“CAST A SPELL ON ME!”: POWER, SILENCE, AND GENDER IN THE SONG POOR UNFORTUNATE SOULS

Abstract

This article analyzes how Disney children's narratives, especially the film The Little Mermaid (1989), act in the construction and reproduction of gender norms. Through the song Poor Unfortunate Souls, performed by the character Ursula, we investigate how the discourse present in the lyrics conveys values related to female submission, the importance of appearance, and silence as a feminine virtue. The research takes a qualitative and interpretive approach, grounded in Gender Studies and Women's Social History, based on authors such as Joan Scott and Judith Butler. It is observed that, even in contexts of fantasy and entertainment, these narratives operate as symbolic tools for the formation of subjectivities, contributing to the naturalization of gender inequalities from childhood.