Analysis of Social Classes in Disney's Sleeping Beauty Essay Example

Capitalism according to Marx and Engel in the communist manifesto is viewed as a class-based model in the society where individuals are divided into classes based on wealth.  Even in a fantastical, magic based world, people still create systems of imbalance and inequality that either advantage or disadvantage individuals. Viewing this from Marx's theory, it is visible that in this media there is continuous struggle between differing sociological and economic classes. Firstly, this paper will look at the separate social classes the characters represent. Next, the values that each of these classes choose to reinforce. Finally, observing how the imbalance of these differing social and economic classes lead to inevitable class conflict.

In Disney’s revision of Sleeping Beauty there are visible classes between characters, each having their expectations and roles associated with them.Those two classes of the world depicted in the film are those that have wealth and those without. The unofficial expectations made for these castes by the human world is that of dissociation and disconnect from those of another class. At the beginning of the movie Stefan is born into a very powerless and poverty stricken class, but being in this lower class allows him to see Maleficent as someone of the same level, so he interacts and becomes a close friend with her. Compare this to Stefan later in the film, where he becomes king, he disconnects any trace of his previous positions and relationships by marrying Henry’s daughter. Clearly, this shows that within the seemingly dream-like kingdom there is an unfair system of classes, where kings and nobles rule above workers and peasants.

Additionally, the film also chooses to show the differing classes reinforcing certain values over others. Values like forgiveness and ignorance from those who live in the lower levels of society. While those in positions of nobility and royalty, with positions of power preach loyalty and respect to perceived caste superiority. Aurora, having been raised away from her noble family, basically brought up as a peasant. A guard later on commented that she’s just a peasant girl, and it’s because of her position that she lanterns and develops her ignorance to the system she lives within. She later on, also forgives maleficent as a part of her ignorance she developed as living a lower caste. Compare this to how King Henry commands his lieutenants to avenge him or later on when King Stefan orders the ironworkers to wake up and continue working. Analysing the two sets of values displays that those of a high class are seen to demand respect and loyalty toward themselves while those of a lower class attempt to be unaware and ignorant of the unforgiving system they are within.

As expected though, with all these differences there is inevitable conflict between them. The clearest example of this is the literal conflict and battles between the noble and higher class knights of either of the two king’s armies and maleficent along with the creatures of the Moors. King Henry’s first and only attack on the Moors, where him and his red and yellow noble-like army approach and commence their attack on the copse and is a obvious evidence of a ruling noble-like army coming to crush a community of people who are seen as a lower class and should submit to his perceived royal authority.

In conclusion within the mystical world the maleficent makes up differing and separate classes between the noble humans and the beings in the Moors. Each of these classes develop contrasting values between being authoritative or ignorant. Whistle also displays the conflict that inevitably arises from even the unbalanced system of fantastical and near-perfect worlds.