"Heroines Are Not Created Equal": Compare and contrast Mulan , Nala, and Snow White.

Walt Disney is responsible for creating some of the world's most well-known animated feature films. With classic movies such as Cinderella, Pinocchio, and Bambi, the production company has entertained the public for many generations. The heroine characters in Disney movies are all different in their own ways, and there is no cookie-cutter heroine for every movie. The difference in female characters is seen in the Disney movies Snow White, The Lion King, and Mulan. When comparing the three main female heroines in these movies--Snow White, Nala, and Mulan--one can see that these heroines contrast starkly with each other in terms of their courage and bravery, yet are similar in that they all need the help of a male character at certain times.

The level of bravery that Snow White, Nala, and Mulan portray in their movies is very different. In the beginning of Snow White, a huntsman is ordered by the evil, jealous queen to kill her step-daughter, Snow White.

Walt Disney introduces each of the Seven Dwarfs in...

Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom, Walt Disne...

The famous "Heigh-Ho" sequence from Snow White and...

When the huntsman goes out in the woods to follow the queen's orders, he finds that he cannot kill the beautiful girl and tells Snow White of her step-mother's evil plot. Instead of taking her life, he says, "Now, quick, child, run! Run away, hide! In the woods! Anywhere! Never come back!" (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs). She unwillingly obeys and runs away to where she thinks the evil queen will not be able to find her. Her actions show her to be a girl who, when faced with fear, cowers, runs away, and hides. She does not plan to return to her kingdom and takes a very passive role to her own life. Simply put, Snow White is a helpless female who cannot protect herself and does not have the courage to do make things right.