Analysis of Female Characters

Representations of Females in Aladdin

Jasmine's light skin

Jasmine has very light skin in contrast to the other characters. Her light skin gives her privilege in the market place. Because of her light skin the market sellers assume (correctly) that she is a rich person. Her skin signifies that she belongs to the elite upper class.

Jasmine has white skin, but according to the film she was suppose to be represented as Middle Eastern. we can apply this to Frankenberg's article. Frankenberg explains “Whiteness as a site of privilege is not absolute but rather cross-cut by a range of other axes of relative advantage or subordination; these do not erase or render irrelevant race privilege, but rather inflect or modify it” (1968). During the scene when Jasmine was in the market place it was clear that she was a preferred buyer to the sellers. The reason the sellers paid extra attention to Jasmine was because she was seen as a rich person, even though Jasmine was wearing poor, ratty clothing her skin continued to mark her as rich.


Sexism In Aladdin

While watching the movie so many issues and questions arose for us:

1. Why are all the girls showing their bellies?

2. Why do all the women fall in love with Aladdin when he is rich?

3. Why does Jasmine always seem to be controlled by the men?

4. Does Jasmine have a accent? Doesn’t sound like it to us. Yet she is suppose to be Middle Eastern?

5. The only women of power in the film is Jasmine, and her power is very limited. Why isn’t there more powerful women?

6. Almost all the women in the movie are young and showing a lot of skin. The few that aren’t are obese… how does this show healthy ideas of womanhood to young girls?

     7. Why are all the princes are looking for a submissive women to marry?

8. Jasmine is forced to marry, is this a message we want to send to are female children?

     9. Jasmine’s father believes that she must marry to be taken care of and provided for… won’t it be better to teach our girls how to accomplish these things on their own?

We want to review these questions and try to understand the effects they can have on young girls watching this movie.

Stuart Hall stated “within the dominant tradition of the female nude, patriarchal power relations are symbolized by the binary relation in which, to put it crudely, men assume the active role of the looking subject while women are passive objects to be looked at” (1997). This quote sums up the core ideas towards women in the film Aladdin. When answering each question that was raised for us this quote always seemed to be the underlying issue.

Problem 1)

Why are all the girls showing their stomaches?

Throughout the movie all the girls are sexualized. By sexualizing the women in the movie we are showing young girls that showing skin and acting sexual is the only way to get a man’s attention. The women are flaunting their bodies at Aladdin. Young girls are seeing that the way to find your Prince is to show off your body.

Problem 2)

Why do all the women fall in love with Aladdin when he is rich?

At the start of the movie none of the women loved, liked, or tolerated Aladdin. It was only when he became rich that any of the women started to be attracted to him. The lesson that girls should only love men of high socioeconomic status is not a lesson that girls should be learning. This movie is teaching girls that it is more important to love someone for the money that they have. This is a terrible lesson that should not be glorified.

Problem 3)

Why does Jasmine always seem to be controlled by the men?

Although it looks like Jasmine is making her own choices in the movie, if you look a little closer her ideas are always those of the men in her life. She is constantly being told what she ought to be doing and even if she fights what they are telling her she always does as she is told in the end. At one point in the movie Jasmine objects to marring, but soon she complies and decides she will marry. She always comes to the result that the men have told her.

Problem 4)

Does Jasmine have an accent? Doesn’t sound like it to me? Yet she is supposed to be Middle Eastern?

The movie takes place in the Middle East, one would assume that the Princess of this film would speak with an accent. Yet, she speaks just like a Western, no accent. Is showing young girls that if you have an accent you won’t be powerful a lesson we plan on teaching them? Would giving her an accent effect the character?

Problem 5)

The only woman of power in the film is Jasmine, and her power is very limited. Why aren’t there more powerful women?

As discussed Jasmine’s power is very limited and influenced a lot by the men. There are no other women in this film that have any sort of power. The movie isn’t showing girls that women can hold any sort of power. Why isn’t there a women that has equal or more power than any man in the film?

Problem 6)

Almost all the women in the movie are young and showing a lot of skin. The few that aren’t are obese… how does this show healthy ideas of womanhood to young girls?

During the movie woman’s body image plays a large role in women characters. There are only 2 types of women in this movie, skinny and obese. This use of body image is showing girls that if you don’t have a young skinny body you are obese. Rather than showing girls that you can be beautiful and a healthy weight the movie is furthering body issues among girls.

Problem 7)

Why are all the princes looking for a submissive woman to marry?

Throughout the movie the type of woman that the princes are looking for is a submissive woman that they treat as an object. During the movie the men talk about Jasmine and although she does object to this in a few intensest she doesn't look to change this. The Princes will not marry Jasmine unless she becomes more submissive. Jasmine's father also asks Jasmine to be “kinder” to the suitors, this can be translated to “be more submissive”.

Problem 8)

Jasmine is forced to marry, is this a message we want to send to are female children?

There is a law in place that Jasmine must marry. This is teaching young girls that she must marry, and it doesn't matter if she loves the man she is marring. Her Father is forcing her to pick a husband. At one point during the movie he says he doesn't care who she marries but she must pick a husband soon. At a later passage he says that is she doesn't pick a husband he will be forced to pick for her. This is telling young girls that once you hit a certain age it doesn't matter who, you just have to marry.

Problem 9)

Jasmine’s father believes that she must marry to be taken care of and provided for… won’t it be better to teach our girls how to accomplish these things on their own?

Aladdin is oppressing women by teaching girls that getting married is the only way they will be able to be provided for. There isn't a single woman in this film that has a job. There is not a single woman that can contrast the idea of needing a man to accomplish anything.