The Princess theme continues (Princess Quotes Part 1)

"I never knew such beautiful people existed... Tall, fair skinned, big eyed... living boldly, using her beauty as a weapon. A girl the complete opposite of me. A girl who's just like a Princess." -- Tsukimi, Jellyfish Princess

After my Tangled review I decided to continue with this theme and talk about being a Princess, and what it means to be one. It's a theme in my Nano novel too (at least I think it's a theme in my Nano novel). I also discovered so many Princess Quotes I wanted to share them.

In the beginning of Goosey there is a lot of talk about how a Princess must act and look. Mirth says, "Princesses must be graceful" and "Princesses never cower". They are gentle, decent, and proper. They don't carry weapons (though I think Terrwyn cut that bit from her last letter.)

There is an old fashioned mentality in books and movies about being a Princess. It's expressed really well by this scene from Shrek the Third:

Snow White: Right! Ladies, assume the position!
[Sleeping Beauty falls asleep, Snow White lies down in her coffin pose, and Cinderella seats herself on the floor gazing dreamily into space]
Princess Fiona: What are you doing?
Sleeping Beauty: [Snaps awake] Waiting to be rescued.
[falls back asleep]

Princesses are delicate flowers who must be kept safe, even if that means locking them up in a tower. They are expected to wait to be rescued. That's where Princess Fiona was in the first Shrek movie. She's since proven herself to be quite the feisty woman/ogre. A Princess doesn't need to be so pathetic.

It will be interesting to see how the new Disney movie Tangled approaches the idea. We already know Rapunzel can use her hair as weapon, so she's not such a helpless girl. Still, I'll be more impressed if they give her a sword too and not just her hair.

In Goosey, both Ange and Mirth have spent most of their lives as pampered princesses. In a way, they too have been in a tower, protected by their parents, and their royal status.

Of course, this is only at the beginning - everything is about to change. Mirth isn't really a Princess anymore, even though she clings to that identity, and Ange will soon find herself in a desperate situation, forced to disguise herself as a peasant. Then Ange laments, "I don't feel like a Princess. . . . I don't look like one, with mud caking my shoes and dress hem."

First, the girls lose everything, and only then, in the way of a true coming of age story, can their real lessons begin. Can they still be Princesses, even if they are wallowing in the mud, dirtying their hands to grow carrots, and potatoes or carry for dirty geese? Even when they look like common peasants?

Eventually Mirth reminds Ange, "Remember Princesses we are and Princesses we shall be and no one can take that from us."
There is much so more to being a Princess though, and so many more quotes from movies and books. So this is part 1 of the discussion.

I'm curious to know, what do you think being a Princess means?