Social Norms In Brave

As opposed to focusing on romantic love as an ideal relationship between a man and woman (Peterson, 2004, 96), Brave focuses on the emotional bond between a mother and her child. In most Disney movies, the mothers of the princesses have little to no role within the storyline. Merida’s mother is very much involved in setting up her daughter as a perfect princess in order to get married. In turn, Merida tries to make up for her mistakes of choosing a spell to change her mother’s ideas in order to form a stronger bond over commonalities. Since her mother was transformed into a bear, they had much more in common such as hunting, fishing and other activities not necessarily affiliated with their social standing. In order to break the spell, Merida …show more content…
Associated with the notion of social norms is conformity, where individuals perform certain behaviours in order to receive rewards whether it be social recognition or approval (Scheff, 1990, 71). Through punishments, feelings of shame and embarrassment, society maintains their current social order, which reinforces specific norms, values and beliefs (Scheff, 1990,71). Merida’s mother’s reactions and discourses directed towards correcting her daughter’s behaviour could be seen as acts of shaming. Instances of disapproval, discontent and disappointment can all be linked to processes of shame throughout the film. Although, the feelings of shame often go unnoticed, actions driven by the need to conform on the other hand can be observed (Scheff, 1990, 79). Through one occasion in the film, Merida tries to enact her mother’s request showing signs of conformity. However, in the end she refuses to be change her own behaviours, actions and beliefs. Her thoughts and perceptions of the social expectations set the stage for the amount of social control present in an individual’s life (Scheff, 1990, …show more content…
In fact, the film highlights how the social order can hinder, support and influence individual emotion throughout all phases in life. The Queen embodies the expression of social norms within society by focusing on gender, social status and romantic standards. Merida faces many situations where her actual feelings do not resemble those that society has deemed as ideal feelings (Davis, 2012). These emotional predicaments led her to feelings of shame and anger while questioning her own self-identity. Throughout the film, Merida did not allow her feelings cloud her own desires and goals to reshape her destiny. What is important to take into consideration is how the film enacts authenticity within the actions of the protagonist as one who makes mistakes but works towards solving them. In sum, Merida battles for her own independence against what she deems to be unfair while learning important lessons about responsibility, family and