“I’m not a princess” - Moana’s Ecofeminist Heroine

Aug 23, 2026

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Undergraduate dissertation analyzing Moana as an ecofeminist heroine by examining her relationship with key female and male characters in Disney’s Moana (2016). The study frames Moana’s portrayal through an overview of the evolution of Disney female characters since 1937, drawing on scholarly works by Amy M. Davis and other feminist perspectives. The analysis highlights how Moana departs from traditional princess stereotypes, emphasizing agency, gendered roles, and the film’s argument that both men and women are necessary for the story’s resolution.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages26

Reading Time1 h 6 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Female Characters in Disney Films

Moana as Disney heroine

Moana as an emblem for ecofeminism

Solidarity between women and the ‘monstrous feminine’

Conclusion

Works Cited

Films Cited

Undergraduate Dissertation Trabajo Fin de Grado “I’m not a princess”: Moana’s Ecofeminist Heroine Author Raquel Solana Marín Supervisor Marimar Azcona FACULTY OF ARTS 2019-2020 CONTENTS: 1. Introduction……………………………………………………………3 2. Female Characters in Disney Films……………..……………….……. 5 3. Moana...………………………………………………….……………. 9 3.1. Moana as Disney heroine………………………………...…... 11 3.2. Moana as an emblem for ecofeminism...…………………….. 15 3.3. Solidarity between women and the ‘monstrous feminine’…… 18 4. Conclusion……………………………………………………………. 22 5. Works Cited……………………………………………………………23 6. Films Cited……………………………………………………………. 25 1. INTRODUCTION Moana is a Disney film released in 2016 . It tells the story of Moana, a teenage girl and the daughter of the chief of a Polynesian village called Motunui. She is supposed to inherit the position of her father in the near future and, in order to be ready for that role, she needs to take part into the activities of her community. Yet, Moana is not interested in these activities. She wants to sail away, which she is not allowed to do because of a law enforced by her father that prohibits any inhabitant of Motunui from sailing past the reef. When the natural landscape of the village starts to deteriorate due to external forces (crops become infertile and fish disappear from the area), Moana feels that she needs togo on a trip beyond the reef to restore the natural order. The film had an overall positive critical reception. Most reviewers agree on the fact that Moana breaks from the Disney princess tradition and its stereotypes. A.O. Scott writing for The New York Times, argues: “Moana is an inspiring heroine, a smart, brave and decent young woman whose individual aspirations align perfectly with a larger, world-saving mission.” Similarly, Peter Travers from Rolling Stone points out how the portrayal of Moana separates from the traditional representation of Disney princesses:“The point here is Moana’s growing independence, her lack of a love interest and the quietly revolutionary way her body differs from the skinny-Barbie image of most Disney princesses.” The aim of this essay is to analyse the female protagonist from Moana and her relationship with the most relevant female and male characters appearing in it to show that Moana is an emblem for ecofeminism. This essay starts with an overview of the evolution of Disney female characters from 1937 onwards as described by Amy M. Davis in her book Good Girls & Wicked Witches: Women in Disney’s Feature Animation. The analysis of the film focuses on the experience of Moana, the protagonist of the film, and the aspects and features in which this female character has differed from the previous Disney princesses. Her relationship with the relevant men and women in the film will also be analysed to argue that, in the film, men and women are equally important and necessary for the happy ending of the film. 2. FEMALE CHARACTERS IN DISNEY FILMS This section explores the evolution of female characters ’ representation in Disney films. It is based mainly on Amy M. Davis’s book Good Girls & Wicked Witches: Women in Disney’s Feature Animation, which explores the portrayal of female characters in Disney films from the year 1937 to 2004. As Davis herself explains, her book “is based on the assumption that, in their representation of femininity, Disney films reflected the attitudes ofthe wider society from which they emerged”(1) . For the films released after 2004 other sources have been used, mainly, Danielle Morrison’s Brave: A Feminist Perspective on the Disney Princess Disney’s Female Gender Roles: The Change of Modern Culture and Sarah Wilde’s “Repackaging the Disney Princess: A Post-feminist Reading of Modern Day Fairy Tales” Davis’s classifies the representation of female characters in Disney films in three main periods: the “Classic” Years (1937 – 1967), the “Middle” Era (1967 – 1988) and the “Eisner” Era (1989 – 2005)

FAQs

What is the main objective of the dissertation?

To analyze Moana’s female protagonist role and her relationships with relevant characters, arguing that Moana functions as an emblem for ecofeminism.

How does the dissertation describe Disney female characters across time?

It divides their evolution into three periods: “Classic” (1937–1967), “Middle” (1967–1988), and the “Eisner” era (1989–2005), using scholarly sources as the basis.

What distinct traits does the dissertation attribute to Moana compared with earlier Disney princesses?

Moana shows growing independence, lacks a conventional love interest, and is portrayed with different bodily representation, while her motivations extend beyond romance.

Aug 23, 2026

Upload by Cipher