Disney mothers

The heroes and heroines of most Disney movies come from unstable family backgrounds; [Henry A. Giroux, " [http://books.google.com/books?id=y5jxE2jw1v8C&pg=PT113&dq=mothers+disney+films&sig=y-C9vu1PqTCSeX-RGFuD7CONllU Fugitive Cultures: Race, Violence, and Youth] " (Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, 1996).] most are either orphaned or have no mothers. [Lynn H. Collins, Joan C. Chrisler, and Michelle R. Dunlap, " [http://books.google.com/books?id=avgpakf_RhoC&pg=PA94&dq=mothers+disney+films&sig=UpwC_vkyq8-HSR5F-J2G1uK9b6g Charting a New Course for Feminist Psychology] " (Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002), 94.] Few, if any, have only single mothers. In other instances, mothers are presented as "bad surrogates" eventually "punished for their misdeeds." [Stephen M. Fjellman, " [http://books.google.com/books?id=ZSmKGYj8ioQC&pg=PA263&dq=mothers+disney+films&lr=&sig=UdiiUwqPZqIlX5BrQln8lGbj4oE Vinyl Leaves: Walt Disney World and America] " (Westview Press, 1992), 263.] There is much debate about the reasoning behind this phenomenon. [Aisha Sultan, " [http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/lifestyle/columnists.nsf/dirtylaundry/story/FD6B67DDE6323C6286257409007A61E1?OpenDocument What does Disney have against mothers?] ," "ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH" (03/15/2008).] In her thesis, Ashli Ann Sharp attempts to relate the phenomenon to traditional tales from the Grimms and Hans Christian Andersen, along with a lot of graduate school pop psychology. [Ashli Ann Sharp, " [http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/ETD/image/etd1630.pdf Once Upon a Time in a Single-parent Family: Father and Daughter Relationships in Disney's The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast] " (Brigham Young University, 2006).] Some allege that it comes from the guilt that Walt Disney had about the death of his own mother Flora Call Disney. Some feminists believe it is to create dramatic interest in the main characters; if mothers were present to guide them, they argue, there would not be much of a plot. [ [http://www.feminist.com/askamy/media/me28.html Ask Amy] ] Some believe that it is to show that a happy family doesn't have to consist of a mother, father and a child and that a family can be one parent and one child (such as in Pocahontas) or one parent and many siblings (such as in The Little Mermaid). [Geoff Shearer, " [http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23334194-5007146,00.html Disney keeps killing movie mothers: DISNEY is continuing its tradition of being G-rated entertainment's biggest mother flickers] ," "Courier Mail" (March 07, 2008).] Below is a list of some notable examples of this aspect of Disney movies and television series. [Paul Loukides and Linda K. Fuller, " [http://books.google.com/books?id=VcpyRHwp-5cC&pg=PA8&dq=mothers+disney+films&sig=ayNrq7XlQL-ikqVDhU9nabrLpcg Beyond the Stars: Themes and Ideologies in American Popular Film] " (Popular Press, 1993), 8.]

List of movies

No (or 'absent') mothers

*"Pinocchio": Pinocchio - no mother [Sara Munson Deats and Lagretta Tallent Lenker, " [http://books.google.com/books?id=SdjljlluozcC&pg=PA210&dq=mothers+disney+films&lr=&sig=6RKw5Z7AOP4odfYvE8Cud-TIWPg Aging and Identity: A Humanities Perspective] " (Greenwood Publishing Group), 210.]
*" Peter Pan": Lost Boys - in search of someone to be their mother
*"The Great Mouse Detective": Olivia Flaversham - no mother
*"Beauty and the Beast": Belle - no mother. [Ashli Ann Sharp, " [http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/ETD/image/etd1630.pdf Once Upon a Time in a Single-parent Family: Father and Daughter Relationships in Disney's The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast] " (Brigham Young University, 2006).]
*"Aladdin": Jasmine - no mother [Sara Munson Deats and Lagretta Tallent Lenker, " [http://books.google.com/books?id=SdjljlluozcC&pg=PA210&dq=mothers+disney+films&lr=&sig=6RKw5Z7AOP4odfYvE8Cud-TIWPg Aging and Identity: A Humanities Perspective] " (Greenwood Publishing Group), 210.]
*"A Goofy Movie": Max - no mother, Roxanne - no mother
*"Pocahontas": Pocahontas - no mother [Sara Munson Deats and Lagretta Tallent Lenker, " [http://books.google.com/books?id=SdjljlluozcC&pg=PA210&dq=mothers+disney+films&lr=&sig=6RKw5Z7AOP4odfYvE8Cud-TIWPg Aging and Identity: A Humanities Perspective] " (Greenwood Publishing Group), 210.]
*"": Elizabeth - no mother, Will - no mother
*"": Maggie - no mother
*"Chicken Little (2005 film)": Chicken Little - mother is dead or divorced (not yet decided)
*"The Wild": Ryan - no mother (Mother seen in deleted scene, but not in the actual movie)
*"Enchanted": Morgan Philip - mother separated from her father Robert Philip
*"Gargoyles (animated series)": David Xanatos - mother unspecified
*"Tarzan": Professor Porter and Lady Jane Porter/Lady Jane Greystoke - mother unspecified
*"Ratatouille": Remy and Emile - mother unspecified
*"The Gnome-Mobile": Violet, Foxglove, Snapdragon, Primrose, and other she-gnomes - no mother
*"The Little Mermaid": Ariel - no mother (until the prequel)

Stepmother

*"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs": Snow White - evil stepmother
*" Cinderella": Cinderella - evil stepmother
*"Enchanted": Princess Giselle of Andalasia - Stepmother to Morgan Philip
*"Enchanted": Queen Narissa - Stepmother to Prince Edward

Orphans (or without either mothers "or" fathers)

*"The Sword in the Stone": Arthur - orphan
*" The Jungle Book": Mowgli - orphan [Sara Munson Deats and Lagretta Tallent Lenker, " [http://books.google.com/books?id=SdjljlluozcC&pg=PA210&dq=mothers+disney+films&lr=&sig=6RKw5Z7AOP4odfYvE8Cud-TIWPg Aging and Identity: A Humanities Perspective] " (Greenwood Publishing Group), 210.] adopted at the sequel
*"The Rescuers": Penny - orphan
*"Pete's Dragon": Pete - orphan
*"Escape to Witch Mountain": Tony and Tia - orphans
*"Newsies": Jack, Racetrack, Crutchy, etc. - orphans
*"Aladdin": Aladdin - orphan (though he later finds his father in "Aladdin & the King of Thieves.")
*"Dinosaur (film)": Aladar - orphan
*"The Fox and the Hound": Tod - orphan
*"Ratatouille (film)": Linguini - orphan
*"Tarzan": Tarzan - orphan, adopted by gorillas
*"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs": Snow White
*" Cinderella": Cinderella
*"Oliver & Company": Oliver - abandoned kitten
*"Bedknobs and Broomsticks": Charlie, Carrie, Paul - WWII evacuees (though presumably have parents back in the city)
*"": Milo - orphaned, raised by grandparent
*"James and the Giant Peach (film)": James - parents killed by a rhinoceros
*"Enchanted": Princess Giselle - unspecified
*"Tale Spin": Kit Cloudkicker - raised by pirates before being brought up by Baloo
*"The Gnome-Mobile": Elizabeth and Rodney, parents alive, but not in the movie
*"The Gnome-Mobile": Jasper - Orphan
*"Meet the Robinsons": Lewis - Orphan, adopted at end of film.

Mother is killed or captured

*"Dumbo": Dumbo - mother is captured, released eventually
*"Bambi": Bambi - mother is killed by hunter
*"The Hunchback of Notre Dame": Quasimodo - mother killed [Sara Munson Deats and Lagretta Tallent Lenker, " [http://books.google.com/books?id=SdjljlluozcC&pg=PA210&dq=mothers+disney+films&lr=&sig=6RKw5Z7AOP4odfYvE8Cud-TIWPg Aging and Identity: A Humanities Perspective] " (Greenwood Publishing Group), 210.]
*"Tarzan": Tarzan - parents killed by leopard; surrogate gorilla mother, 'Kala', is captured and later released
*"Lilo & Stitch" : Lilo, Nani - parents died in car crash
*"Finding Nemo": Nemo - mother killed by barracuda
*"Brother Bear": Koda - mother killed
*"The Fox and the Hound": Tod - mother killed by hunters
*"The Little Mermaid": Ariel - no mother [Ashli Ann Sharp, " [http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/ETD/image/etd1630.pdf Once Upon a Time in a Single-parent Family: Father and Daughter Relationships in Disney's The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast] " (Brigham Young University, 2006).] (but later her—and her sisters—mother is revealed in "The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning", named Athena); revealed in the prequel as being killed by the wrecking of a pirate's ship during a surprise raid at the mermaids' lagoon.
*"": Kidagakash "Kida" Nedakh - mother is assimilated by the large crystal "Heart Of Atlantis" which helps protect the city in times of peril.
*"Aladdin": mother captured by bandits and presumed dead, forcing him to fend for himself most of his life until meeting up with Jasmine!

Full Parentage (all Disney films/shows)

*Fantasia - Male and Female Pegasus, children many baby pegasuses, including Peter Pegasus
*Gargoyles - David and Fox (Janine) Xanatos, child Alexander Fox Xanatos
* - Prince Eric and Princess Ariel, parents of Melody
*Gargoyles - Goliath and Demona, child Angela in 9th century AD(Demona is considered separated from Goliath for most of the series that takes place in the 20th century)
*One Hundred and One Dalmations - Pongo and Perdita, parents to 15 puppies (later adopt 86 more)
*Lady and the Tramp - Jim Dear/Jim Brown and Darling/Elizabeth, child "the baby"
*Lady and the Tramp - Lady and Tramp, 4 puppies
* - Simba and Nala, cub Kiara
*Mary Poppins - Mr. and Mrs. Banks, children Jane and Michael Banks
*Sleeping Beauty - King Stefan and his queen, child Aurora (Briar Rose)
*One Hundred and One Dalmatians - Pongo and Perdita, children 15 puppies and 84 adopted ones
*Mulan - Fa Zhou and Fa Li

List of Disney Channel original series

*"Hannah Montana": Hannah Montana - mother died (only seen alive/living in dreams or flashbacks)
*"That's So Raven": Raven and Cory Baxter - mother, Tanya Baxter, left to study Law in England during the 4th season of the show.
*"Cory In The House": Cory Baxter - mother, Tanya Baxter, studying Law in England while he and father Victor Baxter reside at the White House.

List of Disney Channel Original Movies

*"Cow Belles": Taylor, Courtney - no mother
*"Smart House": Ben, Angie - no mother
*"Pixel Perfect": Roscoe- no mother
*"Not Quite Human": Becky - no mother
*"The Little Kidnappers" Harry, Davy - orphans
*"The Thirteenth Year": Cody - adopted
*"Genius": Charlie - no mother
*"Rip Girls": Sydney - mother drowned

Absent/Dead "Fathers" in Disney

*"Treasure Planet": Jim - father missing (hinted that John Silver is Jim's father)
*"The Lion King": Simba - father killed
*"The Lion King II": Kovu - unknown father (Scar adopted him)
*"Cinderella (1950 film)": Cinderella - father dead
*"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs": Snow White - father dead
*"Toy Story": Andy - father never seen/mentioned
*"Dumbo": Dumbo - father mentioned (Dumbo is originally named 'Jumbo Junior after him), but never seen
*"The Aristocats": Toulouse, Berlioz, and Marie - father never mentioned or seen (Thomas O'Malley latter becomes their surrogate father)
*"Tale Spin": Rebecca Cunningham, daughter Molly Cunningham - father never mentioned or specified
*"Robin Hood": Mother Rabbit, children Sis, Tagalong and Skippy, and other bunnies - father never seen/mentioned
*"Summer Magic": Margeret Carey, children Nancy, Gilly, and Peter Carey - father dead

See also

*List of Disney feature films
*List of Disney Channel series
*List of Disney Channel Original Movies

References