Feminism can be defined as the intent to challenge or destabilize power dynamics in terms of gender. The 2012 film, Brave, exemplifies this through the two main characters, Merida and her mother, Elinor. A key scene at the beginning of the film features Queen Elinor demonstrating her leadership as her husband struggles to command the room and eventually joins the fight. This demonstrates that King Fergus does not hold power over his wife, nor does he seek to. He even admits later in the film that he needs her help to be a great leader.
However, Elinor also upholds sexist gender norms at the beginning of the film. She often chastises Merida for not being 'ladylike.' Elinor reluctantly agrees to Merida learning archery, but when Fergus first gives Merida a bow, Elinor says, "Fergus, she's a lady," implying that she does not believe women should have weapons. Surprisingly, king Fergus challenges gender norms more than queen Elinor does at the beginning of the film. It is also a surprise that Elinor does not fully support Merida's 'unladylike' ways as Elinor herself does not always stick to the gender norms. In terms of social behavior, Elinor upholds gender norms, but she sees herself as a leader as well, which challenges the idea that women are not as fit to be leaders as men.
There are also several instances in which characters have agency and instances in which a character's agency is taken away. Merida has some agency at the beginning of the film, but it is clear that her mother holds the power in their relationship. Merida must follow her mother's orders and wishes to change her fate. The scene where Merida competes for her own hand shows that she seeks out agency and a couple of scenes later Merida is actively choosing to change her fate. Elinor attempts to take away Merida's agency by requiring her to choose a suitor. She considers politics as more important than family, but in the end, Elinor grants Merida the choice to unite the kingdoms in another way.
