BUCU, Catherine S.

CL
371
2003-49061 Prof.
Emil Flores

What’s After Ever After?

The Final Fairy Tale Film and its brand of Feminism in the Disney Monarchy

Once upon a time, Walt Disney dreamed of bringing animation in full length
to the silver screen. It was the 1930s and he was but a moderately known cartoonist
who introduced a number of animated short films starring Mickey Mouse. It was the
time of the Great Depression in the United States, a time when Hollywood
filmmakers, as M. Keith Booker put it, “subscribed to the theory that they could best
serve (or at least attract) filmgoers by providing them with escapist fare that would get
their minds off their very real day-to-day troubles.” (4) “What more could whisk away
daily troubles than a dream of happily ever after?” Walt Disney must have thought.
Disney reached back to the tales of the Brothers Grimm and decided to make a
full length animated film about Snow White. The modest financial status of the
animation company he shared with his brother Roy and artist Ub Iwerks, did not stop
him from putting all their resources for this project. Amidst financial setbacks and
limits of the technology at that time, Snow White and her charming band of seven
dwarfs made their way to the big screen in 1937. It earned the studio a hefty sum of
$8 million and their place in film history, by setting the pace in animated films for
decades to come (Booker, 2).
Disney films, with its fairytale castle in the backdrop, housed what could be
called the Disney monarchy, ruled neither by kings nor queens, but by their
princesses. After Snow White was free from the evil Queen a.k.a her stepmother, she
ushered the arrival of seven other princesses into the twentieth century, as follows.
Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel,
Cinderella (Cinderella, 1950)
Aurora or Briar-Rose (Sleeping Beauty, 1959) and Jasmine were all born royals.
Ariel (The Little Mermaid, 1989) Belle became a princess after
Belle (Beauty and the Beast, 1991)
Jasmine (Aladdin, 1992) marrying the beast who was a
Pocahontas (Pocahontas, 1995) really a prince. Pocahontas and
Mulan (Mulan, 1998)

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Mulan, on the other hand, were included in the lineup of Disney Princesses by virtue
of being heroines in their own film. While both Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty were
commercially successful, The Little Mermaid up until Mulan rounded up what was
called the Disney Renaissance – a period in the company’s film history wherein its
traditional hand drawn animation garnered box-office and critical acclaim.

I n 2010, after seven decades and 49 animated feature films, it was announced that
Disney “will be closing the book on fairy tales.” A year before the big
announcement, Disney released The Princess and the Frog after its decade-long
hiatus from producing hand-drawn animated films. Much to the company’s dismay
and despite universal acclaim, it did not score well in the box office as expected. The
films’ ticket sales has become a stark contrast to Toy Story and Up, produced by Pixar
Animation Studios, which was acquired by Disney in the mid-90s. So it was not really
a surprise when Pixar Animation Studios chief Ed Catmull axed the on-going
development for films “The Snow Queen” and “Jack and the Beanstalk.” Inevitably,
the curtain has to be closed for the Disney Princesses for the “foreseeable future” as
well. As mentioned by Dawn C. Chmielewski and Claudia Eller in their Los Angeles
Times article, “Disney discovered too late that ‘The Princess and the Frog’ appealed
to a narrow audience: little girls.” Oddly enough, this particular niche in the market
was also the ones who helped build the Disney Empire, as millions of girls consumed
not only films, but franchises that bared the names and faces of the Disney Princesses.
In spite of them, the final Disney princess film was changed from Rapunzel to
Tangled – an image shift from the name of a princess to the verb that foretells action
and adventure.

A s the 50th animated feature film of Walt Disney Pictures, Tangled had to have a
few tricks up its sleeves. Not only is it expected to carve its own name in the
Disney castle, it is pitted against princesses from Snow White to Princess Tiana as
well. The film had to close the curtains, in a manner that is expected to encapsulate
decades of classic fairy tales that the studio has brought to life.
Noticeably, Tangled is the only Disney princess film that does not bare the
name of any of its characters. But what else can be tangled but the hair, which was
also the icon upon Rapunzel’s status was built. The title of the film itself was a riddle
that does not quite end with Rapunzel as an answer. “They are taking the adventure to

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new lengths,” quips one of its teasers. And with that, everything falls into place – the
need for male audience appeal, maintaining the fairy tale princess as niche, and the
modern twist that will conclude an era in Disney film history. Apart from her hair,
Rapunzel had that much to bear. Apparently, a fairy godmother is too far fetched from
the original tale and speaking animal friends are not enough. So here comes Flynn
Rider to the rescue.
Flynn Rider was not really a prince nor was Rapunzel a damsel in distress in
the film. But by top billing both Rapunzel and Rider Flynn, the film’s burden of
expectations was somehow shared by the two characters. Unlike all preceding 20th
century princess films who mainly featured the heroine (or hero as with the case of
Aladdin), Tangled has placed its spotlight for both the princess and her “prince.”
In an effort to modernize their tried and tested fairy tale formula, Disney’s
approach on Tangled spurred new elements that changed the face of the Disney
Princess – if only there would be others more after Rapunzel.

Accidental Feminism
After its purchase of Marvel (its comics and all related franchises), Disney
studios surprisingly ends the fairytale genre. It is but fitting to say then, that the
company eyes a larger share in the male market.
However, Tangled is not the first time that Disney attempted to redesign the
princess film for the male audience. It was first notable in Aladdin (1992), with the
young male protagonist as the titular character. The film follows the adventures of a
young thief, his brushes with the law, with Jafar (the palace advisor with dark magic),
and his encounters with the feisty Princess Jasmine.
Three years later, they introduced the part history, part legend-based princess
films, Pocahontas and Mulan. Unlike Snow White, who mainly sang with the birds in
the forest and served the dwarves in their cottage, Pocahontas grew up in the
mountains. She knew her way in the woods, climbing up rocks and diving down
rivers. She also took upon her shoulders the active participation in her people’s plight.
In 1998, Disney follows a similar strain in Mulan, a story about a Chinese daughter
who took up the place of her father in the compulsory military service, to make her
family proud. Both Pocahontas and Mulan are not products of western fairy tale, but
Disney’s take on their respective people’s legend and history.

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 Thus, Rapunzel was the only princess by birth that was thrust into action as
that of Pocahontas and Mulan. This was Disney’s solution to their demographic
dilemma – to make their latest and last princess film “less girly.” This means (if we
go by Aladdin, Pocahontas and Mulan) addition of sword fights, explosions, and a
whole lot of running into and out of difficult situations. In short, the Disney fairy tale
magic has to share the stage with wit and brawn – a far cry from the weak female
images of the earlier Disney princesses, as stressed by criticisms of the said films.
With these changes that Disney has brought to its popular genre, the vault of
feminist concerns about Disney Princesses is once again opened. There is a danger
that the male protagonist or other characters will overshadow upon the film’s heroine.
This would make her running alongside the male protagonist but a token form of girl
power. There is also a chance for a role reversal, wherein the heroine ends up
disguising as a male to earn approval, hence not contributing much to a stronger
image of a Disney princess as herself. With much consideration at hand, the film
could also foster half-baked assertions that could introduce but not strongly hold a
position.
Disney took a chance with Tangled, with finances and the market in mind. As
a consequence (however accidental, if not intentional) the film could very well
unravel the feminist potentials of a Disney princess film.

Disney and the Vault of Criticisms

Booker’s introduction in his book Disney, Pixar, and the Hidden Messages in
Children’s Films provides a quick look on the political history of Children’s films, as
shaped by Walt Disney. According to Booker, Disney animated films has structural
assumptions on what children like, are like, and should be like. It also strongly
pointed out Disney films as “the single, most powerful force in determining
expectations about the feminine behavior in American society as a whole since the
1930s” (3). Technological and ideological developments have occurred since
Disney’s first animated feature, and the company now has a global grasp of
audiences. Booker’s tracing of female roles and distribution power present in Snow
White and the Seven Dwarfs could serve as a lens on how and what has changed (and
did not) over the course of ten Disney princess films.
Alongside Disney’s production of animated films were its widely circulated
comic strips featuring the company’s main characters, Mickey Mouse and Donald

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Duck. In, How to Read Donald Duck, Ariel Dorfman and Armand Mattelart’s reading
of the Donald Duck comics posits how Disney created an empire in Latin America.
They introduced the study as “a decolonization manual,” meant to expose the Disney
comics as a vehicle for spreading the capitalist ideology. Because comics are
seemingly innocent pieces of children’s literature, they were able to seep in to the
readers’ consciousness that capitalism and the ideology it entails is but natural and
acceptable. Though the study focused mainly on Disney as capitalist vehicle in
establishing American imperialism’s relationship with the third world, it also raised
points on how Disney shaped its own concepts of power and gender roles.
In the fourth chapter of her book Beyond Identity Politics: Feminism, Power,
and Politics, Moya discusses the ambivalent nature of feminism towards power (73).
The main power implied to in her discussion is patriarchy and its repercussions in
gender relations. She analyzed male domination and the subsequent subordination of
women, and how the understanding of power relations could be “a preferable
framework” to apprehend domination. Thus, her study could provide foundation on
what grounds does Disney films perpetuate patriarchy and what points in the film
Tangled have succeeded in veering away from it.
Anneke Smelik presents a comprehensive view of feminism as applied to
films in her online paper, “Feminist Criticism of Film”. She discussed female
subjectivity in films and how it branches out to the female as an image and as a
spectator. She mainly used the concept of the “male gaze,” which she defined as “a
shorthand term for the analysis of complex mechanisms in cinema that involve
structures like voyeurism, narcissism and fetishism.” Through Smelik’s study, it could
bridge Rapunzel as a tale and as a Disney princess to the current generation (as both
audience and market) through concepts from feminist film theories.
The chapter “Feminism and Popular Culture” in David Strinati’s An
Introduction to Theories of Popular Culture, recounts how “culture and mass media
have dealt with women and their representations (164).” He discussed the “cultural
annihilation of women” in the mass media and at the same time women as an image in
promoting social values, as used in advertisements. His critique of the study of Jackie,
the young women’s magazine – the theoretical ideas it fostered, and on what accounts
it remains useful and what terms are deemed irrelevant today. The codes determined
in the magazine would help in forming a framework on how to map Tangled within
the confines of the preceding Disney princess films.

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Snow White ran away into the forest, fell off a cliff, and faced fearsome
creatures with eyes that glow in the dark. Cinderella ran from the castle back to their
house in the nick of time. Ariel swam through the rough seas and saved Prince Eric.
Belle braved the dark woods towards the Beast’s castle. Jasmine wormed her way
through the busy streets and ended up in Aladdin’s cul-de-sac. Pocahontas climbed
treetops and rafted through the harsh river bends. Mulan survived army camp and
fought the Huns. Princess Tiana hopped into the harsh bayou and narrowly escaped
shadow demons. Aurora pricked her finger in the spinning wheel.
Except for Mulan, the princesses were most often dragged into their situation
and have gotten around through the help of a man or by sheer luck. Most of them only
had as far as running away, hiding, and being scraped here and there, to be counted as
their active participation in their supposed adventure. Even Pocahontas, whose
physical abilities surpass all Disney princesses, was not given the chance to actually
use them against the trespassers. Mulan, at first, was beaten up by her clumsiness,
and then ignored, and was only given credit for her combat abilities at the end of the
film. Then, Rapunzel comes along with her magic hair and frying pan.

In the original German tale gathered by the Brothers Grimm, Rapunzel had no royal
Meanwhile,
lineage. Her parents did Rapunzel
not evenwashavestill livingmoney
enough in wretchedness
to buy their inown
the desert,
rampionsand(aeventually
cabbage
gave birth to twins. The prince wandered for years until finally, he heard
like vegetable which was also known as rapunzel), that her father had to steal from the Rapunzel sing
once again, followed her voice, and the two were reunited. Rapunzel cried,
witch’s garden. And with this crime, Rapunzel was given as collateral even before birth. and her tearsThe
fell onseized
witch the prince’s eyes.and
her at birth, The“Rapunzel
prince wasgrew healed,
intoand
the saw
mosthis wife forchild
beautiful the first time the
beneath withsun.”
their twins.
When she was “He led her
twelve, thetowitch
his kingdom
locked herwhere heawas
up in joyfully
tower “which received,
lay in a and theyand
forest, lived
hadfor a
long time
neither afterwards,
stairs nor door, happy andatcontented.”
but quite the top was a little window.” From this window,
Rapunzel would hear the witch’s infamous line “'Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let down thy hair to
me.” Then, she would let down her golden hair, which was twenty ells (around 75 feet) long,
and the witch would climb up by it.
After around two years, the prince passed by the forest and heard Rapunzel sing. He
saw how the witch climbed up the tower and did the same thing the first chance he got.
When he climbed up, he and Rapunzel fell in love instantly and planned to elope. However,
their plan was curtailed when Rapunzel accidentally said to the witch, “Tell me, Dame
Gothel, how it happens that you are so much heavier for me to draw up than the young
King's son—he is with me in a moment.” This angered the witch, so she cut Rapunzel’s long
hair and banished her in to the desert. When the prince came for Rapunzel, the witch used
the cut up her to lure the prince up the tower. The witch gazed at the prince “with wicked
and venomous looks,” which caused the prince to jump out the window in pain. He fell into
thorny bushes, which pierced his eyes and rendered him almost blind. He then began his
desperate search for Rapunzel.

Changing Faces

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 According to Booker, “children’s films and Disney films in particular have
conscripted the fairytale and produce the Hollywoodized or Disneyfied version that
has long been the principal way in which fairytales are experienced by children.”
Thus, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was not a Disney version for most of its
audience, but rather, the only version they knew (4). So for those who first
experienced the story of Rapunzel in Tangled, it could be the only version that they
would know. The story of Rapunzel as a tale on chastity and separation might remain
unknown for future generations. On this note, it would be suffice to conclude that by
producing their versions of fairy tales, Disney had come to define the genre.
In definition came the setting of standards on how they would like fairy tales
to appear to their audience. For decades, the company pioneered in making their
princess films set the pace for hand-drawn animation. They were the first to produce
full length animation in color, developed programs that would reduce repetitive tasks
for artists, and combined computer generated backgrounds with hand-drawn images.
With the dawn of 3D films, Disney did not settle for just 3D they had pioneered in
animation, but they had also jumped into the bandwagon that James Cameron’s
Avatar started in 2009. Tangled was released in theatres in “Real 3D,” which meant
the viewers could see the characters almost pop out of the screen by watching through
polarized eyeglasses. Like Mother Gothel, the company capitalized on Rapunzel’s
hair by taking years in developing a program that could let the artists produce the
most life-like hair in 3D. The result was considered a success, and the “luscious hair”
that was originally conceptualized was realized in full 3D.
Even the entire concept of the film had a facelift. The change of title from
Rapunzel to Tangled, spelled what Disney would favor in their latest film. Indeed,
they veered away from much singing and romance. Tangled was peppered with
‘swashbuckling action,’ brawny men, and lots of chasing. Plain romance was replaced
with a kind of romantic comedy about mismatched couple, Rapunzel and Flynn. Also
mismatched were Flynn and Maximus (the horse), as they constantly bickered in the
film. Mother Gothel was tall, dark, and assertive, opposite of Rapunzel’s small frame,
golden hair, and ambivalence. And inside the seemingly cozy pub named Snuggly
Duckling, a band of “ruffians and thugs” resided. Even the Stabbington Brothers were
too uptight compared to the happy-go-lucky Flynn Rider who was their former
company in crime.

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 Amidst all this hodge-podge of characters, one could discern how Disney once
again defined images of male and female for its 21st century rendition of a classic
fairytale. Rapunzel, with her round face and large, round eyes, appeared youngest
among the Disney princesses. Her body was small, and almost pre-pubescent,
compared to the voluptuous Jasmine or to the svelte frame of Pocahontas. If one were
to observe closely, all female characters in Tangled were drawn in the similar pattern
of round eyes and round face. Even the antagonist Mother Gothel was portrayed as
such, though she was much taller and had a fuller bosom. Since Disney they to have
more young male audience, sexualized images of females would not mesh well for the
wholesome action they were aiming for,
Flynn Rider on the other hand, had broad shoulders and chiseled looks. His
facial features were more proportional and his entire physical appearance looked fit to
battle both soldiers and bad guys. His dark hair made him seem the most masculine
among the Disney ‘princes,’ who were mostly light-haired and had lanky to moderate
frame. Thus, a more manly main character was opted a better model for young boys,
than the romantic and sometimes effeminate previous Disney princes.
Meanwhile, like Mulan’s talkative sidekick animal, Mushu, Maximus and
Pascal the chameleon were very animated in expressing their feelings. They did not
even have to say anything for their opinions to come across the human characters.
Their opinions mattered without asserting too much, and they heightened scenes as
either a comic relief or in sympathy to Rapunzel.

Shifting Roles
Upon the masculinization of what was considered to be a feminine film
genre’s image, gender roles were also given a makeover. Like Snow White, Rapunzel
was efficient in household chores. She was also a talented singer and could even play
the guitar. Like Cinderella, she could wind up a dress with available materials.
Rapunzel was a voracious reader, reminiscent of Belle. She had a bit of clumsiness
like that of Mulan and was able to get herself out of trouble without any help. But
besides domestic work, musical talent, and self-defense, Rapunzel also had skills no
other Disney princess, or even prince had. She could play chess and darts, paint
murals, map out stars, and was mathematically adept as well (judging from her
chameleon, which was most likely named after Blaise Pascal).

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 Rapunzel’s first song in the film was entitled “When Will My Life Begin?”
She was not waiting for a prince like Snow White, Aurora, and Cinderella. In fact, her
song was reminiscent of Belle’s line– “I want something more than this provincial
life.” Because they were both stuck in their small places, they dreamed of what was
out there that they might find. However, Belle was not active in finding a way to get
out of her province. Her ‘escape’ from it was prompted by her father’s disappearance.
Rapunzel, on the other hand, planned her way out of the tower. She waited for her 18th
birthday to once again ask Mother Gothel if she could get out. She was denied and
warned of the dangers of the outside world.
Mother Gothel was not the average Disney princess mother. She was not dead
nor absent like that of the mothers from Snow White to Pocahontas. Though she
always hugged Rapunzel and told her how much she loved her, she was not
supportive and gentle at all. She often underestimated Rapunzel and had a way of
turning things around, by saying “Great, now I’m the bad guy,” to show her
disappointment and sarcasm. This in turn would make Rapunzel retreat, for fear of
being disobedient. But, Mother Gothel was not entirely evil like the Disney
stepmothers. She took care of Rapunzel as her own, fed her well, and occasionally
gave in to Rapunzel’s requests. She was also agile and was strong enough to beat up
the Stabbington brothers without any help of magic or witchcraft. She was a cunning
villain, who used her brains and strength to outwit those who got in her way.
So when the monarchy took away the magic golden flower – that was the
source of her eternal youth – she got even and kidnapped their princess. Rapunzel
grew up secluded in a tower, and compensated her imprisonment by reading lots of
books and looking out the window. When an intruder came up her window one day,
she did not think twice to whack it in the head. Despite being brave and knowing what
she wanted, she remained ambivalent in nature. When she finally got out of the tower,
many times did she thought of going back and as Flynn Rider had put it, she was “a
little at war” with her self. This introspection continued up until the time that she was
in the middle of the lake, minutes away from witnessing the floating lanterns. “What
if it’s not everything I dreamed it would be?” she asked. Flynn Rider, in his change of
heart, answered, “It will be.”
Before their change of hearts, both Rapunzel and Flynn had to work out their
differences. Flynn’s too proud demeanor was a stark contrast to Rapunzel’s bashful
nature. After all, Flynn had already seen the world. Being chased by palace soldiers

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was nothing new to him. Rapunzel had only seen the world in books and through her
window, and hence her deep longing to get out and see the floating lights. Another
point of difference is that by going through the adventure, Rapunzel had much more
to lose. In her mind, she was going to lose Mother Gothel’s trust and someone might
harm her in the outside world because of her magic hair. Rider only had to lose what
was not his in the first place. He also lacked an identity, because to everyone he was
Flynn Rider thief, when he was really Eugene Fitzherbert, the orphan.
Now, being a thief, Flynn Rider was not exactly a dreamy prince. Though he
might have charms, his reputation was tainted and not at all like any of the straight
laced ‘princes’ before him. Though Aladdin, too, was a thief, he was not full of
himself like Flynn. He only stole food to make him survive for the day. Even the
Beast, whose temper could not be controlled, turned out to be a gentleman in the end.
With these diversions from the stereotypical Disney prince, he was not able to sweep
Rapunzel off her feet at first glance. His only goal in the beginning was to retrieve the
crown from Rapunzel and immediately part ways with her. But the heroine did not let
him go that easy until she had her end of their bargain. It was only after being trapped
in a cave that Rapunzel and Flynn were able reveal their real selves to each other. It
was only then that the possibility of romance ensued. So unlike the usual pattern of
princess films, the romantic relationship in Tangled was only a subplot. It was
centered on the quest of both protagonists. Flynn had to retrieve the crown and escape
arrest, and Rapunzel had to see the floating lights.
Even Mother Gothel had her own interests to keep – to have Rapunzel for
herself so she could remain young forever. The band of thugs in Snuggly Duckling
also had their own set of dreams – to be a concert pianist, a mime, a lover, a florist, an
interior designer, and one even collected porcelain unicorns. The concept of having a
dream or a goal was often relegated to the princess, like Snow White and Cinderella,
who were both waiting for their prince to come and save them. But in Tangled, almost
all characters had their own quests and were actively seeking ways to get them. In a
similar manner, the princess in the film was a not a damsel in distress. In fact,
Rapunzel saved Flynn’s life a couple of times. This did not mean however, that Flynn
was a feeble one. He, too, saved Rapunzel through some mishaps. Even Mother
Gothel had her share of rescuing, but of course, with a certain price.

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 As for the King and Queen, there also came the blurring of gender roles.
Though the King still appeared mighty, it was the Queen who consoled him. He was
also the one who shed tears for their lost child.

Sites of Power
There were two main literal sites of power in Tangled: the kingdom and the
tower. The kingdom was the monarchy’s realm while the tower was Mother Gothel’s
seat of power. Rapunzel’s power somehow oscillated between two locations. First,
being born a princess, she was entitled to someday take her parents’ place in the
throne. But when she was eventually locked up in the tower, she was under the power
of Mother Gothel. In the song “Mother Knows Best,” it was evident how Mother
Gothel kept Rapunzel under wraps. By telling that the world is a dangerous place,
Mother Gothel made Rapunzel live in such fear that she found Gothel’s arms and the
tower the only places of safety.
Interestingly, though Rapunzel may be unaware, Gothel in turn would do
anything to keep her. So there were times that Gothel had to give in to what Rapunzel
wanted after some bargaining. For example, Rapunzel insisted to be allowed to go to
the floating lanterns on her 18th birthday but Mother Gothel refused. So Rapunzel
asked instead for a special paint Mother Gothel has brought her before. The journey to
get that item would take three days and yet Gothel agreed. It could be that Gothel
underestimated Rapunzel or trusted her too much that it did not occur to her that it
could have been a scheme. After all, Rapunzel was a teenager. Three days without her
mother around would be hard not think of how much she wanted to go out, and not
actually do so.
And when a potential harm did come to her in the person of Flynn Rider, she
was able to defend herself. In fact, to make him pay for trespassing, Rapunzel
blackmailed him to take her to the floating lanterns. At this point, one can discern that
Flynn was not really a hardened criminal, since he could have just fought with
Rapunzel until he got his way. While they were half way on the journey, Flynn could
have tricked Rapunzel and ran back to the tower to get his satchel. But he did not. His
only best effort to get out of his situation was to persuade her to back out in the deal,
and he was unsuccessful. He thought he would be able to scare her in the presence of
‘ruffians and thugs.’ But Rapunzel’s fear was only the idea of them, as Mother Gothel
had long instilled in her. She only feared things because she was unsure of herself and

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Mother Gothel contributed to this by constantly undermining her. Rapunzel’s journey
to the floating lights was also a journey to self-discovery, which led her to face her
fears of the outside world and eventually stood up against Mother Gothel.
The long journey to the floating lights was both Rapunzel and Flynn’s journey
of discovery. Rapunzel eventually discovered that she was a princess and Mother
Gothel was the selfish and cruel one. Flynn on the other hand, as their song put it “all
those years living in a blur,” suddenly realized what he wanted to do – to stop
thieving and be with Rapunzel.
While both the kingdom and the tower in the forest were actual sites of power,
objects and animals in the film were also crucial to how this power is distributed.
Magic flower. This object was the main catalyst in the film. It grew out of a
single drop of sunlight that fell to the ground. When Mother Gothel found it, she kept
it to herself because it has magical healing powers that provided her eternal youth.
When the Queen’s pregnancy was in peril, the entire kingdom searched for the flower.
They took it to the castle much to Mother Gothel’s anger. The flower healed the
queen, and its power was transferred to her child’s hair.
Princess’s Crown. This object was the catalyst in Flynn’s side of the story.
Because of his desire to keep it for himself, he became the main target of the
Stabbington Brothers’ revenge, the royal guards’ arrest, and Maximus’ search. In
trying to escape them, he ran in to Rapunzel’s tower and was held hostage for some
time. He was subjected to Rapunzel’s beating and was even locked inside a closet.
The crown, too, created the final rift between Rapunzel and Mother Gothel. The
crown held Rapunzel’s true identity. Rapunzel’s discovery of who she is
foreshadowed when she tried it on while Flynn was unconscious.
Royal crest. The crest of the royal family was the golden sun. This image was
found all around the kingdom, like in banners, floor mosaic, and printed on the paper
used in the floating lanterns. This same image was pieced together by Rapunzel, as it
appeared on her murals, in a faint memory of her childhood, and on a purple cloth that
Flynn bought for her the day they went to see the floating lights.
Floating lights. Rapunzel had been looking at these things in the sky every
year. They only appear during her birthday. The desire to see them built up inside
Rapunzel over the years. And when Rapunzel’s request on her 18th birthday was
rejected, she decided to leave the tower without permission.

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 Golden hair. Rapunzel’s golden hair was a result of the potion made out of the
magic flower that her mother drank. Its color manifested that the magic of the flower
was transferred to her hair. It was not just an accessory for Rapunzel, but a tool in
which she moved around and fended for herself. It kept Mother Gothel young and
healed Flynn’s injured hand. At the same time, it was used by Mother Gothel to trick
Flynn into the tower and stab him with a dagger. The golden hair made Rapunzel
powerful, but it also bound her to Mother Gothel’s desire for immortality. Thus, it
worked for and against Rapunzel.
Frying pan. This object became Rapunzel’s weapon against Flynn, and when
she was trying to save Flynn from the Snuggly Duckling thugs. At the dam, when
Flynn was cornered by the Stabbington brothers and the Royal guards, he used the
same frying pan to fight them. The thugs also used a frying pan in the Flynn’s rescue
sequence. At the end of the film, the royal guards raised frying pans in honor of
Maximus, when the crime in the kingdom disappeared overnight thanks to him.
Maximus and Pascal. These animals were given the power to influence human
actions in the film. Pascal helped Rapunzel decide during the times when she was not
sure if she were to pursue an idea. Through its eyes and by changing color, Pascal
made sound commentaries. It even lent Rapunzel a helping hand in waking up the
unconscious Flynn. Maximus, on the other hand, convinced the thugs to help Flynn
when he was about to be hanged. He gave his own moral warnings to Flynn by merely
disagreeing with him—like the time Flynn gave him a bag of apples and refused to eat
it until he was assured that Flynn bought them.

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