Combing Through The Differences of Rapunzel and Tangled
Many children look forward to their bedtime stories. At a young age, these stories may mean nothing to you; however, looking back, these stories teach various lessons and life-long skills. Original bedtime stories consist of morals and continue to change to fit the current norms of today’s society. Through the original fairy tale, Rapunzel, written by the Brothers Grimm, we can see how filmmakers such as Disney changed the plot and characters to fit current appropriations. The movie Tangled is a new version of the original works of Grimm but has changed to exceed what parents want to expose their children to at a young age. Without the character modifications, many original fairy tales, including this one, would not be considered socially acceptable as the morals and expectations have shifted drastically through the years.
When analyzing Rapunzel, the lessons learned are: if something is meant to be, it will be, and nothing can get in between true love. The main character, Rapunzel, is characterized as “…the most beautiful child in the world” (Grimm). Rapunzel was locked away in a tower and had no social interaction with others. One day, the king’s son unintentionally discovered Rapunzel and was determined to get her attention. He climbed up the tower, knowing that Gothel would not be there. Although fate had brought the two together, they could not be together. The enchantress, Rapunzel’s “mom,” kept Rapunzel to herself as if she was a promise in return. Immediately after the enchantress finds out about Rapunzel’s interaction with the king’s son, she seized “…Rapunzel by her beautiful hair, struck her several times with her left hand, and then grasped a pair of shears in her right-snip…” (Grimm), her braid was chopped off. Furthering her punishment, the enchantress “…took Rapunzel and put her in a waste and desert place, where she lived in great woe and misery” (Grimm). To emphasize Gothel’s character, Grimm implemented the hitting and disownment of Rapunzel. While the hitting may have been acceptable, it would not be socially acceptable nowadays.
Because of this, Disney’s version of Rapunzel, Tangled toned down on Gothel’s character. While Gothel remains evil, her actions are not as intense as parents do not want their young children to read about such violent topics. In these instances, filmmakers duplicate the scenes with a creative twist to ensure that the film fits society’s norms. In the original film, the king’s son gets his eyeball poked with thorns; however, in the Disney film, Flynn, the bandit, does not encounter such a scene as it comes off as too violent.
In Tangled, one of the morals that can be present is to stand up for yourself. While Rapunzel’s characterized as standoffish in Grimm’s version, Rapunzel in the Disney version can be ambitious. In terms of Disney, this production shows kids of our generation that it is crucial to stand up for yourself. This lesson is a didactic piece of this literature as more bullying occurs online and in person. The internet has become dangerous, and teaching this lesson while children are young is vital since people can be cruel. Disney has effectively updated Rapunzel to fit the lessons parents look to teach their children, as it is necessary to learn how to stand up for yourself.
Through the updated versions of Grimm’s original works, new morals have fit the needs and concerns of today’s society. While Grimm’s pieces have taught multiple lessons, the lessons provided in Disney’s versions and other production pieces coincide with what parents of our generation want to teach their kids. The older fairy tales also include graphic scenes considered inappropriate in this day of age, making the fairy tales invalid. However, through these modifications, many fairy tales are still being told but with a twist.
Work Cited
Grimm. (n.d.). Rapunzel fairy tale. Grimm. Retrieved November 21, 2022, from https://www.grimmstories.com/en/grimm_fairy-tales/rapunzel