Shrek, a Narrative Analysis
Shrek, a film that has become an artifact of ridicule and meme in recent years, premiered in 2001 and still appears in discussions of either humor or social relevance over a decade after its release. The prominent story line includes an unlikely protagonist, Shrek, reluctantly agreeing to quest for the love interest, Princess Fiona, in place of the antagonist, Lord Farquaad. The underlying, and perhaps the most important element of the complete storyline, is the discrimination Lord Farquaad implements against the fairy-tale characters.
Using specific features in the narrative, the writers of Shrek brought attention to both the underlying and surface-level themes that are eminent even in the lives of viewers who live outside of Duloc. These themes of conformity, unrealistic romance, and discrimination belong under the ultimate motif that is morality. By identifying features of this narrative that link themselves to the overall objective and assessing the effectiveness of achieving the objective presented, the display of these themes of morality through character relationships, conflicts, and motivations (both intrinsic and extrinsic) are proven in attempt by the writers to effectively and positively mold the minds of those viewing the film.
The conforming love story between Shrek and Princess Fiona is a common thread among many adolescent plots, including films such as The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. The common denominator of these films are the love interests choosing to change in order to conform to the species of the counterpart. Initially appearing as a pure, selfless act of love, upon further analyzing the unspoken truth is revealed: women are expected to submit in order to fit into the lives of others. Princess Fiona morphed into a less aesthetically pleasing version of herself, yet she still conformed to the norm that Shrek was accustomed to. While viewed as an effect of her taking true love’s form, her transformation displays a need she feels to be something she was not originally. It is only morally upright if this choice made by her without external manipulations and motivations.
Another common theme in children’s stories is unrealistic romance—an aspect that is not foreign to young minds because of the normalization of it in many of the media outlets they consume. In Shrek, Shrek and Princess Fiona develop a relationship over the short span of an afternoon. While all relationships have defining, significant moments, Shrek and Princess Fiona only met approximately two days before their “defining” afternoon. A mere few days after meeting her counterpart, she calls off an arranged marriage to a man with both power and wealth, showcasing her quick romance that sparks a hope of true love for Fiona. This is not entirely out of the realm of possibility in reality, rushing any relationship into the stage of “true love” so prematurely is the epicenter for the emotional tragedy that is high expectations that may lead to disappointment.
The arranged marriage between Princess Fiona and Lord Farquaad surprisingly represents a more realistic romantic concept in the movie and was included by the writers to further emphasize the final conflict between the protagonist and antagonist. Because the arrangement was made by Lord Farquaad and would have resulted greatly in his favor, it seems unappealing even on the surface level. Arranged marriages are not uncommon in the present day, nor were they in 2001 when this film was released. However, because it is associated with Lord Farquaad, this specific context brings a negative connotation to the concept of arranged marriage to anyone who remembers Shrek as a pillar of conceptualizing arranged marriage. The writers chose to subject viewers to this concept, which is effective for widening the scope of understanding.
Unfortunately, because of the light it is portrayed in, which is pure objectification of women, the representation is not accurate. Many arranged marriages are very healthy and can thrive with love and passion. The objectification of women is normalized in the scene that displays Lord Farquaad’s choice of Princess Fiona over other vaguely described princesses. Amongst all this, Princess Fiona’s parents are not involved in this union at all. In traditional arranged marriages, the parental units of both parties decide on the union. Given that Princess Fiona was locked away in a tower to be rescued, no bounding documents state that she must marry the first man who miraculously defeats her dragon and climbs the tower. This exhibits an ideal that a woman is dealt to the man who gets to her first. Initially, she is given no choice regarding who the man will be. In the conclusion, this is resolved in her choice of Shrek. Had Shrek not been so unconventional, the story line would not have worked so seamlessly.
Another negative factor of Lord Farquaad is established early on in the film, when he issues a decree that offers a reward for the capture of any and all fairy-tale creatures. Because of the chains used to hold the creatures captive once sold, the scene appears to be an institution of slavery. Characters like these are treated as minorities often throughout literature, and literature often mimics reality. With Shrek, a substantial connection can be made between the treatment of these characters and the treatment of many minorities in both American and international societies. All of the characters are physically different from those who have privilege in Duloc; the privileged live under a ruling that seemingly derives from one that resembles a dictatorship and ultimately brings a suffocating structure to the community.
The prejudice featured in Shrek is strikingly similar to the issues of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s—which still faces present struggles, the current discrimination that exists against the LGBTQ+ community, and virtually any other group that has faced both societal and legal obstacles. These fairy-tale creatures are pushed to the margins because of the aspects of their differences, which cannot and will not be altered to appease the dictator that is Lord Farquaad. Shrek’s privilege of being feared by the masses provides him an advantage with dealing with Lord Farquaad and his injustices. He began his quest for selfish reasons, and finished with interest for other characters in mind. He grew as a character throughout the film, as many protagonists do. It is a positive moral change for Shrek as a character and provides a positive influence to viewers, especially those in an adolescent age range.
As a result of Lord Farquaad’s order of banishing the fairy tale characters from the populated parts of Duloc, they wander into Shrek’s swamp. Enraged by the infringement of privacy, Shrek quests up to Duloc with his foil, Donkey, by his side. After defeating an army, Lord Farquaad requires Shrek to go even farther to reclaim his land that previously belonged to him. The quest began as a stomping of fury and rage against Lord Farquaad for personal and extrinsic motivations. Shrek comes to know these fairy tale creatures on a very personal level; their relationship began as a burden, full of annoyance, on Shrek’s part, but because of his privilege of being intimidating enough to be forgiven of not following regulations, he began to relate to these oppressed creatures and care for the cause beyond what only benefited him.
The entirety of the film Shrek is overflowing with the absolute antitheses of healthy and moral relationships. The movie is littered with examples: Fiona and Shrek’s rapidly growing care for one another, Lord Farquaad’s forced affection onto Fiona, and Donkey’s ignorance of the way Shrek treats him. Contrarily, the illustration of discrimination in an under stable context is by far exemplary for a children’s movie, completely revitalizing the purpose of children’s movies: recognizing and moralizing social issues in innocent and relatable ways. Extrinsic motivations can often times turn into intrinsic motivations, improving the moral quality of a character—in this case, Shrek—permanently. Both flawed love stories and unforgivable discrimination are told within the ensured humor of the Shrek script; the attention it brings to these social imperfections is certainly notable. The viewer’s minds are being molded in a positive way against Lord Farquaad’s discrimination, but conditioned to accept unhealthy relationships and objectification of women.