Top 3 Princesses--Believing in Dreams and Thawing Frozen Hearts (Laura)

Thanks to Elizabeth and Erin for their posts on this fun topic already. I feel the need to reverse the typical countdown order for this particular Top 3 list to start with my favorite princess, possibly because I knew her first.


1. Cinderella

It's hard for me to say exactly why I adore and have always adored the character and story of Cinderella. My favorite adaptations (Disney's, Rodgers and Hammerstein's, and Ever After) each have unique, enchanting qualities that make me fall in love with the story and believe in its messages that dreams come true, magic exists, and fairy godmothers watch over us. Cinderella appreciates what she has, whether it's her friends, her own little corner, or her family's home; yet she hopes for love and takes action when she's given an opportunity. Here is a really great twitter post featuring some additional meaning behind Cinderella that I could not say better. Strength truly comes in many forms. I have to also admit that part of the appeal of her story, for me, has to do with the fascinating settings, which tend to be in old-fashioned homes and really cool castles!


2. Elsa

I have to repeat this one from Elizabeth's list (sorry to steal from you, Liz!) because Elsa is so important. My first real character I wrote was like Elsa; hers is a story and struggle I identify with, and I think we all do to some degree. Another reason I feel the need to include her has to do with the fact that she and her sister, Anna, represent something together...

3. Anna is childlike and trusting, while Elsa contains the bitterness and fear people can gradually build over the course of a lifetime. The juxtaposition of these two sisters represents to me the oftentimes warring sides within a person--one wanting to believe the world is good and that everything will be

okay (the inner child, perhaps), and one mourning its own innocence.

Elsa can live with the ice--can even let it consume her--while Anna cannot live with it in her heart. It's against her very nature. Anna can only survive when the fear and defenses are extinguished, melted by love. We can all probably relate to both of these characters, perhaps one more than the other, and may at times need to fight to remember the Anna within us--who brings us back to ourselves, to love, and the importance of just stopping to build a snowman.

Which princesses or heroines do you identify with most, or find most fascinating?


Laura


Attributions
Cinderella: http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Cinderella_(2015_soundtrack)
Elsa: http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Elsa_the_Snow_Queen
Anna: http://frozen.wikia.com/wiki/Anna