WORDS, GENDER AND EDUCATION: ANALYSIS OF THE POLYSEMY OF “PRINCESS” AND “HERO” IN DISNEY FILMS

Abstract

This study investigates the polysemy of the words “princess” and “hero” in Disney film narratives, aiming to understand how these terms reflect, organize, and perpetuate gender representations that shape children's perceptions of identity, power, and social roles. It is based on the assumption that language is not neutral, but rather a social practice that produces and naturalizes culturally situated meanings. The theoretical framework draws on the contributions of bell hooks, particularly her critique of sexist structures of domination, and Davis, from an intersectional perspective that articulates gender, race, and class in the analysis of cultural representations. The research adopts a qualitative approach, structured through theoretical review and lexical analysis of the terms “princess” and “hero,” based on definitions from the Michaelis and Priberam dictionaries. The data were organized into analytical tables, allowing the identification of the distribution of meanings across different semantic domains and their expansion into figurative uses in everyday language. The results reveal a significant asymmetry: “hero” is predominantly associated with action, protagonism, and social valorization, while “princess” is linked to institutional, aesthetic, and affective dimensions, often related to appearance, social position, and idealization. It is concluded that polysemy operates as an active mechanism in the construction of gendered social imaginaries, reinforcing the need for feminist literacy practices that promote critical language awareness and contribute to a more equitable and socially conscious linguistic education.