Merida arrives home and hands the pie to Elinor, who takes one bite and immediately gets sick. She asks the witch for a spell to change her mother (and thus her fate to marry for politics), and the witch hands her one in the form of a little pie, with a warning that previous customers were not entirely satisfied. Following the wisp, she finds a little old witch in a house full of bear carvings. Merida runs off to the forest to blow off some steam and finds a will o’ the wisp creepily beckoning her to the scarier-looking trees. In retaliation, Merida slashes an intricate tapestry her mother made, and Elinor tosses Merida’s bow in the fire.

This isn’t exactly a diplomatic move, and Elinor thoroughly chews out her daughter before going to smooth things out. Stuffed into a tight dress and propped into a corner, she finds a loophole that allows her to choose her own hand, a trait very useful in marriage. When her three suitors arrive to compete for her hand, Merida grows desperate. She makes it clear that she prefers feasting, horse-riding, and archery to reciting poetry or looking dainty. Elinor tries desperately to raise her as a proper lady, but while Merida has her mother’s wits, she has the aggression and free spirit of her father. His warlike tendencies aren’t exactly useful for ruling a kingdom, so most of the daily decisions and diplomacy fall on his wife, Queen Elinor.Īs the oldest daughter in a monarchical society, Merida must marry the eldest son of one of the clans her father rules. Fergus is a huge man and a fierce warrior, and proudly displays the leg he lost defending his family against the enormous demon bear Mor’du. Her father, King Fergus, rules over the three neighboring clans, MacGuffin, Macintosh, and Dingwall. Merida is the first-born daughter of the DunBroch clan. That means there are massive spoilers for Brave below the jump, so read on at your own risk. The movie weaves a successful fairy tale, but how does a woman from the days of yore hold up as a role model in a modern film? Is Merida the strong influence she is billed as, or does she fall short?Īs with most Princess Reviews, the details of the plot are important for a full analysis. With Brave, Pixar introduces not just one, but two female protagonists, with the entire male cast relegated to supporting roles. There are certainly a few interesting female characters, but they are always in the shadows of their male counterparts. While Pixar is known for its emotional depth and memorable characters, it has been sorely lacking in female protagonists.

Brave merida and elinor