Introduction
Jack Zipes contends that Mother Gothel is portrayed in a bland, stupid, and disorganized way in his critique of Disney’s rendition of the Brothers Grimm’s “Rapunzel” in Tangled. Zipes expresses dissatisfaction with how the Disney movie departs from the source material and weakens the dark and intricate elements of the fairy tale. In contrast to how the Brothers Grimm portrayed the heroine—who was greedy and cunning—the Disney movie casts her as a likable character, which Zipes thinks dilutes the story’s original moral.
Zipes’s Critique of Tangled and the Depiction of Mother Gothel
Zipes notes that, contrasted with the first character in the Brothers Grimm tale, Mother Gothel, the main adversary in Tangled, needs more depth and subtlety. Rapunzel is kidnapped as a baby in the original story by Mother Gothel, a crafty and deceitful character who raises her alone while taking advantage of her long hair. However, Mother Gothel is merely a travesty of an evil witch in the Disney rendition, with no discernible reason for her deeds (Garza 142). Zipes contends that this flattening of the character produces an inane and banal portrayal that falls short of capturing the original story’s moral and emotional complexity.
Additionally, Zipes claims that the narrative and message of the movie Tangled are messed up by how Mother Gothel is portrayed. Mother Gothel’s intentions are murky in the film, and her behavior is erratic. She switches between being Rapunzel’s caring and protective mother figure and her scheming and self-serving adversary. According to Zipes, this inconsistent portrayal of Mother Gothel results in a story that is unclear and messy and lacks the cohesion and depth of the original fairy tale.
Comparing Disney’s Tangled with the Brothers Grimm’s “Rapunzel”
Conrad argues in favor of Zipes’ claim by emphasizing the value of educating children about fairy tales in their original form in order to bring out their moral complexity and ambiguities. Conrad underlines that fairy tales include deeper meanings and complexities that might be lost in modern interpretations and are not merely straightforward stories of good versus evil (Conrad 100). Zipes’ claim is confirmed when contrasting Tangled with the “Rapunzel” tale by the Brothers Grimm.
Mother Gothel has many facets in the original story. She exhibits complicated psychological tendencies, including narcissism and possessiveness, and acts both as a caregiver and an abductor. She is motivated by the quest for perpetual youth because she depends on Rapunzel’s hair to keep herself young. Mother Gothel’s complex and gloomy characterization makes the story more profound and challenging, posing ethical queries about the nature of power, sacrifice, and love.
It is crucial to recognize that the Queen’s actions and goals are different from those of Mother Gothel, the movie’s antagonist, while analyzing Jack Zipes’ critique of Disney’s Tangled in the context of the Queen’s use of the magic flower. While Mother Gothel’s deeds are motivated by her egotistical desire for eternal youth, the Queen’s usage of the magical flower can be viewed as an act of desperation for survival (Garza 142). This is done in order to save her life and the life of her unborn child.
The Queen’s use of the magic flower, which has healing abilities, establishes the plot’s basic idea in Tangled. The magical flower is used to make a potion that heals the Queen and her unborn child, saving them from disease. Mother Gothel, who learns of the flower’s abilities, becomes fixated on its capacity to preserve her youth and beauty. She kidnaps Rapunzel, the newborn princess who possesses the flower’s magical qualities, and imprisons her in a tower so that she might profit from its curative benefits.
Some would contend that Mother Gothel’s actions are justified because the Queen’s use of the magic flower enables her to protect her and her child’s lives. The Queen’s conduct may be considered reasonable but not necessarily justified in this morally problematic circumstance. It is crucial to realize that Mother Gothel only acts out of self-interest, hoarding the flower’s magical abilities for her own gain and using Rapunzel as a pawn in her own game.
Moreover, Mother Gothel’s activities are motivated by greed and vanity, whereas the Queen’s actions can be considered a selfless act of love for her child. Mother Gothel’s personality lacks the nuance and depth necessary to support her morally acceptable conduct (Garza 143). She is depicted as a one-dimensional antagonist with no redeeming characteristics or contradictory goals, and is just concerned with herself.
Furthermore, Mother Gothel’s actions of taking Rapunzel and imprisoning her for a long time are not justified or excused by the Queen’s usage of the magic flower. Mother Gothel’s preoccupation with eternal youth and beauty, rather than her desire to survive, drives her acts. Rapunzel’s manipulation, seclusion, and exploitation for her self-serving ends cannot be excused by the Queen’s original usage of the miraculous flower.
Zipes’ critique of Mother Gothel’s persona in Tangled is still valid in light of the Queen’s use of the magic flower. The film’s portrayal of Mother Gothel lacks the depth, variety, and coherence that made the original story’s version of her ethically and psychologically compelling. Irrespective of the Queen’s actions, the transformation of Mother Gothel into a clichéd antagonist who is only motivated by base desires lessens the plot’s overall thematic effect and complexity in Tangled.
Conclusion
In summary, Jack Zipes’ criticism of Disney’s Tangled and its depiction of Mother Gothel in the “Rapunzel” adaptation is legitimate. In the movie, Mother Gothel is portrayed in a way that needs more nuance and complexity than the original story. The Disney adaptation weakens the dark and nuanced essence of the fairy tale by flattening Mother Gothel into a one-dimensional antagonist with contradictory goals and failing to accurately convey the moral ambiguity, psychological complexity, and narrative coherence of the original story.
Works Cited
Conrad, JoAnn. “Teaching Fairy Tales.” Journal of American Folklore, vol. 135, no. 535, 2022, pp. 99–102. Web.
Garza, Valerie F. The Witch, the Blonde, and the Cultural “Other”: Applying Cluster Criticism to Grimm and Disney Princess Stories. ProQuest LLC, 2018.