Representation of female character: To what extent can Disney be said to have moved with the times?

Disney is an international film company that dominates full-length feature animations. Two feature long cartoons, Snow White (1937) and Mulan (1999), are good examples where a female character takes the central role, Snow White being from the first half of the 20th century and Mulan from modern times. Between the times when these films were made, one might expect the representation of women may have changed, (as female equality has improved) as well as some of the …

…other companies producing entertainment for children. The fact that Disney movies are marketed toward children also increases concerns that they support sexism and for good reason. Society should not impart sexist views on its youth. And although Disney may encourage gender stereotyping it is by no means responsible for it. Disney has produced films that do show more modern views of gender, and there are definitely some qualities in Mulan that women should aspire to.