Concept Of Damsel In Distress & Its Impact Explained
As children, we make the mistake of accepting everything that our parents, teachers, books, and even the stories told through movies and TV as being true. Then, when we get older, we realize that many of these stories end up being nothing more than make-believe (for example, Santa Claus delivering presents at Christmas). However, as we transition into adulthood, there will still be some myths that stick with us, such as the myth of “the damsel in distress", which still gets portrayed through fairy tales, movies, and television shows. A “damsel in distress” is often shown by the way of a woman who appears to be powerless and needs to be rescued by a “hero” (i.e., a male), regardless of whether she is a princess or a commoner. Furthermore, she exhibits no motivation (from a dramatic standpoint) to rescue herself and is passively waiting for a “perfect hero” to show up. This is an archetype that appears repeatedly throughout the history of storytelling, including Cinderella, Rapunzel, and other countless examples throughout stories, film, and television (all around the world!). The stereotype of all women being portrayed as damsels in distress has historically been extremely damaging to women’s empowerment and continues today.
The term “damsel in distress” is derived from the Old French phrase “demoiselle en détresse” and has been part of our culture for centuries, appearing in ancient Greek mythology, Indian mythology, and also medieval European literature. In these different tales, a woman is portrayed as being beautiful, noble and virtuous, while the antagonist is described in the form of an evil king, an evil monster, or a villainous male who must “rescue” her from her unfortunate situation. The hero who rescues the “damsel in distress" is typically described in the same way as the “damsel in distress,” with the only difference being that the hero is portrayed favorably.
The trope has changed over the years. With the onset of the industrial revolution, machines and factories became the dragons and demons of new age fiction. Countries were depicted as the damsels in distress in World War Propaganda. Movies and television showed this trope in countless films such as Tarzan and King Kong, comic book characters, including Lois Lane, and cartoon characters, including Olive Oyl. Even Disney fairy tales received criticism for their depiction of this theme.
Feminist scholars have argued that such tropes are damaging to women and society. First of all, they reinforce the idea that women are weak and dependent on men, creating doubt within women about their true abilities. Secondly, such tropes create the notion of "saviour" and place pressure on men to be "saviours" of women. Lastly, such tropes objectify women and present them as "prizes" to men of hero status, devaluing their contributions to society as nurturing and caregivers.
Recent changes within the world of stories have seen many films include robust female leads such as Sarah Connor from the Terminator series, Xena from the Xena Warrior Princess show, and even many of the current Disney Princesses. These characters display their independence both physically and mentally through their ability to take control of their own lives and fight on their own behalf. An independent female character can still possess some of the old-fashioned traits of women characters from history (such as the damsel in distress), but these characters have changed significantly throughout history. Only time will tell if independent female characters will continue to have their place or if they will evolve into new characters altogether; however, there are many reasons to think that more representations of strong independent female characters through positive storylines can lead us towards having more positive portrayals of women on a wider basis in the future.