Archetypal evolution from Femvertising. Disney Princess Case

Abstract

Archetypes play a fundamental role in shaping the collective unconscious and bring about significant changes in the societal psyche. Particularly, thanks to the femvertising trend, Disney's new princesses project powerful archetypes, such as the queen or the warrior. This contrasts with the archetype of the maiden that the early Disney princesses used to represent, marking a generational shift in favor of female empowerment. This paper establishes a chronological classification of Disney's princesses through a semiotic and archetypal analysis. Additionally, it addresses the characteristics accepted and rejected across generations in women, comparing the princesses with the antagonists of the tales. The attributes that were once considered negative in their antagonists have evolved to become positive traits and values that the new princesses now project.