"Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence" by Adrienne Rich

                                  Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence 
                                                              By: Adrienne Rich


Rich believes that women are forced upon heterosexuality and that is reinforced by many social factors. "Biologically men have only one innate orientation- a sexual one that draws them to women- while women have two innate orientations, sexual toward men and reproductive toward their men."
What Rich is saying that women are meant to be attracted to men, that is an innate or natural factor within life. 

 This is not fair to any woman regardless of their belief. If men are allowed to do whatever they chose or believe women should be able to do the same. Unfortunately, women do not have that opportunity. We all see this at a young age, and we do not even realize it. For example, in movies such as Disney Movies. They have different characters, different settings but all have the same plot. The main character, the girl is in trouble in some way. The only way she can come to solution it includes a male character coming to their hand. In all movies of Disney Princess movies, you rarely see a female character coming to the rescue, it is always a man. 

Take the movie, Sleep Beauty for an example of women living by a man's word. King Stefan and his wife want a child, they end up with a daughter named Aurora. Instantly this innate attraction to men exists as Aurora is promised to Prince Phillip, the son of another Royal family near the land. Aurora is given 3 fairies, they all her a gift. When Merryweather tries to give her gift, Maleficent thunders in angrily throwing a curse on Aurora because she was not told or invited to meet Aurora. She declares that the princess will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel on her sixteenth birthday and die. She then disappears in a swirl of foul purple clouds. Merryweather can’t revoke the curse, but she changes the effect of the prick to a deep sleep instead of death, out of which the princess can be awakened by the kiss of true love. A distraught King Stefan orders a bonfire of all the spinning wheels in the kingdom, attempting to circumvent Maleficent’s powerful curse. Saddened, he also allows the three fairies to take Aurora away from the kingdom in order to protect her. To hide her, they will raise her without their magic, as mortal peasants. They rename her Briar Rose. The catch to the curse is that Aurora must be waken up by true loves kiss. It is not exactly stated that is it man but it is expected because you would not see another women kiss Aurora awake. Only women romantically interact with men. 

This "real" story of Sleeping Beauty is quite funny because Sleeping Beauty was orignially written by the Grimm Brothers. What wakes Aurora up is not a kiss but nudge from her child. She was impregnated while was unconscious. 

An opposing view made by Rossi, who believes that women are innately sexually oriented toward men. "That the lesbian choice is simply an acting out of bitterness toward men." Women are not social allowed to be lesbian, that is it not a choice.This is why all Disney Princesses end up with a prince at the end of the movie.  Merida, from Brave a Pixar production faces the same problem. Regardless of the intent, Merida stands out more than just a princess. 

The synopsis of Brave is quite refreshing in one respect. Merida is a part of a royal family within the realm of Scotland. She is an adventerous princess, who rides her horse all over the land, she is an skilled archer who loves the power of being independent. During a point in the movie she becomes upset because over dinner. Her mother reads a letter about 3 suitors from other royal families who will be taking part in adventurous tasks to win Merida's hand. Merida jumps from the table and leaps for a ride on her horse. She cannot imagine being fought for, sitting around waiting to see who will become her husband. I agree with the character's opinion. I never want to be fought for, that is not how you find your love. Even though Merida is meant to be married at the end of the movie just like all of the other princesses, she does not end up getting married. Merida fights for her freedom, her right to her life. How she wants to live her life, make the choices on her own.  

It is so depressing that the Disney Princesses come from Grim Stories. We re told that Disney owns the stories but Grimm made the original stories, Disney simply fluffed them up so they sound happy and cheery. 

Comments: Reality is not the kind of world we always want to be a part of. However, should we encourage our children to watch movies that teach us to wait for someone to save you, that it is okay for your daughter to expect a man will come to your rescue? I am not sure its right because form personal experiences, my knight in shining armor has been my best friend, my mom, my dad and most importantly, myself.