Does the shoe fit? : a deeper look into how princess stories have shaped both our society and our actions

Abstract

With the recent blockbuster hit movie, Frozen, and the life-action remake of a classic princess story, Cinderella, it is incredibly apparent that princess stories are a major part of our society. Little girls dream of being princesses, think they can one day find their prince charming to sweep them off their feet, and that happily ever after is a realistic dream and while some of those beliefs may hold true, they have come to shape our society and actions. As a way to investigate the proliferation of the so-called princess culture, I created a unit plan designed for 11th grade students that takes a look at the men and women in different princess stories from various cultures, looks at the role of men women today, and asks students to make connections between society and the stories we have read and seen. "All of us are princesses; some of are born, others of us are made." -Carla Ball