witnessed beauty being the symbol of not only class but prosperity. The depiction of black Moana in contrast with white Cinderella shows that black people are presented as the ‘others’. They have been exploited for a long time. Even in twenty first century, there are so many black communities that are still put at a backstage and a few of them react like they know that they are made to be at a backside. They are passing through a phase where they have internalized the notion of being oppressed. This is what needs to be changed. Black lives matter, The black liberation movement and other revolutionary movements must have a common agenda i.e. to exterminate the internalization of white supremacy over the black people. 

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Jun, Helen H. "Black Orientalism: Nineteenth-century narratives of race and US citizenship." American Quarterly 58.4 (2006): 1047-1066.

Snyder, Louis L. "Nationalistic aspects of the Grimm Brothers' fairy tales." The Journal of Social Psychology 33.2 (1951): 209-223.