Princess and the Frog as a Coming of Age Narrative

Tiana is a headstrong person at the beginning of this narrative. From the beginning, everything she does is in order to achieve the dream she developed as a child. This can be seen as her in a “child” state. But throughout the film, Tiana moves towards prioritizing her relationships over her dream. This shift is evident when she decides to forgo becoming human, when she denies Dr. Facilier’s offer for her restaurant to be a reality, instead deciding to destroy the charm to be with Naveen. She says “My daddy never did get what he wanted”, this is important because her dream has sentimental value to her. She and her dad planned to start a restaurant together and she wants to carry on both of their dreams. But then she says, “But he had what he needed, he had love, he never lost sight of what was important. And neither will I.” and she proceeds to attempt to smash the talisman into the ground. At this point, she realizes that she is willing to sacrifice her dreams for what is actually important to her, her relationships, especially with Naveen. This also shows her growth, as at the beginning of the money Tiana tells Charlotte that she would never kiss a frog, but becomes convinced to do so for the sake of her dreams, showing that in the beginning, she would have let go of her morals and beliefs to build her restaurant

In conclusion, although there are some differences between this film and other coming of age narratives, this film is still a coming of age narrative. Tiana showcases a much more mature mindset towards the end of the movie realizing what is more important to her.

Comments

  1. DanbiFebruary 5, 2021 at 10:14 AM

    I love that you wrote about the Princess and the Frog--I absolutely loved this movie as a child but didn't even think of it as a coming of age narrative but you've written a really great perspective of it. I think the reason why I loved the Princess and the Frog so much was because Tiana was such a strong, independent woman who had ambitious and clear dreams that she was actively going after. That was definitely super inspiring as a young girl and I think her coming-of-age is definitely one that is applicable for any young person with huge ambitions. It's so important to go after your dreams but relationships and the people you achieve it with are even more so--they're the one's who allow you to enjoy this success and remember the memories along the way. I love how the Princess and the Frog shows this coming-of-age but also shows how Tiana is still the leading, strong, independent woman who achieved her dreams at the end of the movie. It goes to show that you can pursue both and you don't necessarily have to give it all up for love.

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  2. Eliza D. TerzievFebruary 10, 2021 at 7:32 PM

    Love love love that you chose this movie, it's always been one of my favorites out of the whole Disney princess line up. The music and Tiana's dress at the end are spectacular. As soon as I read the title of your blog post I knew exactly what you were getting at and I was kind of surprised I never thought of the movie in that way because it's such a great example. I also love how the movie was done, where Tiana doesn't lose that hardworking part of herself, she just adds to it by letting love into her life. I also think that the role of a mentor is really important in a lot of coming-of-age novels so Tiana's dad who's referenced over and over again throughout the film is really important and really adds to the coming of age quality this story has.

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