A New Idea..

About a month or so, I wrote about intentionally engaging the imagination and pulling away from distractions. Whether it be fictional stories, movies or other works of art, I truly believe our imaginations are meant to be engaged regularly. And I believe that when we do so thoughtfully, we are able to have a more fulfilling life.

I would love to take this topic and run with it. I want to explore how fictional stories and other imaginative sources of inspiration can teach all sorts of lessons, raise interesting conversations or just be fun to discuss. After all, what better place to give the imagination a voice than in my own blog?

Let's get to it!

Lately with all of the live-action remakes of my beloved childhood Disney films (Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Aladdin, etc.) I have wondered why we keep coming back to these stories. I truly believe these tales feature key elements that make them so timeless and special.

For this post I will specifically dig into the theme of identity in these classic fairy tale characters we can't let go of.

Some kind of identity crisis

Almost every famous fairy tale, especially those classic Disney stories that are being remade into live action films, features a leading protagonist who doesn't know who they are.

Think about it. There is Cinderella, a lonely orphan under the bondage of her step-sisters' petty orders to clean up after them and sleep by the cinders. She feels worthless, confused and trapped by her tragic situation and has no idea why she is there.

Then there is Belle, who feels misunderstood, trapped and marginalized in her town where nobody else understands her. She longs to escape her mundane, small-town village and all it's gossip.

Then there is Ariel, who doesn't know her purpose as a mermaid, doesn't fit in with her fellow mermaid culture. and absolutely longs to be where the people are.

Then there is Rapunzel. Poor thing trapped alone in a tower with no idea why is truly there, what happened to her parents, why she can't leave or what the deal is with her super long, intense hair.

There is also Jasmine, who feels trapped and lonely in the confines of her palace and longs to see her kingdom and make her own choices.

And how about Mulan, who just can't seem to fit in with the other woman around her and disappoints her parents no matter how hard she tries. She has no idea who she is and feels like a failure.

Then there is even Pochahontas who feels deeply conflicted between father's wish for her to marry Kokoum and serve her people versus longing to explore what lies around the river bend.

Oh wait, I almost forgot Elsa and Anna. With their parents dead and nobody to help Elsa navigate her magical ice powers, her and her sister are lonely, confused and estranged. We all know what happens once Elsa can't control her powers anymore. Talk about identity crisis.

Why is it significant?

So what's so interesting about a bunch of fictional young women (or men in Aladdin, Simba, Hercules or Robin Hood) who don't know who they are? Why is that such a common theme in these beloved tales? I've been thinking about this lately. And one thing is clear: almost all of us can resonate with their quarter-life crisis (if you will) on some level.

I truly believe one of the biggest reasons why we love these characters is because we can resonate with them. Though each character I mentioned has different personalities, problems and paths, they each start out in a place of deep insecurity, disillusionment and longing. Literally. Each and every single one. They don't know who they are, what their purpose is or where they belong. They are experiencing some sort of hardship in their circumstances and want something to change.

Let's take Belle as a case study (though any of these above could apply). She wants out of her small town life. She feels misunderstood and marginalized by everyone around her. Because her only supporter is her eccentric father who the community also ridicules, she is lonely and unhappy. She doesn't want to marry Gaston, a pushy and pretentious suitor, as he would doom her to a life of misery. She wants her life to change--she just doesn't know how. That's where the tale begins.

I think it's interesting to note that her biggest problem, that of feeling alone and trapped, comes well before her father is kidnapped by the beast. It's true that she faces more intense challenges along the way, but arguably her biggest conundrum is actually an identity crisis.

While most of us won't ever encounter a beast in an enchanted castle, most of us do know what it's like to wrestle with our sense of purpose and belonging, as Belle does.

A common theme

Personally I can relate to Belle. I know what it is like to feel lonely, disillusioned, misunderstood and stuck. Between years chronic illness, past breakups, job changes and times of just feeling misunderstood for who I am, I have also struggled for purpose and belonging. I think sooner or later we all face setbacks, heartbreaks or mundaneness in life that can lead us to wrestle with our identity and question our belonging. Whether that is something more dramatic, like a tragedy or trauma, or simply years of mundane difficulties, it can be easy to share Belle's ache for escape, adventure and higher purpose.

I didn't go through each of the above characters and elaborate on their particular identity crisis because we get the picture. Though we may not relate to more glamorous fantasy aspects of these characters' lives, we can understand the insecurity, loneliness and disillusionment they experience in their unique situations. And ultimately we fall in love with protagonists that we can relate to on the deepest level--and the question of identity and belonging strikes a chord with us all.

Obviously these tales don't end on such a negative note or they wouldn't be so famous. It would not be much of a story to say that these characters all struggled or felt lost and leave it there. But the journeys that each character takes to their redemptive ending is a process; and one that would never be appreciated if their initial situations weren't so negative. I can't wait to follow their journeys and see how these initial struggles and longings unfold.

So main takeaway from today's post? Don't freak out if you are having an identity crisis! You are in good company and can still have an epic story (we'll get there eventually). Meanwhile go ahead and jam to one Disney's many go-to identity crisis songs out there (personally I'd go with "Belle's reprise", but there is always "Just Around The Riverbend," "Reflection," "When Will My Life Begin," "I Want To Be Where The People Are," etc.)

So much more to say

Obviously there is so much to get into besides this singular theme of identity. But I had a blast writing this and am excited to jump into more themes or elements of these tales and share my thoughts. I would love to hear any suggestions of related topics to dig into!