Brave Gender Roles

Sometimes art is still good despite the artist's confused intentions

By Connie Morgan

At Free Black Moms we believe moms should take seriously the entertainment we choose to expose our children to. Pixar’s Brave is not the best movie the renowned studio has ever made but despite the efforts to be feminist, progressive and/or modern it passes the smell test.

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Recently I re-watched the movie Brave; the Pixar flick about the Scottish princess who doesn’t want to get married…so naturally she turns her mom into a bear. She’s also really good with a bow and arrow. It’s not Pixar’s best. The plot has already been done (it’s repackaged Freaky Friday) but it’s still an above average cartoon and the soundtrack and visuals are fantastic. Brave works as a story because even though it is an attempt to modernize the Disney princess it is still rooted in reality.

Brave is a different kind of princess movie as there is no prince. The story is about a relationship between a girl and her mother, not a girl and her crush. Because there was no prince, many feminists approved of the movie. Disney was proud this isn’t your typical princess story. Brave came out in 2012 and was when I noticed Disney really adopting a more “modern” approach to storytelling. There were some critiques of the plot being a little basic and the heroine (Merida) being a little too stereotypical school girl tomboy but no one seemed to notice the obvious. 

[spoilers ahead]

Despite its best intentions Brave makes the case for gender roles and in an intelligent way. In the prologue a mother and father combine to protect their child from a bear. The mother grabs the child and runs while the father stays and fights the bear losing his leg in the process. Women protect children. Men protect women.

One of the funniest scenes in the movie is when three different tribes arrive with their finest warriors vying to win Princess Merida’s hand. Chaos quickly ensues and all the men are brawling in the hall. Even the king is getting in on the fun. It’s not until Merida’s mother, the queen, calmly walks to the front of the room and commands the men to stop that things settle down. Men are wild. Women calm men down.

Later in the movie Merida comes across the same bear that took her father’s leg. The only reason she escapes the bear’s clutches (despite being an excellent shot with her bow) is because her mother who is now also a bear helps her get away. There is no way Merida would’ve survived the attack had not Merida’s mother literally been a bear. Women aren’t able to take down big strong foes with their bare hands except in fantasies involving special powers and abilities.

Part of the movie’s charm is that it even showcases male vs female attraction. Males are visual creatures who think about a specific topic more often than women. At the very end of the movie the queen gets turned back into a human and is unclothed except for the blanket she is wrapped in. Her husband doesn’t at first realize that it’s awkward for his bride to be naked under a blanket in front of a crowd because he also tries to get a peak. I actually chuckled at this part because every woman has had the experience of doing some sort of normal seemingly non-sexual task whilst inadvertently turning their man on. (I once stood on my toes fully clothed reaching for something up high and my husband took notice.)

Merida can handle a bow better than any of the fellas but war requires brute strength too. This was especially true in olden times but is still important today. The average U.S. soldier carries 60 pounds in gear. Special Ops forces carry even more weight. I’m realizing Brave also makes the case for concealed carry. Guns are the only equalizer in a literal battle between the sexes. Merida may be a better shot with a bow and arrow but bows and arrows require physical strength and stamina. Merida would tire of shooting her bow faster than a man would. 

Brave is an example of the art itself not reflecting the intentions of the artist. I don’t think the makers of Brave sat down with the goal of writing a conservative story. A tradcon mom may pass over this film after listening to interviews or reading articles about it. At first glance one might think it to be a dose of feminist propaganda.

Yet one of the main themes of Brave is also a founding axiom of conservatism. Men are needed to fend off bears and fight wars; women make sure that’s not all they do.

The fact is, any story involving male and female relationships that doesn't acknowledge this truth won’t resonate with anyone. Despite being “progressive” Brave is rooted in timeless truths. This doesn’t mean women can’t be tough and men can’t be sensitive. Merida is a badass and her dad has a soft side but women and men are designed to do different things. 

Brave showcases the dynamics of men and women but in a subtle way. Who is the title of the movie referring to? The bravest person in the movie isn’t Merida who ran to a witch to solve her problems with magic. Nor is it Merida’s mother who couldn't fathom the idea of jigging the system by not forcing her daughter to marry. The bravest person in the movie is Merida’s father. Even after getting his leg ripped off by a bear he didn’t hesitate to charge into battle against the very same bear in order to protect his wife and children.

Connie Morgan is a Christian, wife, and mother located in the Pacific Northwest. She has a background in economics and public relations and has worked in higher ed and marketing. She served five years in the United States military as a military intelligence officer. Her main research and writing interests are the family, education, and personal liberty generally. Connie is a founding member of Free Black Thought. She is the regular host of the Free Black Thought Podcast. She tweets here.