Aladdin Gender Analysis

Gender is an issue that has been dealt with since the beginning of time, and although it has been worked on through the years; stereotypes still exist. The stereotypical roles expected of certain genders by society are finally being questioned. In 1992 when Aladdin was released gender roles had begun changing and we can see examples in the film questioning these gender roles. When Jasmine expresses identity-negotiation theory, she emphasizes the process of communicating ones desired identities, while resisting the identity her father wishes to places on her. She does not wish to be controlled, and would like to see beyond the gates of the palace. Jasmine is experiencing an identity management crisis. She knows that she is bound to a role she was born into, and yet she wishes to experience more in life and express independence. Jasmine is challenging her gender role and it's made quite clear through the film that she does not agree with her father. Another example that represents challenging stereotypical gender roles comes about in the end of the movie. The Sultan (Jasmine's father) decides to make an ethical judgment in changing the law at the end of the movie. He challenges the cultural values; a worldview of a cultural group and its set of deeply held beliefs by allowing the princess from then on, to choose whoever she wishes to marry; prince or not. Enforces that females have a choice in who they wish to marry, or what qualities they wish to pursue in a suitor. This is a big moment for the film because it displays a transfer of some power from the Sultan to Princess Jasmine, and she is now allowed to choose whoever she wishes to marry. This proves a point that women should be allowed to make their own decisions and challenges the early gender roles of arranged marriages.

On the opposite end of the gender spectrum, Disney unfortunately had many scenes that displayed stereotypical gender roles. There is a scene in the beginning of the movie where a little boy runs into the streets and is almost trampled by a horse. During this scene I noticed that there were no women in the public crowd except a little girl that had been previously introduced. It was small, yet the lack of women represents somewhat of a lack of importance to their presence. Another example can be found in an early scene in the movie; a possible suitor comes to win the heart of Jasmine and after failure to do so, while storming out of the castle states "good luck marrying her off" giving the impression that Jasmine is irrational. Following that the Sultan states "her mother wasn't nearly so picky" and while the humor in the comment is heard at the same time the comment implies that women shouldn't be so picky when choosing their qualities in a man. The stereotype is that women don't know what they want, or couldn't possibly rationalize knowing what they want. The stereotype is meant to make women look like the inferior gender and