Rapunzel encompasses every good thing about being a dreamer. Her positivity and determination inspire, while her awkwardness creates a relatability that has made her into one of the most beloved princesses. She struggles and she fights to become the person she wants to be, without letting any ruffian, thug, or evil mother get in her way.
She is unapologetically herself the entire film, because that is literally all she knows how to be. The bravery with which she faces the world is from a comfort of no one expect her mother ever judging her, and look what she accomplishes with it. If no one was standing in your way, what dreams could you tackle? Don’t lock yourself away, but rather channel Punzie’s independence.
Rapunzel has always represented the journey of finding the self. Her tower, though constructed by Mother Gothel, can easily be a tower we build for ourselves to shut out the world and keep ourselves safe from the failures and vulnerabilities of the world. She dreams big but must find the courage in herself to leave her tower and pursue them. She asks for help along the way, but she is the one fulfilling them.
Her tower represents the type of trapped we can all become. Inside it is full of creativity and adventure and big ideas, but how often do we let ourselves stay locked away inside our own brains instead of leaping into the unknown? Rapunzel’s journey to self discovery seems extreme on the surface, but is oh so relatable to any one who has ever been too scared to actually go and live their dreams.
Mother Gothel’s can lurk in everyone’s mind, attacking what we are most insecure about. Mother doesn’t always know best, does she? No matter what form she appears in, how safe she may make you feel, or how much help she offers, you do not need to stay trapped in a tower.
The entire story of Tangled reveals that everyone has a dream, but the way we chase it is what defines us. Like Flynn and his ruffians, our dreams can become misconstrued and we can loose our way. We can let insecurities twist our view of our dreams so that we truly believe we are seeking them, when in fact they are destroying us. The beauty of Flynn is he allows himself to change and redirect his dream.
Like Mother Gothel, we can let a dream completely destroy us. We hold on too tight to the wrong identity and never recover, wrecking everything and everyone in our path to distract ourselves from the fact that we lost our way.
And like Rapunzel, we dream big and we go for it. We promise to fight, every minute for the rest of our lives until our dreams are real and true. We may not know how to get out of our towers until the right person or help comes along, but we take it when it’s offered. We jump out of our comfort zones into a space where we can rebel and grow and go on all the adventures. We stay focused, and we encourage others to do the same. And when we have worked hard enough, we do make those dreams come true. They light up the sky like lanterns.
We gleam and we glow and we change and we make new dreams.
So if you’re feeling like a lost princess, wondering when your life will begin or you feel stuck in a tower you built for yourself, jump. Go. Live your dream. Rapunzel did it with no social skills and only a frying pan to defend herself. Rely on your friends, stay positive, and keeping fighting for yourself. You will find the light, and you’ll end up right where you’re meant to be.
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