In the Defense of Rapunzel

Tangled (Rapunzel)

Becky: Rapunzel is a kidnapped princess who doesn’t know her identity, is locked away in a tower, dreams of exploring the world, and takes the chance with the first attractive man with a smolder she meets. Crazy, right? Sounds like…..something I might do. ANYWAY. She possesses this sense of innocence and energy that poor Flynn Ryder [seriously, best name ever] finds absolutely fascinating. She doesn’t really know what the world is like, and as such, she has no preconceived notions of it. Think about that inn they go to. The Snuggly Duckling was hardly the Ritz or even Motel 6. Those were some hardened characters in it, and she had every right to be nervous with them. Yet within moments she’s seeing them for the secret hopes and dreams they have, and not judging them as Flynn or anyone else would. She sees the good in Flynn when he can’t even see it in himself. And what does she want most? To see the floating lanterns she’s watched from her window for years. That is the sweetest, most innocent dream ever. Do we really have to talk AGAIN about why it’s okay that she needed saving at the end? Let’s skip over that part and go right to the bit where SHE GAVE UP FIGHTING TO SAVE HIM! Holy heroine move right there. She was going to face an eternity with the woman who used her shamelessly and lost any of the pretend maternal nature she once had just to save the man who tried to save her. Basically, Rapunzel is a rock star.

Whitney: I LOVE Rapunzel. She is innocent, adventurous, kind, and good. There is a reason that all those unsavory fellows at the Snuggly Duckling warm to her almost instantly. And why Flynn gives up his selfish ways. And, let’s be honest, if you are with someone for nearly 72 hours straight, you’re either going to hate them or start falling in love with them. And because of the things that Rapunzel and Flynn (or should we be calling him Eugene?) went through, they were brought closer together than would be usual. And I love that they save each other. As you mentioned, Becky, she was willing to give up her freedom to save Flynn, and he was willing to give up his life to give her her freedom. Flynn needed Rapunzel just as much as Rapunzel needed Flynn. Some people might complain about Flynn being the “bad boy” and that it isn’t realistic for girls to think they can change someone, but was he REALLY a bad guy? All he wanted to do was have adventures, and in order to do so and to get money to live, he turned to thievery. He became hardened. But I think really he was still little Eugene Fitzherbert, dreaming of an adventure and Rapunzel gave it to him and showed him that the world isn’t nearly as rough as he had come to believe.

Becky: I think what needs to be pointed out is that Rapunzel didn’t go after the “bad boy”. She sort of blackmailed him into helping her, and the friendship grew and then became more. He changed all on his own, she had nothing to do with it. He saw how she saw the world and that triggered it. He had to WANT to change. He could have stayed the same and gone back to his ways. But he didn’t. Is there a good person under every bad boy? Sure, probably. Will he change? Well, that’s up to him, isn’t it? Also a good whack with a frying pan might help.

Whitney: The frying pan is the best thing ever.