Hi everyone! I recently learned about the Bechdel Test from a friend and have been wanting to write this makala ever since. This test is, at its core, an analysis of how women are portrayed in maarufu culture. It reveals how much women tend to revolve around men in films, books, etc. To pass the test, a film (or any other work of fiction) must meet three requirements: the film must (1) have at least two named female characters (2) who talk to each other (3) about something other than a man. It seems so simple, right? Unfortunately a surprising number of films fail in at least one of these aspects. Well now it's time to see how our beloved Disney Princess sinema stack up when put to the test!
Disclaimer: This makala is not meant to bash any of the films au say that they are "anti-feminist," nor do I necessarily think that this test is the best way to determine if a film is "feminist" au not. I simply thought it would be fun to see which sinema pass the test. wewe can find a lot of info on the Bechdel Test online, including different versions and criticisms of it. I am using a slightly zaidi strict version which requires the two female characters to be named.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
1. Does the film have at least two named female characters? Unfortunately not, so Walt's first full length animated feature fails right off the bat. While there are two female characters, Snow White and the Evil Queen, the latter is not aliyopewa a name in the film. It is important to note that many mashabiki refer to the Queen as Queen Grimhilde, so she may in fact have a name. However, since her name is never mentioned in the film, it fails the test.
Cinderella
1. Two named female characters? wewe betcha. In fact Cinderella sports four, not just two, named females: Cinderella, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, and Drizella. If only the Fairy Godmother had a name this movie would have five! Still, this film passes the first part of the test with flying colors.
2. Do the women speak to each other? We wouldn't have a movie if they didn't. There's quite a bit of dialogue between the four of them, so Cinderella passes the sekunde part of the test.
3. Do their conversations revolve around something other than men? Several of them do! While there is quite a bit of talk of the Prince and the Grand Duke, they also Converse about the ball itself and Cinderella's duties. Thus Cinderella is the first Disney Princess film to pass the Bechdel Test!
Sleeping Beauty
1. Two named females? Sleeping Beauty does even better than Cinderella in this regard with five named women: Aurora, Flora, Fauna, Merriweather, and the unforgettable Maleficent.
2. Do they talk to each other? Again, there would be no movie if they didn't. Most of the film is the fairies' antics, and there's quite a bit of conversation sprinkled in there.
3. Do they only talk about men? While there's a good bit of conversation concerning Phillip, the majority of what the vichimbakazi talk about is Aurora herself and how to protect her from Maleficent. With that, Sleeping Beauty passes the Bechdel Test!
The Little Mermaid
1. Two named females? The Little Mermaid sports a plethora of female characters, the most prominent being Ariel and Ursula, but when wewe add Ariel's sisters to the orodha wewe get a grand total of eight named women! That's almost as many as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty combined, so The Little Mermaid definitely passes the first part of the test.
2. Do they talk to each other? Ariel and Ursula have quite the conversation in Ursula's lair, so The Little Mermaid passes the sekunde part of the test.
3. Do they only talk about men? Here is where the film that ushered in the Disney Renaissance falls short. Ariel and Ursula's conversation revolves entirely around Ariel turning human in order to woo Eric and hopefully win him so that she can remain human forever. While some might argue that the film should still pass since technically not the entire conversation is specifically about Eric, I believe that he plays such a prominent role in the conversation that the film fails.
Beauty and the Beast
1. Two named females? Beauty and the Beast just barely passes this portion of the test with exactly two named women: Mrs. Potts and Belle herself (unless of course wewe want to count Marie who needs to hurry up and get those baguettes).
2. Do they talk to each other? Again the movie just scrapes kwa with one conversation between Belle and Mrs. Potts immediately after Belle arrives at the ngome and is shown to her room.
3. Do they only talk about men? Like The Little Mermaid, whether Beauty and the Beast passes in this regard could probably be argued one way au the other. Since the Beast is never specifically brought up in their conversation I'm going to allow it to pass, albeit somewhat dubiously since they are talking about how Belle has Lost her freedom thanks to him.
Aladdin
1. Two named females? As the only Disney Princess film whose princess isn't the main character, it's no surprise that Aladdin fails right off the bat. jimmy, hunitumia is the only major female character in the movie, let alone the only named one.
Pocahontas
1. Two named females? This film has not two but three named women: Pocahontas, Nakoma, and Grandmother Willow. While this isn't quite as many as some of the earlier Disney Princess films, it's still enough for it to pass the first portion of the test.
2. Do they talk to each other? Though Nakoma and Grandmother Willow never speak to each other, Pocahontas has a few conversations with each of them.
3. Do they only talk about men? John Smith and the settlers are a prominent topic, but Nakoma and Pocahontas have a conversation about the title character's dream. This conversation is later continued with Grandmother Willow where the topic of Pocahontas's mother is also introduced. Pocahontas decidedly passes the Bechdel Test.
Mulan
1. Two named females? Like Pocahontas, Mulan passes this portion of the test with three named women - Fa Mulan, Fa Li, and Grandmother Fa.
2. Do they talk to each other? While their conversations are minimal since the majority of the movie takes place amongst an army of men, they do Converse during the scene where Mulan is being prepared to see the Matchmaker.
3. Do they only talk about men? Most of their conversation is about Mulan striking up a match with a good man, but since they mostly focus on Mulan herself and less on the men she needs to impress I will allow this film to pass. There is a short exchange between Mulan and Li about how Mulan is late which can also be taken into consideration. Like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast it could be easily argued that Mulan should not pass this portion of the test, however I personally think it makes the cut.
The Princess and the Frog
1. Two named females? The last 2D animated princess film boasts a number of female characters including Tiana, Charlotte, Eudora, Mama Odie, and the elusive Evangeline, thus easily passing the first part of the test.
2. Do they talk to each other? Yes they do! Tiana and charlotte have a number of conversations, and Eudora does her share of talking as well. And of course who could forget the memorable conversation with Mama Odie?
3. Do they only talk about men? charlotte talks a lot about Naveen and Eudora pushes Tiana to find a man, but Tiana evens the score with all the talk of her restaurant. Tiana also speaks with Mama Odie about needing to be human again. It could be argued that since Tiana is building her restaurant in memory of her father all of her conversations about it are about a man. Personally, I think that's a little far-fetched, thus The Princess and the Frog passes the Bechdel Test!
Tangled
1. Two named females? This movie just barely passes the first part of the test with exactly two named women: Rapunzel and Mother Gothel.
2. Do they talk to each other? They do quite a bit of talking, some of which is even set to music. It's mostly Mother Gothel giving backhanded compliments to Rapunzel, but it still counts.
3. Do they only talk about men? Nope, Mother Gothel spends a lot of time steering Rapunzel away from the outside world, and of course there's their exchange when Rapunzel realizes that she is the Lost princess. Therefore, Tangled passes the Bechdel Test.
Brave
1. Two named females? Though you'd expect a movie that's all about female empowerment to have zaidi female characters, Brave still makes it through this part of the test with three - Merida, Elinor, and Maudie. The Witch doesn't count since she isn't named.
2. Do they talk to each other? The majority of the movie is Merida's interactions with Elinor which includes a lot of talking, although not a lot of listening in the beginning.
3. Do they only talk about men? They do talk a lot about the suitors and Elinor's desire for Merida to choose a husband, and if wewe were testing the film using only the spoken conversations it might not pass. However, I will include their communication while Elinor is a bear, which is hardly about men at all. And so the most hivi karibuni Disney Princess film passes the Bechdel Test!
Overall
Of these eleven films only three couldn't pass the test: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Little Mermaid, and Aladdin. This is pretty good considering the fact that about half of all films ever made don't pass the test. (Surprising statistic, I know. Don't believe me? Look it up!) From this, I'd say that the Disney Princesses do a pretty good job of being their own characters instead of being defined kwa the men present in their films. What do wewe think? Is the Bechdel Test even a good measurement of such a thing? Let me know in the comments!
Disclaimer: This makala is not meant to bash any of the films au say that they are "anti-feminist," nor do I necessarily think that this test is the best way to determine if a film is "feminist" au not. I simply thought it would be fun to see which sinema pass the test. wewe can find a lot of info on the Bechdel Test online, including different versions and criticisms of it. I am using a slightly zaidi strict version which requires the two female characters to be named.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
1. Does the film have at least two named female characters? Unfortunately not, so Walt's first full length animated feature fails right off the bat. While there are two female characters, Snow White and the Evil Queen, the latter is not aliyopewa a name in the film. It is important to note that many mashabiki refer to the Queen as Queen Grimhilde, so she may in fact have a name. However, since her name is never mentioned in the film, it fails the test.
Fail.
Cinderella
1. Two named female characters? wewe betcha. In fact Cinderella sports four, not just two, named females: Cinderella, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, and Drizella. If only the Fairy Godmother had a name this movie would have five! Still, this film passes the first part of the test with flying colors.
2. Do the women speak to each other? We wouldn't have a movie if they didn't. There's quite a bit of dialogue between the four of them, so Cinderella passes the sekunde part of the test.
3. Do their conversations revolve around something other than men? Several of them do! While there is quite a bit of talk of the Prince and the Grand Duke, they also Converse about the ball itself and Cinderella's duties. Thus Cinderella is the first Disney Princess film to pass the Bechdel Test!
Pass.
Sleeping Beauty
1. Two named females? Sleeping Beauty does even better than Cinderella in this regard with five named women: Aurora, Flora, Fauna, Merriweather, and the unforgettable Maleficent.
2. Do they talk to each other? Again, there would be no movie if they didn't. Most of the film is the fairies' antics, and there's quite a bit of conversation sprinkled in there.
3. Do they only talk about men? While there's a good bit of conversation concerning Phillip, the majority of what the vichimbakazi talk about is Aurora herself and how to protect her from Maleficent. With that, Sleeping Beauty passes the Bechdel Test!
Pass.
The Little Mermaid
1. Two named females? The Little Mermaid sports a plethora of female characters, the most prominent being Ariel and Ursula, but when wewe add Ariel's sisters to the orodha wewe get a grand total of eight named women! That's almost as many as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty combined, so The Little Mermaid definitely passes the first part of the test.
2. Do they talk to each other? Ariel and Ursula have quite the conversation in Ursula's lair, so The Little Mermaid passes the sekunde part of the test.
3. Do they only talk about men? Here is where the film that ushered in the Disney Renaissance falls short. Ariel and Ursula's conversation revolves entirely around Ariel turning human in order to woo Eric and hopefully win him so that she can remain human forever. While some might argue that the film should still pass since technically not the entire conversation is specifically about Eric, I believe that he plays such a prominent role in the conversation that the film fails.
Fail - but this could be debated.
Beauty and the Beast
1. Two named females? Beauty and the Beast just barely passes this portion of the test with exactly two named women: Mrs. Potts and Belle herself (unless of course wewe want to count Marie who needs to hurry up and get those baguettes).
2. Do they talk to each other? Again the movie just scrapes kwa with one conversation between Belle and Mrs. Potts immediately after Belle arrives at the ngome and is shown to her room.
3. Do they only talk about men? Like The Little Mermaid, whether Beauty and the Beast passes in this regard could probably be argued one way au the other. Since the Beast is never specifically brought up in their conversation I'm going to allow it to pass, albeit somewhat dubiously since they are talking about how Belle has Lost her freedom thanks to him.
Pass - but this could be debated.
Aladdin
1. Two named females? As the only Disney Princess film whose princess isn't the main character, it's no surprise that Aladdin fails right off the bat. jimmy, hunitumia is the only major female character in the movie, let alone the only named one.
Fail.
Pocahontas
1. Two named females? This film has not two but three named women: Pocahontas, Nakoma, and Grandmother Willow. While this isn't quite as many as some of the earlier Disney Princess films, it's still enough for it to pass the first portion of the test.
2. Do they talk to each other? Though Nakoma and Grandmother Willow never speak to each other, Pocahontas has a few conversations with each of them.
3. Do they only talk about men? John Smith and the settlers are a prominent topic, but Nakoma and Pocahontas have a conversation about the title character's dream. This conversation is later continued with Grandmother Willow where the topic of Pocahontas's mother is also introduced. Pocahontas decidedly passes the Bechdel Test.
Pass.
Mulan
1. Two named females? Like Pocahontas, Mulan passes this portion of the test with three named women - Fa Mulan, Fa Li, and Grandmother Fa.
2. Do they talk to each other? While their conversations are minimal since the majority of the movie takes place amongst an army of men, they do Converse during the scene where Mulan is being prepared to see the Matchmaker.
3. Do they only talk about men? Most of their conversation is about Mulan striking up a match with a good man, but since they mostly focus on Mulan herself and less on the men she needs to impress I will allow this film to pass. There is a short exchange between Mulan and Li about how Mulan is late which can also be taken into consideration. Like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast it could be easily argued that Mulan should not pass this portion of the test, however I personally think it makes the cut.
Pass - but this could be debated.
The Princess and the Frog
1. Two named females? The last 2D animated princess film boasts a number of female characters including Tiana, Charlotte, Eudora, Mama Odie, and the elusive Evangeline, thus easily passing the first part of the test.
2. Do they talk to each other? Yes they do! Tiana and charlotte have a number of conversations, and Eudora does her share of talking as well. And of course who could forget the memorable conversation with Mama Odie?
3. Do they only talk about men? charlotte talks a lot about Naveen and Eudora pushes Tiana to find a man, but Tiana evens the score with all the talk of her restaurant. Tiana also speaks with Mama Odie about needing to be human again. It could be argued that since Tiana is building her restaurant in memory of her father all of her conversations about it are about a man. Personally, I think that's a little far-fetched, thus The Princess and the Frog passes the Bechdel Test!
Pass - but this could be debated.
Tangled
1. Two named females? This movie just barely passes the first part of the test with exactly two named women: Rapunzel and Mother Gothel.
2. Do they talk to each other? They do quite a bit of talking, some of which is even set to music. It's mostly Mother Gothel giving backhanded compliments to Rapunzel, but it still counts.
3. Do they only talk about men? Nope, Mother Gothel spends a lot of time steering Rapunzel away from the outside world, and of course there's their exchange when Rapunzel realizes that she is the Lost princess. Therefore, Tangled passes the Bechdel Test.
Pass.
Brave
1. Two named females? Though you'd expect a movie that's all about female empowerment to have zaidi female characters, Brave still makes it through this part of the test with three - Merida, Elinor, and Maudie. The Witch doesn't count since she isn't named.
2. Do they talk to each other? The majority of the movie is Merida's interactions with Elinor which includes a lot of talking, although not a lot of listening in the beginning.
3. Do they only talk about men? They do talk a lot about the suitors and Elinor's desire for Merida to choose a husband, and if wewe were testing the film using only the spoken conversations it might not pass. However, I will include their communication while Elinor is a bear, which is hardly about men at all. And so the most hivi karibuni Disney Princess film passes the Bechdel Test!
Pass - but this could be debated.
Overall
Of these eleven films only three couldn't pass the test: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Little Mermaid, and Aladdin. This is pretty good considering the fact that about half of all films ever made don't pass the test. (Surprising statistic, I know. Don't believe me? Look it up!) From this, I'd say that the Disney Princesses do a pretty good job of being their own characters instead of being defined kwa the men present in their films. What do wewe think? Is the Bechdel Test even a good measurement of such a thing? Let me know in the comments!
I would upendo to hear your maoni about your own ranking and thoughts about my ranking of the Disney Princesses.
Thank wewe so much for creating a welcoming community where I feel comfortable enough to post my personal opinions.
My ranking of the Disney Princesses has changed a lot over the years, but this is my current ranking for 2019.
14. Merida: I really wanted to like Merida as I have a Scottish heritage and family still living in Scotland, but she harmed her mother and didn't seem to care.
I like that she mended her relationship with her mother later, but I wish she had thought about the possible consequences of her actions.
13. Tiana: I like how Tiana works hard for what she wants in life, but I also feel like she works too hard at times. She doesn't take a step back from her life and realize that sometimes things happen for a reason.
12. Belle: I like how Belle doesn’t judge others by how they look, and that she is willing to stand up to the Beast when he is being mean to her. She truly sees the beauty within the Beast.
Belle can have a temper at times and not really find the happiness in her situation at the beginning of the movie, so I don’t relate to those parts of her as much, but she is still a great character.
11. Cinderella: I feel sorry for placing Cinderella so low on this list. She is the princess that shares my personality. We are both ISFJ personalities, and I relate to her so much.
I preferred the live action version of Cinderella more as she was willing to stay optimistic and tried to keep the deer safe from the prince as I am an animal lover.
10. Mulan: I really appreciate Mulan’s courage to stand up and fight for her family. She showed that she was willing to die to keep her father safe.
Family is very important to me, and I would do anything to keep them safe, but I am not even close to being as brave as she is, which is why I don’t relate to her as much as others on my list.
9. Moana: I love the relationship Moana has with her grandmother as my grandmother is a lot like Tala. Moana was hesitant to follow her dreams as I was when I decided I wanted to become an elementary school teacher.
My mother wanted me to become a doctor, and I actually started college to become one, but my dream of being a teacher kept calling to me just as the sea called Moana.
8. Elsa: I relate a lot to Elsa as I have struggled with anxiety for a long time. I like that she overcame that anxiety as I am learning to in my own life. I don’t like how she shut her sister out, though.
Even though she was scared of hurting Anna, I feel like she should have at least spoken to her rather than being too afraid to leave her room. Family is really important to me, and I can’t imagine shutting them out the way Elsa did.
7. Ariel: I like Ariel’s curiosity and that she pursued her dream, but she did not go about things in a logical way and put her entire kingdom in danger. I love her carefree and happy personality, though.
6. Jasmine: I like how Jasmine sought to fight against the injustices in her country. She saw that there was a problem with the rule that she must marry a prince, and that the circumstances Aladdin found himself in were unfair.
She stood up for what she felt was right while looking on the inside rather than on appearances. I think that she was a little rude to the suitors, and she could have just said that she wasn’t interested in them rather than embarrassing them.
She was my favorite princess growing up, and I still love how strong she is as a character.
5. Snow White: I have recently come to appreciate Snow White’s kindness and optimism.
She prayed for those who disliked her and continued to dream about being with her prince all while working and staying strong during her horrible circumstance.
I also try to be kind to those who may have wronged me in my life, and people may see me as naïve or gullible as I do tend to give people many second chances, so I relate to Snow White in that way.
4. Aurora: I love how she is shy, sweet, and kind. She is also so nice to the forest creatures, and she accepts her responsibility as a princess despite being upset that her dream to be with Phillip would not come true... or so she thought.
She didn't run away, and she faced the life that was meant for her head on. I am also a little shy and can relate to Aurora having to accept what life throws at you.
3. Pocahontas: I love how Pocahontas protects animals and nature. She is very mature as she tries to make difficult decisions in her life. I have faced similar choices in my life.
I had to decide if I should choose the path that would please my family by becoming a doctor, or if I would follow my dream of becoming a teacher. Pocahontas is truly inspiring how she doesn’t waver in her beliefs and follows her dreams.
2. Anna: I relate so much to Anna and her relationship with her sister as I have an older sister who has a lot of anxiety and shut me out for years. I also like Anna’s optimism and hope that things will work out in the end.
I relate to her because I have been sheltered most of my life and want to find my prince someday, but hopefully I will be able to discern his character better than she did. I am also a little awkward.
1. Rapunzel: Rapunzel is so optimistic, kind, and curious. I relate to not knowing when my life will begin and trying to stay positive and hopeful despite having been sheltered growing up.
I also relate to Rapunzel as I try to pursue my dream of becoming a teacher. I hesitated to pursue my dream because of not wanting to make my mother upset, just like Rapunzel felt conflicted about leaving the tower because of Gothel.
Also, I wonder if it will be all that I dream it will be, just like Rapunzel wondered if the lanterns would meet her expectations. She is realistic as she realizes that sometimes reality is different from our dreams.
She makes the best of her situation and finds joy in the little things in life. She is so inspiring as she made her dreams a reality.
Snow White - Princess Vera Wang
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I chose this parfume for Snow White because it consists apple notes and apple is a symbol of this character. It also consists chokoleti and it's another why this parfume fits Snow White so much. I think that matunda and gourmand notes fit her the best because of her warm, sweet, nurturing personality and her culinary skills.
I think that Anna and Su from Mulan II( the princess in yellow) would have this parfume as their inayopendelewa too. These three are quite similiar personality-wise.
Other parfumes that would fit Snow White - Sring maua, ua Creed which was originally...
continue reading...
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I chose this parfume for Snow White because it consists apple notes and apple is a symbol of this character. It also consists chokoleti and it's another why this parfume fits Snow White so much. I think that matunda and gourmand notes fit her the best because of her warm, sweet, nurturing personality and her culinary skills.
I think that Anna and Su from Mulan II( the princess in yellow) would have this parfume as their inayopendelewa too. These three are quite similiar personality-wise.
Other parfumes that would fit Snow White - Sring maua, ua Creed which was originally...
Here we go, from least inayopendelewa to favorite, here's the Mother's siku countdown results! I know mother's siku was two days zamani but I'm not waiting a whole mwaka to put up the makala so here we go :)
13. Evil Queen
So it's pretty obvious why she was taken out first; She forced her stepdaughter to be a scullery maid and tried to have her killed (twice) just because she was jealous of how beautiful Snow White was.
12. Lady Tremaine
Again, pretty obvious why she was taken out early. Like Snow White, Cinderella's stepmother forced her to be a maid. But unlike Snow White at least Tremaine...
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13. Evil Queen
So it's pretty obvious why she was taken out first; She forced her stepdaughter to be a scullery maid and tried to have her killed (twice) just because she was jealous of how beautiful Snow White was.
12. Lady Tremaine
Again, pretty obvious why she was taken out early. Like Snow White, Cinderella's stepmother forced her to be a maid. But unlike Snow White at least Tremaine...
Here is a orodha of my best DP role models. The most important thing to note here is that this is very much a subjective, rather than objective, list. Rather than trying to rank the princesses according to who I think is the best role model for children au other people in general, the ranking is purely according to how they serve me personally as role models.
11. Aurora
Perhaps not surprisingly, Aurora lands herself at the bottom of this list. She is gentle and kind, which are definitely qualities I appreciate, however she has little else to offer in terms of being a role model. Let's say...
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11. Aurora
Perhaps not surprisingly, Aurora lands herself at the bottom of this list. She is gentle and kind, which are definitely qualities I appreciate, however she has little else to offer in terms of being a role model. Let's say...
11. Cinderella
This was one of the easiest. Despite being the first DP movie I've ever seen, it is also the only DP movie with no aspects I enjoy. I don't like the characters, uhuishaji au songs. I find nothing enjoyable about this movie and I have no desire to re-watch it. I don't hate this movie but I wouldn't say I like it either. My least inayopendelewa DP movie wth no doubt. There are adaptation of this fairytale I like more.
10. Sleeping Beauty
I upendo its animation, it's gorgeous and one of the best in Disney history. I feel like artistic style of Pocahontas was inspired kwa SB and...
continue reading...
This was one of the easiest. Despite being the first DP movie I've ever seen, it is also the only DP movie with no aspects I enjoy. I don't like the characters, uhuishaji au songs. I find nothing enjoyable about this movie and I have no desire to re-watch it. I don't hate this movie but I wouldn't say I like it either. My least inayopendelewa DP movie wth no doubt. There are adaptation of this fairytale I like more.
10. Sleeping Beauty
I upendo its animation, it's gorgeous and one of the best in Disney history. I feel like artistic style of Pocahontas was inspired kwa SB and...
Thanks to the ones who have recently ametoa maoni on my makala :D. So, despite I have a lot of interests, I never get bored on picking mine and my friend’s Zodiac sign traits. I’m Sagittarius because I was born on 8th December. So now, let’s get started!
Snow White – Cancer
Popular Opinion, duh! She is Def a Cancer girl! Cancer people are kind, sweet, plucky, loyal, emotional and motherly. Emotionally grounded and fair to all, Snow White inspires us to always make the best out of a bad situation. The way she cares for the dwarves represents Cancer’s kind, cute and compassionate...
continue reading...
Snow White – Cancer
Popular Opinion, duh! She is Def a Cancer girl! Cancer people are kind, sweet, plucky, loyal, emotional and motherly. Emotionally grounded and fair to all, Snow White inspires us to always make the best out of a bad situation. The way she cares for the dwarves represents Cancer’s kind, cute and compassionate...
