15 02 - 2013

Disneyfication of Classic
Fairy Tales
BA Thesis English Language and Culture, Utrecht
University.
Litania de Graaf 3467864

Supervisor: Roselinde Supheert

Table of Contents

Introduction

Theoretical Framework

Method

10

Results

12

Discussion

19

Limitations and Further Research

24

Conclusion

26

Works Cited

28

Appendix

30

Introduction

It could be suggested that folklore tradition and fairy tales have evolved from oral telling to
print and eventually film. In recent years, many fairy tales have been adapted for the screen.
Blockbusters such as Snow White and the Huntsman, 2012, and Red Riding Hood, 2011, have
created a rise in popularity regarding fairy tale adaptations. An abundance of new fairy tale
films, such as Jack the Giant Slayer, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters and Maleficent are set
to be released in the near future. What most of these new adaptations have in common is that
they stray from the stereotypical childrens tales and offer a darker version of the well-known
stories, which is the exact opposite of what Disney has done in the past. The Disney
Corporation has long been the reigning champion when it comes to fairy tale films. Jack
Zipes, a renowned expert on fairy tales, states in Happily Ever After that the Disney Studios
have been able to retain a market stranglehold on fairy-tale films up to the present. Any other
filmmaker who has endeavored to adapt a fairy tale for the screen, whether through animation
or other means, has had to measure up to the Disney standard and try to go beyond it (89).
Many people have been exposed to Disney and the brand is a very prominent feature of
popular culture. It is not surprising, then, that fairy tales in general are often associated with
Disney and vice versa.
However, despite the huge success of Disneys fairy tale films, many critics object to
the way the fairy tales have been adapted. Disneys image as maker of fairy tale films has
ignited much criticism, from both the general public and scholars, notably concerning the way
Disney has altered the storylines of classic fairy and folk tales in their films. Some critics,
such as Frances Clarke Sayers, feel that the censorship and alterations, also referred to as
disneyfication, are doing the original tales injustice. Consequently, it can be argued that the
Disney Corporations dominance concerning fairy tale films has resulted in a disneyfied

perception of fairy tales. Thus, some critics believe Disney affects the general perception of
fairy tales, because Disney fairy tale films create a definitive fairy tale consciousness among
their audience (Myth 74).
Even though scholars have extensively written on this matter, it is unclear whether this
sentiment concerning the disneyfication and peoples perception of fairy tales is justified.
Therefore, this paper aims to answer the following questions. Do Disney animated films based
on pre existing fairy tales influence the perception of fairy tales? Specifically, do they do so
in such a way that the Disney versions are becoming more familiar to the public than the
original stories and, finally, is peoples fairy tale knowledge based on Disney fairy tales? In
order to successfully answer these questions, this research will include a survey, which will be
conducted among Dutch students of English.
Chapter one will construct a relevant theoretical background for this subject matter
and chapter two will describe the methodology used for the research. Chapter three will
present and analyze the results. Finally, chapter four will explain the results further and focus
on the implications of the research.

Theoretical Framework:
Adaptation or Alteration?

A central concept within the framework of this paper is disneyfication. It is a term which
can be defined as, the application of simplified aesthetic, intellectual or moral standards to a
thing that has the potential for more complex or thought-provoking expression (Mouse 103).
The following publication asserts this, as in 1998 the New Internationalist dedicated an issue
to Disneys growing presence in popular culture. This edition included an article titled A
Readers Guide to Disneyfication. According to the magazine, The Disney machine has
touched us all, spreading the values of the marketplace, colonizing the fantasy life of children
and changing the world irrevocably in the process (24). In addition, they stated that
American media conglomerates like Disney have near-monopoly control in the
entertainment industry. The effects of this are huge and the result is Western (mainly
American) domination of most forms of popular culture, especially books, music, movies,
television and film (24). A similar publication, Alan Byrmans 2004 book entitled The
Disneyization of Society offers further insight into the cultural impact of the Disney
Corporation. While the term and theory are mostly used in conjunction with the influence of
Disney on culture and society, they are also applicable to Disneys influence on fairy tales.
This is because the term indicates that a distinct Disney brand characterization is imposed
onto something which was not originally created by Disney and, in addition, is romanticized.
Furthermore, in 1965, Frances Clarke Sayers wrote a letter to the Disney Company in
which she criticized the company and Walt Disney himself for the debasement of the
traditional literature of childhood. It was the first publication to candidly criticize Disneys
movies. She wrote he shows scant respect for the integrity of the original creations of
authors, manipulating and vulgarizing everything for his own ends and his treatment of

folklore is without regard for its anthropological, spiritual, or psychological truths. A similar
point is made by Jack Zipes, who expresses the following in his essay titled Breaking the
Disney Spell, It was not once upon a time, but at a certain time in history, before anyone
knew what was happening, that Walt Disney cast a spell on the fairy tale, and he has held it
captive ever since (Myth 72). According to Zipes the ways of Walt Disney have obscured
formerly renowned folktale authors and editors such as the brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault,
Hans Christian Anderson and even childrens author Carlo Collodi. One question he poses in
Breaking the Disney Spell is whether Walt Disney imprinted a particular American vision on
the fairy tale through his animated films that dominates our perspective today because of
which we see and read classical tales through his lense (Myth 73). Consequently, Walt
Disneys approach to filmmaking has altered how people perceive fairy tales (Myth 74). He
also claims that the success of the Disney fairy tale from 1937 to the present is attributable
not to Disneys uncanny ability to retell nineteenth-century fairy tales with originality and
uniqueness but to his intuitive genius, which made use of the latest technological
developments in the cinema to celebrate mechanical reproduction in animation and to glorify
a particular American perspective on individualism and male prowess (Happily 90). In other
words, it is implied that Disney might as well have used any other story, because the films do
not serve to present the actual fairy tale to the audience. In addition, All of the Disney
Studios fairy-tale films focus on synchronization, one-dimensionality, and uniformity for the
purpose of maintaining the Disney brand name as champion of entertainment (Happily 92).
Moreover, the Disney Corporation began publishing books in the 1930s and in this way has
published written versions of their fairy tale adaptations as well. These books are available
through the Disney Book Club, in many languages and countries. The corporation claims that
because of their books children and families continue to be transported through magical
worlds to discover the joys of reading and that the content ranges from feature film movie

tie-ins, to titles that highlight popular Disney franchises such as Disney Princess [and] Disney
Fairies (Disney). Hence, these books, the movie tie ins in particular, are likely to contribute
to the disneyfication of fairy tales. Due to the films and books being highly popular amongst
children the theory that Disneys main influence is through standardization of the stories is
strengthened, which will be discussed further later on in this chapter.
In contrast, there are also critics who claim that, while it may be true that Disney has
changed peoples perception of fairy tales, Walt Disney was not the first to do so. In fact, fairy
tales are an ever changing and evolving product and figures such as the brothers Grimm and
Charles Perrault based their story collections on already existing fairy tales. As is described in
Issues In Americanisation And Culture, there is an underlying sense in much discussion of
the genre that the older the tale the more genuine or authentic it is (184). Supposedly, the
European versions of fairy tales, predating those of Disney, are superior simply because they
are older. Generally, those tales which can be traced back to the oral tradition are considered
pure and uncorrupted originals (Darcy 184). The opposite is true, however. Oral story
telling involved influences from many places and cultures and, as Darcy contests, what most
characterizes the European tale in its earliest oral phase is diversity (184). This view is
supported by Stith Thompson who argues that in contrast to the modern story writers
striving after originality of plot and treatment, the teller of a folktale is proud of his ability to
hand on that which he has received (Folktale 4). Fairy tales evolved, because the oral tellers
adapted to new places and societies. For example, because the Grimms were involved in the
active editing and rewriting of tales that had already passed through many transmitters, who in
tum filtered them through their own social and moral consciousness, their storieswhich are
only in a very limited sense original folktalesare layered repositories of diverse
sociohistorical and moral realities (Haase 193). As can be read in Cristina Bacchilegas
Postmodern Fairy Tales, the classic fairy tale is a literary appropriation of the older

folktale, an appropriation which nevertheless continues to exhibit and reproduce some

folkloric features (3). Basically, what are generally considered to be classic fairy tales are, in
fact, adaptations of older and narratively different stories. Thompson claims that, as thus, an
adaptation of such a story always attempts to preserve a tradition, an old tale with the
authority of antiquity to give it interest and importance (Folktale 5). The question is whether
Disney has not simply continued this tradition. Walt Disney and his writers undoubtedly made
many alterations to their source material, but as Lucy Rollin wonders, was he not,
channeling fairy tale elements into the homely and familiar, much as a preacher might take the
homeliest example for his sermon, the better to make his point (93)?
Still, many critics object to Disneys overly simplistic, sentimental approachthe
dumbing down (Shortsleeve 1). Generally, Disney fairy tale films are geared toward
nonreflective viewing. Everything is on the surface, one-dimensional, and we are to delight in
one-dimensional portrayal and thinking, for it is adorable, easy and comforting in its
simplicity (Myth 95). The narratives of Disney fairy tale adaptations are simple and to the
point, even though the stories they are based on are often complex layered narratives meant to
induce critical thinking on the part of the audience. What is more, because of the enormous
success of his films and their continuing popularity through re-releases, his ideas and ideals
still exert a major influence on people's views of fairy tales (Stone 238). In a way, this
problem lies with the standardizing effect and aspects of the movies. A Disney fairy tale film,
such as Cinderella, is based on multiple texts and turns it into one text. As Mikel Koven states
in the Journal of American Folklore, the Disney Corporation is assuming ownership of folk
narratives by the creation of hegemonic definitive texts (177). These new, hegemonic texts
are presented as finalized versions and the narrative strategies of closure obscure earlier,
more diverse versions of the fairy tales (Happily 96). As an example, Elizabeth Tucker
conducted research among American pre school children in the early 1990s and found out

that these childrens knowledge of Cinderella and the Little Mermaid was entirely based on
the versions which had been constructed by Disney (25). With regard to standardized texts, it
is quite impossible to determine whether Disney writers purposefully aim to create a story
which the audience will perceive as definitive or whether this is incidentally achieved with
their narrative structures, because The Disney Corporation is very unwilling to release
information to the public about their strategies and to allow access to their archives (Doherty).

Furthermore, fairy tale films can ignite new interest for folk tales, because the films
put these tales back on the map. Stith Thompson has claimed that Many adults who had long
ago dropped their interest in the fairytale unexpectedly found great pleasure in this old
product of the folk imagination, due to the release of Disneys Snow White and the Seven
Dwarfs in 1937. Supposedly, fairy tale adaptations would encourage viewers to rediscover
these tales and the Disney text would be considered but one text among countless other
variants (Koven 177). Disneys adaptions can be said to arouse new interest in folk tales,
when they have lost some of its popularity. As such, since the cinematic medium is a popular
form of expression and accessible to the public at large, Disney actually returns the fairy tale
to the majority of people(Myth 83). However, the film adaptations also deprive the audience
now of visualizing their own characters, roles, and desires because of which audiences can
no longer envision a fairy tale for themselves as they can when they read it (Myth 84). The
consequence of a fairy tale film is that the audience loses its ability to construct their own
image of the tale, due to which certain aspects of the original version are lost.
To summarize, disneyfication refers to a process in which a non Disney product or
entity is altered in such a way that the original is simplified and subjected to a specific
romantic notion. This term is applied to Disneys fairy tale films, because their adaptations are
often one dimensional and require little critical thinking from the audience. In addition,

Disney seems to have standardized the fairy tales in such a way that hegemonic, definitive
texts are created, which is supported by the release of tie in books through the Disney Book
Club. However, Disney may not have been the first to do so. After all, fairy tale collectors
such as the Brothers Grimm did this too and fairy tales in general evolved from a long,
folkloric tradition. Moreover, it is argued that, in contrast, Disney adaptations create new
awareness of fairy tales among the audience. Nonetheless, the way the stories are adapted
may deprive the audience of discovering the actual stories for themselves.

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Method

To determine the influence of Disney on peoples perception and knowledge of fairy tales, this
research will make use of a survey. This survey will be a self completion questionnaire,
which will be conducted and completed electronically. It will be conducted in English and
consists of 12 questions. Mainly for this reason, participants will be recruited via the student
association for students of English in Utrecht and participation will be voluntary. Prospective
respondents are briefly told what purpose the questionnaire serves and are then given a link to
the website on which the digital survey is hosted. The questions are designed to determine
whether or not the participant is familiar with Disneys fairy tale adaptations and with the
fairy and folk tales on which Disney has based the narrative of their film versions. The
selection of films include non-fairy tale adaptations, to induce critical thinking and avoid a
situation in which the respondents may be tricked into assuming all listed films are based on
fairy tales. In addition, the questions will show the popularity of fairy tale films in relation to
non fairy tale films and will include an inquiry into respondents exposure to Disney books
and non Disney fairy tale products. The complete survey can be found in the appendix.
The following is a list of the selected films, their release dates, what they are
adaptations of and, if applicable, an indication when an original source is not included in the
film credits.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, released in 1937 and based on Schneewittchen by

the Brothers Grimm.

Pinocchio, released in 1940 and based on a novel by Carlo Collodi entitled Le
avventure di Pinocchio.

11

Bambi, released in 1942 and based on a book by Felix Salten entitled Bambi, a Life in

the Woods.
Cinderella, released in 1950 and based on Cendrillon, ou La petite Pantoufle de Verre

by Charles Perrault.
Peter Pan, released in 1953 and based on a play by J.M. Barrie entitled Peter Pan, or

The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up.

Lady and the Tramp, released in 1955 and an original Disney story.
Sleeping Beauty, released in 1959 and based on La Belle au bois dormant by Charles

Perrault.
The Little Mermaid, released in 1989 and based on Den lille havfrue by Hans Christian

Andersen.
Beauty and the Beast, released in 1991 and based on La Belle et la Bte by Jeanne-

Marie Leprince de Beaumont. Uncredited.

Aladdin, released in 1992 and based on a story from Arabian Nights. Uncredited.
The Lion King, released in 1994 and an original Disney story.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame, released in 1996 and based on a novel by Victor Hugo

entitled Notre Dame de Paris.

Chicken Little, released in 2005 and based on the folktale Chicken Licken. Uncredited.
The Princess and the Frog, released in 2009 and based on The Frog Prince by the

brothers Grimm, uncredited, and a novel by E.D. Baker entitled The Frog Princess.
Tangled, released in 2010 and based on Rapunzel by the Brothers Grimm.

Results

This chapter will focus on the results of the online survey. A total of 40 people completed the
questionnaire and, as figure 1 shows, most of the respondents were female. In addition, the

12

age differs from 18 to 29 years old and the average age centers around 21 years old, as is
shown in figure 2.

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

Question one established the viewership of the selected films. In this case, the term
viewership refers to whether the film had been seen by the respondents and also how often the
respondents had seen the selected films. The respondents were asked to indicate which films
they had seen and, in addition, to estimate how many times they had viewed each individual

13

film.

Never

Once

Sporadically

Often

Very Often

As can be seen in figure 3, a very small percentage of the respondents indicated that
they had never seen one of the fairy tale adaptations and the data show that the adaptations are
popular films. That is to say, the results show that the fairy tale adaptations have been seen by
almost all of the respondents and have been viewed more than once by the majority. The non
fairy tale films The Lady and the Tramp and The Hunchback of the Notre Dame, for
example, rank lower than the films that have been viewed more than once. All in all, these
results do not show a clear trend which could suggest fairy tale films are more popular or

14
Figure 3. Viewership Disney Films

loved than the other films. They do, however, show that they are not less liked than the other
films. Remarkably, Disneys latest fairy tale adaptations, Tangled and The Princess and the
Frog, have not been seen by a large fraction of the respondents compared to the other films.
Another film which stands out is Chicken Little. This film has not been seen by 65 percent of
the respondents and has been viewed more than once by only 5 percent of the respondents.
Figure 4 shows the ownership of the selected films among the respondents. They were
asked to indicate whether they or their family owned any of the selected films on home video,
dvd or had access to it via the computer, for example, if a copy of the film had been acquired
through the internet.
Figure 4. Films owned by respondents

Figure 4 indicates that, the films that were owned most are also the films that have
been viewed most, as was shown in figure 3. Not surprisingly, the ownership of films is
directly linked to their viewership. Furthermore, the data show that the fairy tale films are the
most owned films with the exception of Chicken Little and The Princess and the Frog. Other
than those two, the films owned least are the non fairy tale films, such as The Hunchback of

15

the Notre Dame and Pinocchio. An exception to this is The Lion King, which ranks highest
along with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
The respondents knowledge of the inspiration for and original sources of Disney films
can be seen in figure 5.

Figure 5. Respondents awareness of fairy tale films background

16

Overall, the data indicate that the respondents knowledge of Disneys narratives and
story backgrounds is, for the most part, correct. Most respondents know which films are based
on fairy tales; only a very small percentage do not seem to be aware of this. Notably, quite a
few respondents indicate that they think Pinocchio, Peter Pan and The Hunchback of the
Notre Dame are based on fairy tales. Finally, what stands out is 85 percent of the surveyed
think Chicken Little is an original story created by Disney.
Figures 6 and 7 show the respondents exposure to books from the Disney Book Club
as well as their exposure to non Disney fairy tale products.

Figure 6.

17
Figure 7.

A little over half of the respondents indicated they had read non Disney fairy tale
books and they had seen non Disney fairy tale films when they were younger, whereas a
little less than half of the respondents indicate to have read books from the Disney Book Club
as a child. Thus, there does not seem to be a clear trend to establish Disney fairy tale products
as more popular than fairy tale books and films from other manufacturers. It does, however,
show that the respondents claim to have been exposed to fairy tales and folklore through
various sources.
The respondents were also asked to name any authors and collectors of fairy tales.
Figure 8 shows the answers that were given and their frequency.
Figure 8. Fairy tale authors / collectors.

Answers
The Brothers Grimm
Hans Christian Andersen
Charles Perrault
Andrew Lang
Roald Dahl
Arabian Nights / 1001 Nights
Godfried Bomans
George MacDonald
Wilhelm Hauf
Giambattista Basille
E.E. Cummings

Frequency
35
26
6
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

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Lewis carrol
Kenneth Grahame
J.R.R. Tolkien
J.K. Rowling

1
1
1
1

Notably, The Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen are well known among the
respondents and a select few are aware of Charles Perrault. A few respondents came up with
names that can be associated with fairy tales through, for example, short stories and poetry,
such as Roald Dahls Revolting Rhymes and E.E. Cummings Fairy Tales. Other answers given
include Lewis Carroll and Kenneth Grahame. While these authors are not fairy tale writers or
collectors, it is interesting that they were mentioned, because both Carrolls Alices
Adventures in Wonderland and Grahames The Wind in the Willows have been adapted for
film by Disney. Furthermore, J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling were mentioned. Overall, the
general knowledge concerning fairy tales of the respondents appears to be limited to the
Grimm Brothers and Hans Christian Anderson.
Moreover, 90 percent of the respondents indicated that they still watch Disney
animated films. Notably, of those who do not still watch the films a majority had not provided
an answer when they were asked to specify the original sources of the individual fairy tale
films. In addition, while the majority of those who still watch the films do not do this on a
regular basis, 15 respondents indicated that they watch Disney animated films on a monthly
basis. A few of these show a broader knowledge of fairy tales and their background than those
who watch the films less frequently, but overall, peoples knowledge does not seem to be
linked to how often they have seen a film. In addition, respondents who claimed that they still
watch Disney animated films were asked to specify which films they watched most. The
answers can be seen in figure 9.

Figure 7.
19

14
12
10
8
6

Figure 8.
number of times mentioned

4
2
0

Figure 9. Most watched films nowadays.

These results suggest that the fairy tale films are the more popular ones, as 8 out of 13
films are fairy tale films.
Discussion:
Falsely Accused?

This papers main goal is to discover whether Disneys fairy tale adaptation have an influence
on how people perceive fairy tales and whether this has a direct influence on peoples
knowledge of fairy tales. The survey has provided some interesting findings. First of all, it can
be deduced that watching fairy tale films on a regular basis enhances an individuals
awareness of fairy tales and their sources. Concerning ownership and viewership of Disney
animated features, fairy tale adaptations were shown to be among the films which were
viewed and owned the most by the respondents. The exceptions to this trend are Chicken
Little, The Princess and the Frog and Tangled, which rank low and have been seen by a
minority. However, this can most likely be attributed to their release dates. The films were

20

released in 2005, 2009 and 2010, respectively. Considering the average age of the respondents
is 21, it is possible most of them no longer watched Disney animated features when these
films came out. Nevertheless, the data show that Tangled has been viewed by a relatively
small portion of the respondents, but, in contrast, ranks high among those films which people
still watch regularly. Perhaps this is because Tangled is more similar to Disneys earlier fairy
tale adaptations than The Princess and the Frog and Chicken Little, which might make the
film more appealing to those viewers who are Disney film fans. In addition, Disney has stated
that they will not be producing any new fairy tale films in the foreseeable future, which
could also add to its popularity (Chmielewski). As a whole, respondents were aware which
films were adaptations of fairy tales, except in the case of Chicken Little. This film is also, by
far, the least popular film. It is unclear why this is, because the film was a success in cinemas
when it came out. A possible explanation could be Disneys choice to switch to 3-D animation
rather than the 2-D animation their classics are known for. What is interesting, though, is the
results show that almost no one knew of its folkloric roots. This might suggest that Disney
fairy tale films incite awareness of its original source, rather than overshadow it, as is claimed
by some critics. This is backed up by the finding that respondents who indicated that they still
watch Disney animated films on a regular basis showed more awareness of fairy tale sources,
authors and story collectors. While it was argued that Disney creates definitive texts, which
make the audience less aware of the original tales these results seem to suggest that this may
not be so problematic. As was argued in chapter one, Disneys adaptations might encourage
people to rediscover the old stories (see page 8) and the films may popularize the sources,
rather than obscure them.
Furthermore, since Disney is well known for their fairy tale adaptation an image is
created because of which people have the tendency to associate all of their films with fairy
tales. In this light, it is important to consider how the respondents categorized the films

21

Pinocchio, Peter Pan and the Hunchback of the Notre Dame. Results show that the majority
of the respondents knew that these films were adaptations of novels or plays. A considerable
number of respondents, however, thought these films were based on a fairy tale. This might
indicate a form of bias among respondents, owing to Disneys fairy tale image. In the case of
Pinocchio, the categorization as a fairy tale is understandable and somewhat true. This
childrens novel by Carlo Collodi is generally considered to be a fairy tale, even though it
does not have folkloric roots, and has been adapted into new works numerous times. This
categorization of these texts is interesting, because it implies that the idea of what a fairy tale
is differs per individual and it might prove useful to research how people distinguish fairy
tales from folklore or even whether people still distinguish between the two. It is plausible
that people nowadays consider the fairy tale to be a genre, rather than a type of text adhering
to and attaining certain folkloric aspects, which was deemed a key aspect of classic fairy tales
by several scholars. According to Bacchilega, a fairy tale reproduction continues to exhibit
and reproduce some folkloric features (see page 7), but people who are unfamiliar with
folklore might not consider this a necessary feature of fairy tales. In addition, it is perhaps
possible that the respondents thought these films were based on fairy tales, because they were
unaware of the original sources. Disneys dominant position in the fairy tale film market
might create a form of bias because of which people are more likely to assume that a Disney
film is based on a fairy tale when they are unaware of the original source for the film. In this
light, it is perhaps useful to take into consideration that some respondents associated Lewis
Carroll and Kenneth Grahame with Disney and fairy tales. They might have done this because
they consider their works to be part of the fairy tale genre, or it could be because Disneys
adaptations Alice in Wonderland and The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, respectively,
made them assume the original source is likely to be a fairy tale, due to the mentioned bias
caused by Disneys reputation.

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Moreover, the most telling finding of this study is that a vast majority of the
respondents know of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen. In addition, a small
group knows of Charles Perrault. This is important, because Disney has used these authors
and collectors for source material. However, only one of Disneys movies is based on a Hans
Christian Andersen story, namely, The Little Mermaid, whereas both Charles Perrault and the
Brothers Grimm served as inspiration more than once. The fact that Charles Perrault was
mentioned less often than the other two, might be because adaptations such as Cinderella and
Sleeping Beauty are less popular than the other fairy tale films. Nevertheless, it is also
possible that the respondents have been exposed to fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm and
Hans Christian Anderson more than they were to those of Charles Perrault, though there does
not seem to be an obvious reason for this. In that case, it does stand out that only one
respondent named Andrew Lang, who is generally considered to be an important fairy tale
collector because of his twelve fairy books. Other fairy tale authors and collectors found in
the results were only named by one respondent each. Even though it appears people were
equally exposed to fairy tale books and films by Disney and non Disney products, the
respondents seem more aware of the fairy tale authors whose work Disney based their
narratives on. This might suggest that watching Disneys fairy tale adaptations creates more
awareness of fairy tales, though this can again be attributed to the overall popularity of the
three previously mentioned authors and collectors. In this case, the standardizing effect of
Disneys fairy tale narratives, through which Disney assumes ownership of folk narratives by
the creation of hegemonic definitive texts, can be disputed. According to Zipes, these
narrative strategies of closure prevent the audience from knowing what the original sources
are, but results show most respondents do know at least three fairy tale authors . However,
further research is needed to determine whether people have knowledge of the original fairy
tale narratives as well, or whether they are just aware of popularized fairy tale authors and

23

therefore mix their stories with the narratives created by Disney, as Tucker found to be the
case in her research among 4 to 6 year olds (see page 8).
All in all, the results indicate that Disney fairy tale adaptations do stimulate the
folklore knowledge of their audience, but in a limited way. The commercial success of fairy
tale films produced and released by the Disney Corporation appears to have made the
Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen mainstream names in present day fairy tale
culture. For most respondents, it seems that the term fairy tale is first and foremost associated
with these two names. However, some respondents do show a more comprehensive
knowledge of fairy tale history. To determine if this is an indirect effect of Disney animated
films further research is necessary.
Overall, it appears Disneys influence on the perception of fairy tales is not as
prominently visible nor as devastating as, for example, Jack Zipes suggests. He stated that the
names of the brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen were obscured by Disney, but
results suggest this to be false. It can be said that Disney fairy tale films stimulate the
audience to read fairy tales or to familiarize themselves with fairy tales, though this cannot be
stated with absolute certainty. The fact that nearly all respondents were unaware of the
folkloric roots of Chicken Little seems to attest that fairy tale films do popularize the actual
folktales. That is to say, this film was least popular among the respondents and they were not
familiar with Chicken Littles background. Although, in contrast, the respondents were more
aware of the backgrounds of the more popular fairy tale films, which could perhaps be
attributed to how familiar the respondents were with these films. Furthermore, the study
suggests The Disney Corporations successful fairy tale adaptations and, consequently, their
dominant position in the fairy tale film market make the audience more likely to assume that
an adaptation of a novel, play or other source is based on a fairy tale, when the viewer is

24

unfamiliar with the background of a film, as was the case with The Hunchback of the Notre
dame.

Limitations and Further Research

This study has its limitations. First of all, because the survey was conducted online and
depended on peoples own motivation to participate, the gender distribution was far from
equal. Only 17 percent of the respondents were male, which made any assumptions and
findings based on gender difficult to construe and ungrounded. Further research would likely
benefit from a sample which is pre selected based on gender. In addition, this study focused
on a selection of Disney animated films due to time and length restrictions. More definitive
results may be found when all Disney films are included in the research.
This study relies on a questionnaire for its results, but it might prove useful to conduct

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interviews, in addition to the surveys, so the respondents will be able to provide motivations
and reasons regarding knowledge of fairy tale authors outside of the Disney spectrum. In
addition, to determine whether the restricted knowledge of fairy tale authors, collectors and
editors is solely due to Disney films it might be an idea to include more questions about non
Disney fairy tale products in any further or extended research on this topic. What is more,
further research should include an investigation into peoples knowledge of fairy tale
narratives to determine how aware people are of the differences between Disneys fairy tales
and fairy by, for example, the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault. This will provide a
clearer indication of Disneys influence on fairy tale perception. Critics and literature on
Disneys fairy tale films state that the company has a dominant role in the fairy tale consumer
market, which could not be affirmed in this study and should therefore be further studied by
looking at other fairy tale film productions.
The survey questions and the sample of subjects have their limitations too. Most of the
questions required an estimation or remembrance of past behavior. Consequently, it is difficult
to determine how reliable the respondents answers are to, for example, the question enquiring
into whether they read non Disney books or watched non Disney films.
Finally, it must be taken into account that the respondents were all Dutch students of
English. It could be that they are less influenced by Disney than an American audience, for
example, and a comparison should be made between the two groups for a complete research.

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Conclusion

The purpose of the current study was determine to what extent Disney fairy tale films
influence peoples perception of fairy tales. It was first suggested that Disney had a monopoly
on fairy tale films and that its influence is so great that the audience is subconsciously
indoctrinated with a disneyfied perception of fairy tales. However, the results do not show a
trend which can affirm this statement. In addition, the alterations Disney has made to the
original sources resulted in the obscuring of well known fairy tale authors and collectors,
according to critics. Overall, the findings of this research project suggest that watching the
adaptations make the audience more acquainted with the original sources of the fairy tales and

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that they are therefore rediscovering classic fairy tales. In addition, with the exception of
Andrew Lang, respondents were conscious of the brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen
and Charles Perrault. All three provided source material for Disney fairy tale films, Andrew
Langs work, however, was not an inspiration to Disney. Furthermore, it became apparent that
Disneys alleged dominant status regarding fairy tale films resulted in a form of bias, because
of which respondents were likely to assume a film they were unfamiliar with as a fairy tale
adaptation.
The results also show that peoples general perception of fairy tales might be difficult
to determine, because it may be that some people consider the fairy tale to be a genre, rather
than a tale with a folkloric background attaining certain, specific motifs and themes. Even
though there appears to be an indication of influence on Disneys part concerning the
consciousness of classic fairy tales and their backgrounds, the extent of that influence seems
far more limited than was proposed by the critics. All in all, it is perhaps more appropriate to
think of Disney as yet another step in the tradition and evolution of folklore and fairy tales.
This is certainly true when one takes into consideration the fact that Disney is not going to
produce any new fairy tale films for a while, yet new fairy tale films, which offer alternative
versions of the same classics Disney adapted, by other production companies and directors are
being released.

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