On Mothers in Disney Animated Films

On Mothers in Disney Animated Films

Disney fairy tales rarely feature mothers — they either die (Bambi, Finding Nemo) or are never mentioned (The Little Mermaid, Belle).

There is even a dedicated English Wikipedia article on the topic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roles_of_mothers_in_Disney_media

One heartbreaking theory may explain this pattern.

After Walt Disney found success, he bought a house for his parents near his own and hired workers to fix a few things (the furnace, some foundation issues).

The job was botched: the furnace leaked, and Walt’s mother died overnight from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Walt never spoke publicly about the tragedy, but it had to leave a scar. Many believe this is why maternal figures are treated so cautiously — or removed altogether — in his films.