Roles of mothers in Disney media

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The heroes and heroines of most Disney movies come from unstable family backgrounds;[1] most are either orphaned or have no mothers.[2] Few, if any, have only single-parent mothers. In other instances, mothers are presented as "bad surrogates," eventually "punished for their misdeeds."[3] There is much debate about the reasoning behind this phenomenon.[4]

A prevalent urban legend explains the phenomenon resulted from the death of Flora Disney, mother of Walt and Roy Disney, who perished in 1938 due to a gas leak in the house the two brothers had recently purchased for her. This, however, is demonstrably false. The so-called phenomenon had been present in Disney canon from before Flora's 1938 death, with the presence of the Evil Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which released in 1937. Further, the prevalence of absent mothers, or even evil step-mothers, were not creative choices made by the Disney brothers themselves, but were plot points present in the source material that were adapted into later animated films, such as the original Cinderella tale, the 1923 novel Bambi, a Life in the Woods, and Helen Aberson-Mayer's Dumbo the Flying Elephant.

Some feminists (such as Amy Richards) believe it is to create dramatic interest in the main characters; if mothers were present to guide them, they argue, there would not be much of a plot.[5] Some entertainment journalists (such as G. Shearer) believe that it is to show that a happy family does not have to consist of a mother, father and a child and that a family can be one parent and one child, or one parent and many siblings.[6] Below is a list of some notable examples of this aspect of Disney films and television series.[7]

Categories of mothers[]

No (or 'absent') mother[]

Stepmothers and mother figures[]

Mother killed, died and/or captured[]

  • Dumbo: Dumbo – Mrs. Jumbo is locked up for the majority of the film, but is not killed.
  • Bambi: Bambi – mother killed by a hunter.
  • The Fox and the Hound: Tod – mother killed by a gunshot.
  • Pocahontas: Pocahontas – no mother[8] (mentioned only; revealed to have been dead for years).
  • The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Quasimodo – mother killed by Frollo.[8]
  • The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story: Mowgli – his wolf mother Raksha, killed by Shere Khan.
  • The Lion King II: Simba's Pride: Kovu, Nuka, and Vitani – their mother Zira fell to her death in the river and Nuka was crushed to death by a falling log.
  • Tarzan: Tarzan – mother (and as well as father) killed by Sabor.
  • The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea: Ursula and Morgana – mother dead prior to the events of the film.
  • Atlantis: The Lost Empire: Kida Nedakh – mother killed while trying to save Atlantis from its first fate. Father dies of internal bleeding in the film.
  • Lilo & Stitch franchise:
    • Main continuity (2002–06): Lilo and Nani Pelekai – parents dead prior to the events of the first film. Additionally, the Lilo & Stitch: The Series episode "Remmy" focuses on the anniversary of their parents' death, with Lilo having a dream of her and Nani being with their parents near the end of the episode (the only time they are "seen" alive).
    • Stitch!: Yuna Kamihara – mother dead prior to the events of the series.
  • Finding Nemo: Nemo – his mother Coral, along with all other 400+ siblings, was killed by a giant barracuda.
  • Brother Bear: Koda – his mother was killed by Kenai and Sitka fell to his death in the ice.
  • Chicken Little: Chicken Little – mother dead for unknown reasons.
  • The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning: Ariel, Aquata, Andrina, Arista, Attina, Adella, and Alana – their mother Queen Athena, killed by pirates.
  • Tangled franchise: Flynn Rider – mother killed when was very young. Cassandra – Mother Gothel withered away from old age.
  • Sofia the First: Amber and James – their mother Queen Lorelei, dead for unknown reasons.
  • Frozen: Anna and Elsa – their mother Queen Iduna (as well as father King Agnarr), killed in a shipwreck; Kristoff – revealed to be an orphan.
  • Maleficent: Aurora – her mother Queen Leila, died halfway in the film (offscreen).
  • Big Hero 6: Hiro Hamada – mother (as well as father) died when he was 3 years old and his brother Tadashi was killed in a fire.
  • Cinderella (2015): Cinderella – mother died early in the film.
  • Elena of Avalor: Elena and Isabel – their mother Queen Lucia (as well as father King Raul), killed by Shuriki.
  • Moana: Chief Tui – his mother Tala, died and manifested in the form of a manta ray.
  • Beauty and the Beast (2017): Belle – mother died from the plague; Beast – mother died prior to the events of the film.
  • Coco: Abuelita (Elena) – her mother Coco, died after the events of the film.
  • Aladdin (2019): Aladdin – mother (as well as father) passed away when he was young; Jasmine – mother killed prior to the events of the film.
  • Amphibia: Sprig and Polly Plantar – mother passed away when they were young.

Present mothers[]

Biological mothers[]

  • Dumbo: Mrs. Jumbo, Dumbo (Jumbo Jr.)'s mother – single.
  • Bambi: Faline – mother of twins Geno and Gurri.
  • Cinderella: Lady Tremaine – mother of Drizella and Anastasia.
  • Peter Pan franchise: Mary Darling – mother of Wendy, John, and Michael; Wendy Darling – mother of Jane and Danny.
  • Lady and the Tramp: Lady – mother of Scamp and triplets Annette, Collette, and Danielle; Jane Brown, James Brown Junior's mother.
  • Sleeping Beauty: Queen Leah, Aurora's mother.
  • One Hundred and One Dalmatians: Perdita – only to the original litter of 15 puppies.
  • Winnie the Pooh franchise: Kanga, Roo's mother; Christopher Robin's mother (name not mentioned); Mama Heffalump, Lumpy's mother.
  • The Jungle Book: Winifred, Haithi Jr.'s mother.
  • The Aristocats: Duchess – mother of Toulouse, Marie, and Berlioz.
  • Freaky Friday franchise: Ellen Andrews – mother of Annabel and Ben; Tess Coleman – mother of Anna and Harry; Katherine Blake – mother of Ellie and Fletcher.
  • Honey, I Shrunk the Kids franchise: Diane Szalinski – mother of Amy, Nick, and Adam.
  • DuckTales: M'Ma Crackshell, Fenton's mother; Ma Beagle – mother of the Beagle Boys.
  • TaleSpin: Rebecca Cunningham, Molly's mother.
  • The Rescuers Down Under: Cody's mother (name not mentioned) – single.
  • Darkwing Duck: Binkie Muddlefoot – mother of Honker and Tank.
  • Beauty and the Beast: Mrs. Potts – single mother of 12 children, including Chip.
  • Goof Troop: Peg Pete – mother of P.J. and Pistol.
  • The Lion King franchise: Sarabi, Simba's mother; Sarafina, Nala's mother; Nala – mother of Kopa, Kiara, and Kion; Ma, Timon's mother.
  • Gargoyles: Demona, Angela's mother.
  • The Santa Clause (film series): Laura Miller – mother of Charlie and Lucy; Carol Newman-Calvin, Buddy's mother.
  • Toy Story franchise: Andy and Molly's mother – single; Sid and Hannah's mother (only her voice is heard); Bonnie's mother.
  • Hercules: Hera, Hercules' mother.
  • Recess: Ellie Detweiler – mother of T.J. and Becky; Flo Spinelli – mother of Spinelli, Vito, and Joey; Vince and Chad's mother; Mikey's mother; Doris Grundler, Gretchen's mother; Madge Griswald, Gus's mother.
  • Pepper Ann: Lydia Pearson – single mother of Pepper Ann and Moose.
  • Mulan: Fa Li, Mulan's mother; Grandmother Fa, Fa Zhou's mother and Mulan's paternal grandmother.
  • The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea: Ariel, Melody's mother.
  • The Emperor's New Groove: Chicha – mother of Chaca, Tipo, and Yupi.
  • Lloyd in Space: Nora Lee Nebulon – single mother of Lloyd and Francine.
  • The Proud Family: Trudy Proud – mother of Penny and twins BeBe and CeCe; Sugar Mama Proud, Penny's maternal grandmother and the mother of Oscar and Bobby.
  • The Hunchback of Notre Dame II: Esmeralda, Zephyr's mother.
  • Kingdom Hearts: Sora's mother (only her voice is heard).
  • Kim Possible: Dr. Ann Possible – mother of Kim and twins Jim and Tim.
  • Treasure Planet: Sarah Hawkins, Jim's mother (his father left the family).
  • The Jungle Book 2: Messua, Ranjan's mother; Shanti's mother.
  • Lilo & Stitch: The Series: Mertle's mother (name not mentioned) – single.
  • The Incredibles franchise: Helen Parr/Elastigirl – mother of Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack.
  • American Dragon: Jake Long: Susan Shi Long – mother of Jake and Haley.
  • The Buzz on Maggie: Frieda Pesky – mother of Maggie, Aldrin, Pupert, and Bella.
  • Meet the Robinsons: Lewis' mother (name not mentioned) – single; Franny Robinson, Wilbur's mother; Petunia Robinson – mother of Laszlo and Tallulah.
  • Phineas and Ferb: Linda Flynn-Fletcher – mother of Phineas and Candace; Vivian Garcia-Shapiro, Isabella's mother; Ballet's mother; Biffany Van Stomm, Buford's mother; Jeremy and Suzy's mother; Stacy and Ginger's mother; Charlene Doofenshmirtz, Vanessa's mother.
  • Bolt: Penny's mother (name not mentioned) – single.
  • Up: Russell's mother (name not mentioned) – single.
  • The Princess and the Frog: Eudora, Tiana's mother (her father James was killed in the war); Queen of Maldonia – mother of Prince Naveen and Prince Ralphie.
  • Alice in Wonderland (2010): Helen Kingsleigh – mother of Alice and Margaret.
  • Tangled: Queen Arianna, Rapunzel's mother.
  • Gravity Falls: Priscilla Northwest, Pacifica's mother; Janice Valentino, Robbie's mother.
  • Brave: Queen Elinor – mother of Merida and triplets Harris, Hubert, and Hamish.
  • Sofia the First: Queen Miranda, Sofia's mother.
  • Star vs. the Forces of Evil: Moon Butterfly, Star's mother; Angie Diaz, Marco's mother.
  • Inside Out: Jill Andersen, Riley's mother.
  • Descendants franchise: Maleficent, Mal's mother; Queen Grimhilde, Evie's mother; Cruella de Vil, Carlos' mother; Belle, Ben's mother; The Fairy Godmother, Jane's mother; Aurora, Audrey's mother; Cinderella, Chad's mother; Fa Mulan, Lonnie's mother; Ursula, Uma's mother (only her voice is heard).
  • The Good Dinosaur: Momma Ida – mother of Arlo and twins Buck and Libby.
  • Zootopia: Bonnie Hopps – mother of 275 children, including Judy; Nick's mother (seen in flashback).
  • Finding Dory: Jenny, Dory's mother.
  • Moana: Sina, Moana's mother.
  • DuckTales (2017): Della Duck – mother of triplets Huey, Dewey, and Louie; Downy McDuck – mother of Scrooge. Hortense, and Matilda; Officer Cabrera, Fenton's mother.
  • Coco: Mamá Imelda, Miguel's late great-great-grandmother, Héctor's wife, Coco's mother, and the matriarch of the family; Abuelita (Elena), Coco's daughter, Miguel's grandmother, and the mother of Berto, Gloria, and Enrique; Luisa Rivera – mother of Miguel and Socorro; Carmen Rivera – mother of Abel, Rosa, and twins Benny and Manny.
  • Big City Greens: Nancy Green – mother of Cricket and Tilly; Alice Green, Bill's mother.
  • Amphibia: Anne Boonchuy's mother (name not mentioned).
  • The Owl House: Camila Noceda, Luz's mother.
  • Onward: Laurel Lightfoot – mother of Ian and Barley.
  • Soul: Libba Gardner, Joe's mother.
  • Raya and the Last Dragon: Virana, Namaari's mother.
  • Luca: Daniela Paguro, Luca's mother; Grandma Paguro, Daniela's mother and Luca's maternal grandmother.
  • The Ghost and Molly McGee: Sharon McGee, Molly's mother.
  • Encanto: Julieta Madrigal – mother of Mirabel, Isabela, and Luisa; Pepa Madrigal – mother of Dolores, Camilo, and Antonio; Alma Madrigal, Mirabel's maternal grandmother and the mother of triplets Julieta, Pepa, and Bruno.
  • Turning Red: Ming Lee, Mei's mother.

Adoptive mothers and legal guardians[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Henry A. Giroux, Fugitive Cultures: Race, Violence, and Youth (Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, 1996).
  2. ^ Lynn H. Collins, Joan C. Chrisler, and Michelle R. Dunlap, Charting a New Course for Feminist Psychology (Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002), 94.
  3. ^ Stephen M. Fjellman, Vinyl Leaves: Walt Disney World and America (Westview Press, 1992), 263.
  4. ^ Snopes.com, Disney Movie Mothers – Walt Disney – My Mother The Scar.
  5. ^ Ask Amy
  6. ^ Geoff Shearer, "Disney keeps killing movie mothers: DISNEY is continuing its tradition of being G-rated entertainment's biggest mother flickers," Courier Mail (March 07, 2008).
  7. ^ Paul Loukides and Linda K. Fuller, Beyond the Stars: Themes and Ideologies in American Popular Film (Popular Press, 1993), 8.
  8. ^ a b c d Sara Munson Deats and Lagretta Tallent Lenker, Aging and Identity: A Humanities Perspective (Greenwood Publishing Group), 210.
  9. ^ Stock, Lorraine K. (2015-01-01). "Reinventing an Iconic Arthurian Moment: The Sword in the Stone in Films and Television". Arthuriana. 25 (4): 66–83. doi:10.1353/art.2015.0047. ISSN 1934-1539.
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