Have you noticed that the `rebellious' part of rebellious young teens tend to be an informed ability? Not that I mind reading about non-rebellious teens. I just wish people would stop assuming if there's a teenager in the story they must be rebellious even when all evidence points to the contrary.
I once read a movie review that described Mulan as a rebellious young teen. Yeah... no. Trying to save your father by risking your own life may be impulsive, but it's not rebellious, folks, sorry. You want a rebellious young teen from among the Disney animated ladies, you've got to go with The Little Mermaid. Ariel is the genuine article when it comes to rebellious. Nobody can tell her anything (though they sure try). We meet her exploring a sunken galleon behind her father's back, egging Flounder into joining her, and nearly getting her friend killed as a result. Sebastian is sent to keep an eye on her, and before you know it he's pulled into lying to his king. This kid is reckless and it's hurting everyone around her. (Except Prince Eric, whose life she saves.)
The subterfuge cannot last, and of course it doesn't. Sebastian turns out to be a lousy lier. King Triton finds out that his daughter's been regularly risking her life and predictably blows his top. This is where the eels come in, tempting Ariel into a devil's bargain. No matter how hurt and angry she is, Ariel loves her dad too much to just swim off to his worst enemy. She almost resists temptation.
Almost.
In the human world Ariel is, for the first time, vulnerable. In an ironic twist, now that telling the truth would help her, she has no voice. This time it is Ursula weaving deceptions around Ariel and Prince Eric to make sure Ariel stays indebted and enslaved. Everything comes crashing down at the end of the second act when Eric finds out who Ariel is just as she turns back into a mermaid and gets dragged under the ocean only to learn that Ursula used her to lay a trap for her father, who takes her place as Ursula's slave.
Then the climax happens.
In The Little Mermaid the authors actually showed that Ariel was rebellious, they didn't just stick `rebellious young teen' in the tag line and expect you to accept their word for it. They didn't just leave her swimming around getting her friends in trouble, either. They took her to the place where her actions have deep consequences; her father enslaved, Prince Eric almost drowned by the eels, her kingdom on the verge of destruction. Then they have her realize her mistake and fight for her friends. In the end, to prove that she's really changed, the authors have her reconcile with her dad. (That bit where she hugs him goodbye makes me tear up every time.)
A rebellious young teen can make for a great protagonist when you give them a good story arc and make sure you're not just using `rebellious' as a synonym for `teen'.
Oh, man. The damned crying this stupid movie had me do! I don't mean that, of course. But I know exactly what you mean about tearing up at the end.
ReplyDeleteJasmine was also somewhat rebellious, but she didn't annoy me like Ariel did.
I always meant to do a post about the overused "dad" template in Disney movies. The same man appeared in Cinderella as the king, Sleeping Beauty as one of the kings, Belle's father, Jasmine's father and Lottie's father.
I never felt like Jasmine was that rebellious. I mean, her dad was under the thumb of an evil sorcerer. I think (this is just my take on it) that she kind of sensed something was wrong and on a subconscious level that was part of what she was trying to escape. Sure there was the whole marriage thing, but she seemed to have that under control between the attack-kitty and a dad who just waved his arms around and said `but-but- the law says...' Her reason for running was that she felt trapped, and nothing makes someone feel as trapped as having a loved one with serious problems that you can't put a name to.
ReplyDeleteWow! I never even thought about all that before.
I totally agree with you on the Disney Dad thing. It is SO annoying. The worst part is that Disney proved they could do better with King Stephan, King Titan and (most of all) Mulan's dad. (I still haven't gotten around to seeing `The Princess and the Frog' -I know. Major oversight.- so I can't compare any of the depictions of fathers in that movie. Yet.)
I always felt like The Little Mermaid was really an allegory, what with her selling her soul and her father taking her place. (The Allegory Hunt -one of those habits that's just hard to kick.) :)
Ack! I realized I should have mentioned it in the review- the bit about Ariel getting Flounder into trouble wasn't something I would have picked up on if I hadn't watched the Nostalgia Chick review of `Little Mermaid.' (Her first review, not the second one. It may have some rough language, I forget for sure, so be aware of that if you decide to look it up.)
ReplyDeleteI wish folks would show a little more variety in teenage rebellion, myself. Just like not every teen rebels, not every teen rebels against their parents when they do rebel. I remember spending most of my teenage years rebelling against teenage society. That was rougher; most of the teens I knew were not the least bit tolerant of people who wouldn't react to society exactly the same way they did. {Wry Smile}
ReplyDeleteAnne Elizabeth Baldwin
I was actually more of a rebellious pre-teen myself. Mostly it was about not doing well in school no matter how hard I tried, until I finally decided if people were going to chew me out for not trying when I really WAS, I'd show them what `not trying' looked like. That ended when my parents decided to homeschool me.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I can see how rebelling against teen society would be rough. People talk a lot about acceptance and being your own person, but if you actually DO that, they feel dreadfully threatened.
{Laugh} I'm glad your parents found a solution that worked for you. At least I hope it did. {SMILE}
ReplyDeleteI didn't try very hard in intermediate school, myself. That's equivalent to Jr. High or Middle School... I think I was 12 when i entered, and 14 when I left. It was only two years, but thanks to the timing of birthdays... {Smile}
Anyway, thru most of that, I really didn't try to do well in school. I pretty much coasted. I shaped up near the end, and worked hard enough in high school and college. In my case, I don't think it was rebellion so much as just not caring to make the effort. {Smile}
Anne Elizabeth Baldwin
Oh yes, homeschooling worked. And there is a definite difference between the attitude in rebelling and just not caring, even if the result is the same. I became a Christian in my early teens, which helped a lot with the whole attitude thing.
ReplyDeleteOh good. I'm glad homeschooling did work for you. {SMILE}
ReplyDeleteYes, I remember that rebelling took a concerted effort on my part. Just not caring was a lack of effort, instead. I can imagine getting the same effect, but the process is not the same. {SMILE}
I think that must be one of the advatages if insisting on adult baptism. You end up committing to a choice. {Smile}
Anne Elizabeth Baldwin
Or at least not baptizing before the person is old enough to understand about sin nature and all that. I was eleven or twelve, so REALLY early teens. :)
ReplyDeleteTrue. I don't know of a church that makes you wait all the way until you're 18. I suppose there could be some around, but usually they figure folks can make up their minds a little earlier than that. {Smile}
ReplyDeleteAnne Elizabeth Baldwin