Humanizing The Villains In Frozen

4. Elsa- Humanizing the Villain

The 2013 animated film Frozen is a counter-narrative about villains as the villain in this tale may not even be evil at all. She has abilities beyond her control and society’s understanding. In Frozen, Elsa is in need of love and understanding to become a protagonist. Elsa’s isolation from heterosexual society makes her cold and unaccepting of companionship as she does not express interest in men. In fact, the idea of love conveyed in the film undermines heteronormativity, leading a family oriented narrative. Throughout the film, Elsa, and her sister, Anna are at the center of the narrative, facing challenges that prevent them from reuniting and ultimately finding peace with their inner conflicts. Princess Elsa

Moreover, with this new process working for the Walt Disney Animated productions, the lines between good and evil, once distinctly drawn and separated, begin to blur. In this case, a non-heteronormative narrative is openly embraced and accepted as the act of true love is in the form of a hug between two sisters. The story focuses on the relationship between Elsa and Anna, and foregrounds the maturation of their relationship, despite seemingly impossible barriers. It is a story of selfless love as the beauty of Frozen is found in Anna’s selfless pursuit of her sister. Anna is willing to give up whatever it takes to seek reconciliation and even sets aside her own romantic dreams and aspirations. In this light, it makes sense that Frozen’s male characters are not a strong part of the storyline. They are only supporting characters. The leading narrative arc revolves around selfless love and the act of sisterly sacrifice. That being so, the villain narrative is gradually becoming less important or even altogether obsolete as kinship and rejection to heteronormativity is strongly

For this reason, Elsa, a societal reject, has become a gay icon. She struggles with her secret ice power that is only resolved when she learns to accept herself for who she is. In many ways, Elsa gives strength to LGBTQ audiences living in the shadows, while also validating gay people who have been brave enough to come out. The film’s central song, “Let it go” may even be read as a coming-out anthem. With lyrics like, “Let it go, let it go/ Turn away and slam the door/ I don't care what they're going to say,” Elsa powerfully emulates the experiences of many LGBTQ people by turning ignominy about being different into newfound pride. The perceived queerness of Elsa, who finds the courage to "let it go" and be herself, is unlike past queer-coded characters in Disney animation for the reason being that her wrongdoing is not entirely immortal but accidental. More importantly, her lack of control is also the result of suppressing her true self and never flourishing her powers. By showing that Elsa was not cursed with ice powers, rather born with them and a natural part of her life, we can clearly see how the narrative is suggesting acceptance of our uniqueness is essential to our wellbeing. Thus, Elsa is not demonized nor viewed as otherness, but simply in need of