Sorting the Disney Princesses
This likely comes as a surprise to no one. Friendly, patient, kind, and with hardly any temper to speak of, Snow White easily fits the mold for a Hufflepuff princess. Even after almost having her heart torn out, the princess never abandons her good nature, and I can’t recall her even saying anything bad about her step-mother despite knowing that she was the one trying to kill her. This kind and forgiving nature is exemplary of the Hufflepuff mindset, and she’s also very quick to shelter the queen in disguise when she believes her to be tired, showcasing that classic Hufflepuff hospitality.
One could certainly make a case for Gryffindor with Cinderella, as she has the bravery to stay in her bad home life, and shows a certain ammount of frustration, annoyance, and a fighting spirit that hasn’t been fully crushed by her circumstances. However, Cinderella is most at home in the house of patience, hard-work, and perseverance. Cinderella may also be a bit of a dreamer like Ravenclaw, but she shows a lack of innovation to really fit the Ravenclaw colors. It is her repeated good will, generosity, kindness, and patience which helps her to earn her happily ever after.
While admittedly, Aurora has little personality to speak of, Disney tends to market her as the dreamer of the bunch, always fantasizing about what could be, rather than how things are. This notion that she’s always thinking about ways society could be different is what earns her place in Ravenclaw, as Ravenclaws are the type of people who challenge the social norm and then question why the social norm is what it is. Aurora does just that upon learning that she’s a princess and already promised to a man she’s never met. While not in so many words, she does question why she has to marry someone she doesn’t know just because the circumstances of her birth are different from any other young woman.
It’s perhaps a bit fitting that the first Disney Princess to break the passive damsel role would be sorted into the House of rebels, troublemakers, and rule-breakers. While Ariel could be sorted into Gryffindor for having the courage to venture where no mermaid has gone before, or as a Ravenclaw for her eccentric interests and her thirst for knowledge, I believe that the true core of Ariel’s character is her drive. When something stands in her way, she finds a way around it in pursuit of her goals. It is her ambition to walk on land, and nothing will stand in her way. Like Gryffindors, Slytherins can be reckless, willful, and have a certain disregard for the rules, and like Ravenclaws, Slytherins are known for being intelligent, clever, and driven to succeed. Ariel is a perfect example of Slytherin’s unwillingness to surrender no matter the odds against them, and is proof of what a Slytherin mindset of stubbornness, determination, and curiosity can achieve.
Belle is a rather perfect embodiment of the Ravenclaw spirit, so much so that it’s the times when she’s not sorted into Ravenclaw that are the odd ones out. Ravenclaws are noted for being odd, eccentric, free-spirited, unconcerned with how they look to others, and often getting lost in dreams. Belle also shares the Ravenclaw thirst for knowledge, as she enjoys reading and letting herself get lost in the worlds contained within. She seems to share this sorting with her father, as they’re both curious. Upon finding an enchanted castle, one of the first questions on both of their minds is how these things work or function. Belle is a fantastic example of Ravenclaw values, and she’d fit right in with the other intellectual oddballs.
A lot of the time, I see Jasmine sorted into Slytherin, but I find this sorting to be problematic and this is largely due to a lack of ambition. Yes, Gryffindor and Slytherin both are known for being reckless, outspoken, and brash, but a Slytherin’s actions are usually tied to a goal, while a Gryffindor’s actions are more often driven by morality. The simple truth of the matter is that Jasmine has no motivation. Yes, she’s tired of being a princess, but aside from almost running away from home, she never really does anything else to really work toward this goal. Indeed, even this desire to leave is connected to her sense of right and wrong, and she feels so strongly about the immorality of being pawned off on some man for his money that she’s willing to break rules in order to get away from this problem.
She could easily be placed in Gryffindor with her her adventurous, reckless, and exploritive personality, but the true crux of Pocachontas’ nature is her curiosity. She’s fascinated by the things she does not understand, and even being warned that the knowledge she seeks is dangerous does not color her image of the settlers. Even before the settlers came, she was known in her village for being a free spirit, seeing the world in a different way, questioning customs, and being seen as something of an oddball.
There is something to say about putting Mulan in Slytherin. She’s pretty smart, cunning, and resourceful. Although it’s used as a joke, she makes a move in a board game toward the beginning of the movie that seems to completely change the tides of the game the two men are playing, and she’s the first recruit to figure out to use the weights to help her climb the pole rather than working against them. However, the key difference I find between Slytherins and Gryffindors is intent. Mulan’s intent is not to be the best soldier in the camp, it is to protect her father’s life by going to war in his place. It is that act of bravery and selflessness that earns Mulan her spot in Gryffindor instead of Slytherin.
Another princess with a hard case for Slytherin, Tiana’s entire character is founded on her ambition and her drive to succeed. However, like with Mulan, the thing that spares her from being in Slytherin is her intent. If Tiana wanted her restaurant and was a true Slytherin, she’d put more effort into getting the money to pay for it by any number of other ways, including asking Charlotte for the money. However, Tiana is driven just as much by her principles of hard-work as she is by her motivation to achieve her goal. That is what earns Tiana her place in Hufflepuff. If she was a Slytherin, she would have been focused on finding the quickest and most effective route to reach her goal, but her Hufflepuff nature caused her to put more value in doing the hard work for herself and making her dream come true by the sweat of her brow.
Like with Belle and Pocahontas, Rapunzel is a free spirit who is completely at home with her more eccentric personality and is best known for her curious nature. She has a very rose-tinted view of the world which differs from the world views of everyone else around her, and many are quick to find her a bit silly or a little strange. She also shows a knack for ingenuity, finding ways to utilize her hair as an extension of herself, rather than simply something to drag behind her.
I feel as though Merida is frequently sorted into Gryffindor as more of a joke. Her movie is called “Brave” and bravery is the key trait of Gryffindor, so by that logic, she should be in Gryffindor. But by all accounts, I fail to see a single act of bravery in the entire film. What I see instead is a resourceful girl looking desperately for any loophole that she can find, and jumping at the first one she comes across to disastrous effects. Merida is not a chivalrous Gryffindor, but is instead a cunning Slytherin whose goal is resolved not through an act of heroism, but instead by trying to stack the deck in her favor. If anything, her mother shows more bravery as she tries her best to adapt to her bizarre situation as best she can.
A people person at heart, Anna puts her relations with other people above all else. There may be something to say for Gryffindor given her reckless trust of Prince Hans, and her courage to go looking for her sister despite everyone saying it’s too dangerous, however, I find that she’s truly a Hufflepuff at heart. She’s a kind person who puts the comfort and safety of others first, and had she known she couldn’t trust Hans, she likely would have appointed someone with a record for being trustworthy and compassionate.
Elsa is surprisingly difficult to classify. She’s withdrawn and not much for people, and quick to hide herself away, which leads me to believe she’s not much for Gyrffindor or Hufflepuff. However, she’s also not really odd, experimental, or curious, so she doesn’t really fit in with Ravenclaw either. Slytherin is about the only fit, thought it’s rather weak at best. We see very little of Elsa’s personality, just that she’s defensive and would rather be alone than risk hurting people. This self-sacrificing nature is what ultimately lead me to sort her into Hufflepuff. She sees herself as a menace, and thus works to protect others from the threat she perceives in herself.
The newest member of the family, Moana’s story and character arc both focus on her having the courage to dredge up her family past and to accept the weight of her responsibility, no matter how unfair it is. While one could argue that she’s a Ravenclaw for her desire to explore beyond her island, and a Slytherin for being willing to do anything to achieve this goal of exploration, Moana’s final trial comes down to two pivotal moments: Moana having the courage to continue her journey after failing, and Moana having the compassion to see the lava monster for what it actually is. Neither of these is connected to her curiosity or her ambition. It is an example of her setting her goals aside to take care of a problem that is right in front of her. That is why I ultimately place her in Gryffindor.
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