You are not bound by your circumstances
She's "A Survivor"! (I know you're singing Beyonce too). This is the story of a daughter who lost her mother, who's father kept her captive to try and keep her safe, and who's world was filled with unrest and unfair rules. But, where there is a will there is a way. She didn't let her walls keep her confined from finding her truth and the answers she needed. She set out to discover a world bigger than her own. She had "everything" to common folk, but she didn't have freedom or true friendship. Never let what "is" be the defining line for where you can go, what you can discover or who you can be.
Wit Over Powers Fortune
Both versions showcase Jasmine's inability to choose her own husband. While she exhibits resistance in both, she fights for more than just her own injustice in this live action film. Now she’s fighting for the choice of others which I think is way more powerful and her objective at the beginning of the movie is to lead. We need more examples of women in our world like this. No matter what riches her suitors presented to her, her authenticity, integrity and merit were more important than anything they could offer.
Every girl has a voice to share
While tradition held years of precedence over how a princess in Agrabah would marry, and the sultan (even when it was Jafar) ruled everyone, especially women, Jasmine took a stance. Things could change now. What has been doesn't have to be now.
"I won't be silenced. You can't keep me quiet. Won't tremble when you try it. All I know is I won't go speechless. 'Cause I'll breathe, when they try to suffocate me, don't you underestimate me, 'cause I know that I won't go speechless."
She knew her own power. She believed in her truth. And she exercised her voice.
Power is perception
Jafar had a sly, manipulative way of faking his dedication until he could get what he wanted. Many suspected but few could prove it. He may have outsmarted Aladdin to get the lamp, but with greed, evil intention and a misconception of power, he eventually got beat. He perceived power to = sorcery and genie-like qualities, but at the end of the day, power to rule over others takes leadership, not force.
Showing Actual Love vs Fairy Tale Love
Disney movies taught us young that it was the princess and the prince that magically fall in love. As time went by I was happy to see less and less of the fairy tale and more emphasis on sisterhood like Frozen and female empowerment like Brave. The Genie has all the qualities of the best friend ever. He will be there for you in a rub of the lamp, he tells it like it is, and he always has your back. True "love" is a verb. It's an action. It's a choice. While right and wrong, bad choices and unfortunate circumstances in his way, Aladdin chose loyalty and love at the end of the day. Doing something for someone else when it didn't benefit you. We could all learn something from that type of grace, compassion and love.
My daughter and I played with our own Aladdin inspired makeup look and chatted about these topics!