This article attempts to look into the fictional narrativization of women’s significant and distinctive relationship with nature in Disney’s Moana. Emphasizing the power and the unity of women and nature in Polynesian indigenous culture, Moana suggests that the destruction of nature results from exploitative and manipulative masculinity. Through ecofeminist perspectives, this essay observes that Moana offers critical views and promotes awareness of gender and environmental issues. These ideas are communicated through the visual and verbal depiction of power relations that defy patriarchal tradition alongside the expressions of protest against devaluation and abuse of nature and women. To put it in the context of the development of themes in Disney’s princess line, Moana's presence can be a novel alternative to the typical images of women, namely a new portrayal of a female character whose primary concern is not romance but instead the sustainability of the environment where she lives. This study also confirms that Disney’s animated princess films continuously adjust with the dynamics of global feminist discourse.

Keywords:  Disney film; princess narrative; women; gender; environment

Bennett, B. (2005). Through ecofeminist eyes: Le Guin's "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas". The English Journal, 94(6), 63-68.

Birkeland, J. (2010). Ecofeminism: Linking theory and practice. In G. Gaard, Ecofeminism (pp. 13-59). Temple University Press.

Chapman, B. (Director). (2012). Brave [Motion Picture]. Walt Disney Pictures.

Clements, R., & Musker, J. (Directors). (2016). Moana [Motion Picture]. Walt Disney Pictures.

Gaard, G. (2010). New directions for ecofeminism: Toward a more feminist ecocriticism. Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment, 17(4), 643-665.

Garabedian, J. (2014). Animating gender roles: How Disney is redefining the modern princess. James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal, 2(1), 22-25.

Gazda, C. (2015). The (de)evolution of the Disney princess. Dissenting Voices, 4(1), 29-46.

Gilbert, M. (2019). Tale as old as time: How remaking classic fairytale films balances recognizability and social progress. Quest: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research, 7(1), 34-54.

Institute of Media and Communications Policy. (2020). The Walt Disney Company. https://www.mediadb.eu/en/data-base/international-media-corporations/the-walt-disney-company.html

Ivakhiv, A. (2008). Green film criticism and its futures. Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment, 15(2), 1-28.

King, Y. (1989). Healing the wounds: Feminism, ecology, and nature/culture dualism. In A. M. Jaggar, & S. Bordo, Gender/body/knowledge: Feminist reconstructions of being and knowing (pp. 115 - 141). Rutgers University Press.

Lahar, S. (1991). Ecofeminist theory and grassroots politics. Hypatia. 6(1), 28-45.

Mandel, A. (2012). Touch the sky [Recorded by J. Fowlis]. On Brave soundtrack. Walt Disney.

Merchant, C. (1989). The death of nature: Women, ecology, and the Scientific Revolution. Harper & Row.

Merchant, C. (2020). The Anthropocene & the humanities: From climate change to a new age of sustainability. Yale University Press.

Miranda, L. M. (2016). How far I'll go [Recorded by A. Cravalho]. On Moana: Original motion picture soundtrack. Walt Disney.

Nayar, P. K. (2010). Contemporary literary and cultural theory: From structuralism to ecocriticism. Pearson India.

Ortner, S. B. (1972). Is female to male as nature is to culture?. Feminist Studies, 1(2), 5-31.

Rosen, M. (1973). Popcorn Venus; Women, movies & the American Dream. Coward, McCann & Geoghegan.

Ross, D. (2004). Escape from Wonderland: Disney and the female imagination. Marvels & Tales. 18(1), 53-66.

Sangeetha, R.K., & Rathna, P. (2021). Behind our sip of tea: An ecofeminist study of environmental refugees in Kokilam Subbiah’s Mirage. 3L: Language, Linguistics, Literature, 27(3), 159-170.

Spretnak, C. (1987, March 27-29). Ecofeminism: Our roots and flowering [Keynote Address]. International Conference on Ecofeminist Perspectives: Culture, Nature, Theory. California, United States of America.

Stover, C. (2013). Damsels and heroines: The conundrum of the post-feminist Disney princess. LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University. 2(1), 1-10.

Taylor, D. E. (1997). Women of color, environmental justice, and ecofeminism. In K. J. Warren, Ecofeminism: Women, culture, nature (pp. 38-81). Indiana University Press.

Terry, G. (2009). No climate justice without gender justice: An overview of the issues. Gender and Development, 17(1), 5-18.

U.N. Women Watch. (2009). Fact sheet: Women, gender equality and climate change. https://www.un.org/womenwatch/feature/climate_change/factsheet.html

UNDP. (2011). Human development report 2011: Sustainability and equity – a better future for all. http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/human-development-report-2011

Vágnerová, B. (2018). “Tale as old as time”: Modernization of gender roles in Disney remakes. [Master’s Thesis]. Masaryk University.

Warren, K. J. (1997). Taking empirical data seriously. In K. J. Warren (Ed.), Ecofeminism: Women, culture, nature (pp. 3-20). Indiana University Press.

Zirger, S. L. (2020). Disney’s new fairytale: An analysis of representation in Disney’s live-action remakes of “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin”. [Undergraduate Honours Thesis]. University of Colorado Boulder.