Cultural Significance of Flynn Rider in “Tangled” by Greno

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Traditional Prince Image
Prince Image in Tangled
Cultural Significance of the New Image
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Societal and cultural values are prone to change over time, along with people’s vision, needs, and desires. This tendency is the most apparent in the revisioning of old fairytales, where traditional archetypes are modified based on societal expectations. In this context, Flynn Rider – a character in the Tangled animated movie – represents the typical “prince” archetype. However, compared to its traditional counterparts, the cultural significance of Flynn’s image proves to be more individualized and detailed while still conveying the same general message.

Traditional Prince Image

The traditional image of a prince known to society from various stories, such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White, possesses a cultural value that surpasses any single fairytale’s boundaries. Despite never being the main character, the prince serves as a plot-driving character who appears at a critical moment in order to aid the princess. Commonly referred to as Prince Charming (Leena, 2020), this character became an archetypical rescuer for damsels in distress on a quest to save them from “evil” and ensure that “good” always prevails.

The prince’s image is often idealized – an exceptionally handsome young man with a romantic, generous, kind, and just nature. Due to such idealization, princes from the old, traditional fairytales can be considered interchangeable. Moreover, they may not even have a name in the story because their primary purpose is to enrich the image and support the story’s protagonist plot-wise. This way, they also metaphorically serve as a princess’ reward for her endurance, justifying her decisions throughout the story. Thus, the cultural significance of the Prince Charming image is a dream of an ideal man, husband, and life partner in general that motivated and encouraged countless women across the globe.

In the original story of Rapunzel, written by the Brothers Grimm, the prince possesses all the qualities mentioned earlier. Rapunzel herself describes him as “young and handsome” (Brothers Grimm, 1812, para. 7). Brothers Grimm do not leave much room for the prince in the fairytale: he appears, makes a marriage proposal, attempts to save Rapunzel from the witch, and eventually takes Rapunzel to his castle (Brothers Grimm, 1812). The seeming shallowness of the character is not coincidental – his being the ideal fit for Rapunzel should be taken for granted. It was more than enough at the time; however, contemporary readers and viewers are much more demanding and would not be satisfied with a mere symbol.

Prince Image in Tangled

As a stock fairytale character, Prince Charming could not evade the sight of revisionists. The Tangled animated film takes a different approach to the Brothers Grimm fairytale, displaying the story through the lenses of the 21st century. The prince image from the postmodern perspective does retain some of the traditional features, such as kindness, care toward the princess, and handsomeness. Nevertheless, it can no longer afford to be shallow, requiring a greater character depth and development in terms of individualization, motivation, and space in the plot.

Flynn Rider – the “Prince Charming” in the Tangled film, is greatly different from the traditional image. To begin with, Flynn, whose actual name is Eugene Fitzherbert, is not a prince but an orphan commoner (Greno & Howard, 2010). Moreover, Flynn is initially showcased as an egoistic and arrogant character who manipulates people and pursues his own goals. Only after he meets Rapunzel Flynn starts to display the traits that finally allow the public to associate him with the Prince Charming image. As Alegre (2021) states, “he gradually changes and becomes a more mature and caring man, willing to sacrifice himself for Rapunzel in order to liberate her” (p. 144). This new take on the Prince Charming image places him equal to the story’s protagonist, conveying a completer and more detailed message to viewers.

Cultural Significance of the New Image

The evolution of the prince’s image implies a change in its cultural significance. In general, Flynn still remains a kind of a “desired spouse” as Prince Charming was in the previous centuries. Nonetheless, Flynn’s character is greatly influenced by the postmodern demands and vision of what a desired spouse should be. Most importantly, in Flynn’s example, children who watched Tangled can learn that outside appearance and first impressions do not tell everything about a person’s true identity.

The importance of the character’s depth can be considered the main difference between traditional and contemporary images. In the Brothers Grimm version of the story, the princess instantly falls in love based on the prince’s attractiveness (Brothers Grimm, 1812). In many ways, it illustrates the conventional views on women’s role in society that considered marriage in youth as the best outcome (Leena, 2020). This is not the case in modern society, however, where the princess is no longer a damsel in distress. Rapunzel in Tangled is depicted as a confident young woman with a strong personality and clear goals, which actually do not include romantic interests (Greno & Howard, 2010). Understandably, the prince worthy of standing beside her also had to change from being a simple stock fairytale character to becoming a distinctly individualized person.

Not only does the new prince’s image educate on the importance of depth, but it also provides exemplary qualities. As Flynn develops romantic feelings toward Rapunzel, he forsakes his manipulative and egoistic traits and becomes genuinely concerned for her well-being. The desire to trade his chance of surviving for Rapunzel’s freedom is displayed as the peak of his positive transformation and, thus, exemplifies the cultural significance of a postmodern Prince Charming.

Conclusion

As an iteration of a prince’s image, Flynn Rider represents a version of a desired spouse for a princess; however, he does so in a more complex way. Flynn possesses many qualities a Prince Charming would have – he is kind, handsome, and caring. However, these qualities are hidden under a facade of lowborn origin, illegal activities, and selfishness. Only given the time to open up and prove himself does Flynn become a prince in the sense his archetype requires, highlighting the importance of personality over appearance.

References

Alegre, S. M. (2021). Gender in 21^st century animated childrens’s cinema. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.

Brothers Grimm. (1812). Rapunzel. Lit2Go. Web.

Greno, N. & Howard, B. (2010). Tangled [Film]. Walt Disney Pictures.

Leena, C. (2020). Postmodernism in the story Rapunzel. Research Journal of English, 5(1), 318- 321.

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