Running head: ENCANTO 1
ENCANTO
Encanto
Natalya Simmonds
Professor Samprisi
CENG 112 – Zap! Pow! Bang! Popular Literature
Tonronto Metropolitan University
February 13, 2024
Disney’s
Encanto tells the tale of the Madrigal family residing in a magical home. They gave every main character their own screen time, which was amazing to experience. The film also depicts how Hispanic grandparents place all their burdens and guilt on their children and grandchildren, specifically the females in the family; this will show when the family makes Bruno go away after Mirabel’s magic ceremony. The narrative places women at the forefront, notably Mirabel, the unconventional protagonist who lacks the magical abilities bestowed upon her relatives. This sets her apart, leaving her feeling like an outsider within her family. When the family’s magic begins to wane, Mirabel takes it upon herself to unravel the mystery behind its decline.
To understand the current predicament, diving into Mirabel’s backstory is essential. Unlike her magical kin, Mirabel was not born with magical powers. Her family’s history traces back to her grandparents, who, after facing adversity during a civil war and having to flee their home, stumbled upon an enchanted candle that gave them shelter and hope; this candle is a blessing and a curse to the family, an Encanto, a home in a village in rural Colombia. Despite this, Mirabel faces skepticism from her village, often made to feel inadequate due to her lack of magical abilities.
The film prominently features strong female characters, including Mirabel, her sisters Luisa and Isabela, her cousin Dolores and their grandmother Abuela. Luisa, gifted with immense strength, takes on traditional male tasks such as heavy lifting and animal care, challenging gender norms. Her song, “Surface Pressure,” encapsulates the burdens she carries and the obstacles she overcomes, showcasing her resilience and determination.
She also conveyed her feelings about not meeting her family’s expectations. Luisa pondered whether Hercules ever refused any task he was given, suggesting in her song, “Did Hercules ever just say, ‘Yo, I do not want to fight Cerberus’?” Luisa fears she may feel worthless if she cannot offer her services, mirroring Maribel’s sentiment due to her lack of magic.
Isabela is the favoured child within the family, with her ability to cultivate flowers. When we think of flowers, we associate them with happiness and love, traits Isabela effortlessly embodies. Abuela demonstrates her affection for Isabela in various ways, including arranging a marriage for her. This challenges traditional gender roles where men typically choose their partners or fathers select wives for their sons. In this case, Abuela takes on the role of matchmaker for Isabela. Isabela says yes to the proposal from a man in the community named Mariano in hopes of making her grandmother happy, and this marriage is supposed to help the Encanto. This does not go well because Isabela’s cousin Delores also has a thing for Mariano. The magic in the house fails because of how greedy Abuela is about the magic. The magic started dying when the mirror was placed back together; this was Bruno’s vision. The house began cracking, and Mirabel was yet again blamed for this.
Mirabel took it upon herself to go out and save the Magical house before it completely fell apart; earlier in the movie, Luisa told her how to keep the magic, and thats is what she did. She then found Bruno, her uncle, who was shunned because they believed he always brought bad luck to the family. Bruno is one of Abuela’s triplets that she fleed with during the Civil War.
