Why women in fiction lose their hair

[@KaiseaWings]

There is an element of 'sacrificing femininity' in there. Long hair is valued in Europe and other countries for being beautiful, taking a lot of care and leisure, and cutting it diminishes value as a woman. It's also getting rid of a physical weight, shorter hair being much easier to work with. Then in Japan I think it's a disgrace, or meaning death of an old identity. So ghibli heroines (and Ashitaka) have it happen a lot too. (Kushana, Nausicaa and Sheeta). I actually wish heroines were allowed to keep their long hair more often and still be warriors and tomboys.

[@ThePrincessCH]

In China, it would be a sign of disrespect to your ancestors because they used to believe that hair and nails were gifts from them. If you did have to cut off your hair in those days, it would be to make a love token.

[@beatrizjardim8308]

True.

[@daryatislenko4651]

Like lady Oscar. She has long hair.

[@beatrizjardim8308]

@@daryatislenko4651 But she still did not acknowledge her feminine and the fact that she is a girl. She was raised as a men, dresses and behaves like a men.

[@milo_thatch_incarnate]

Thank you for bringing Studio Ghibli into the conversation! Some of the best heroines ever written for fiction, IMO, and yet the studio and its work is still so underrated and unknown in the Western world...

[@SarahEMorin]

Great video! One of my favorite hair-cutting ladies is Jo March from Little Women. She sacrifices for family, to purchase a train ticket so her mom can see her wounded father during the Civil War. Jo is already a tomboy before she cuts her hair, and remains one after. However, the surprise is that the sacrifice actually bothers her a little. Both Jo and Marmie call it "sacrificing her one vanity for love." When Jo is past her brave speeches, and alone at night, her sister catches her crying over her hair. I love this scene because it shows Jo as a complex human. She can be a tomboy yet sad at the loss of a feminine beauty. She can sacrifice for her family yet the thing that brings her to tears (and the straw that breaks the camel's back) is her hair.

[@TropeAnatomy]

thank you! And yes I wanted to mention Little Women! (and others). I felt like the script was getting too long though. You explained it perfectly, it wouldn't be much of a sacrifice is she really was nonchalant about it. A great reveal that enriches the character. I love how in the book through tears she says ‘I’d do it again tomorrow, if I could" 😭

[@caseyoung1527]

thank you for bringing this up!

[@hollylappalainen2000]

It's also mentioned in her introduction that despite being a tomboy, she's exceptionally proud of her hair

[@tinkergnomad]

How is it all these women manage to get a haircut with a sword, or a rusty dagger and walk off with a perfect pixie cut?

[@Idea_of_Lustre]

The power of the Rule of Cool.

[@pLanetstarBerry]

Now I'm just thinking back to when I cut my hair with a sword when I was with my dnd group. We were waiting on our last player to arrive, as he was running late. It ended up being a pretty decent bob style haircut, but I had to be really careful to line up the initial chop.

[@5th_cellar]

@@pLanetstarBerryWhy? Just bored or…

[@pLanetstarBerry]

@5th_cellar well, partially that, partially because I was sick of every hairdresser in town refusing to cut my hair the length I wanted it (a lot shorter than a bob). Nowadays, I have an undercut and a hairdresser I see regularly who actually listens to me.

[@ameliaroseillustrations]

@@pLanetstarBerry You should a make a KZbin story time video about this lol!

[@trinaq]

Long hair is largely regarded as a feminine trait, which is why when it's cut, the female character is either rejecting traditional gender values, or it's a way to show how desperate her situation has become.

[@ThePrincessCH]

In Western culture, maybe, but in Ancient China, men and women wouldn't cut their hair because they used to believe that hair and nails were gifts from the Ancestors and cutting it was a cardinal sin. Cutting hair in back then probably would have been punishable by death. In those days, you would probably only cut off a lock of your hair to make a love token.

[@lidu6363]

No, long hair symbolize femininity only in the modern era in Western countries...

[@gingivitis9148]

Yes! tho just to clarify not for all ancient china or all ethicaies ofc, it's a confucianist believe tho the practice probably has roots or was borrowed from older traditions.(I gave up on researching historical Chinese dress coz it was really hard to find translated sources T^T)

[@OpticalSorcerer]

While I hate the 2020 remake of "Mulan" one thing I appreciated was that she didn't cut her hair. The animated film did it for a western audiences, but the remake did something more accurate in that respect for the culture.

[@bannedmann4469]

@@OpticalSorcererThat movie was terrible, and you should feel bad.

[@foxpokemonforever4775]

Disney better not touch a Tangled remake with a ten foot pole because you KNOW they'd miss the point of both Flynn and Rapunzel's sacrifices and have her cut her own hair to save herself. What a cool analysis! It's crazy to realize just how much of our personal expression is found in our hair and the way it's used in storytelling.

[@TropeAnatomy]

Thank you! Yeah I have a feeling that they would think it’s a really good twist when it’s actually very predictable. In a different interpretation of Rapunzels story that’s fine but leave Tangled as is, it’s perfect

[@st4r_eats_molten_plastic]

Not to mention (spoilers btw) they already DID make her cut it herself in the cartoon series (rapunzel’s tangled adventure.) it’s so good btw I’ve been brainrotting over it for SO LONGGGG!!!

[@mariechen4375]

@@st4r_eats_molten_plastic I hate the series. It ruined the entire movie for me. In Tangled, Rapunzel and Flynn’s love is powerful, profound, and pure. They risk everything for each other-Rapunzel sacrifices her safety and her freedom to save Flynn, and Flynn, in turn, risks his life to save her. They both show an immense amount of devotion and bravery, and it feels like they’ve already gone through the most intense, life-changing experiences that any couple could go through in a short period of time. After all that, the idea of rejecting Flynn’s proposal, especially in the context of their emotional arc in the film, just feels completely out of place. It's almost as if the movie sets up this amazing, enduring love only for it to be treated as something less in the series. The movie's emotional weight and the way it portrays their love-how they’re willing to sacrifice anything for each other-completely clashes with the series’ version of their relationship, where Rapunzel suddenly views marriage as a "prison" or where their love seems to be doubted and weakened after just a few months. That makes no sense at all, especially considering how the movie concludes with them ready to build a life together. It’s like the depth and passion of their connection was suddenly erased by the series, and that’s why it feels so jarring. the series gives the impression that love is fleeting or easily undermined, which contradicts everything that was built up in the movie. If Rapunzel truly loved Flynn that much, as she did in the movie, it would make no sense for her to reject him, especially after all that they went through together. The idea that she could feel unsure about their relationship just after everything they’ve been through feels like a disservice to the strength of their bond in the original story. And it’s incredibly frustrating that so many people accept the series as “canon” when it feels so disconnected from what was established in the movie. It's not just about personal preference; it's about how disrespectful it feels to take something as heartfelt and emotionally significant as Tangled and reduce it to something that feels forced or insincere. Tangled is such a beautifully crafted film, with a romance that’s genuine, heartfelt, and full of growth. It's a story about two people who find each other and create something deeply meaningful. Flynn and Rapunzel’s love is real and powerful, and they’re willing to make sacrifices for each other-culminating in that beautiful proposal at the end of the movie, where Flynn asks Rapunzel to be his partner for life. That’s what makes the movie such an emotional and satisfying journey. And then the series comes along, and it messes with that foundation. The whole idea of marriage being “prison,” as portrayed in the show, completely undermines everything that makes Tangled's love story so special. The idea that marriage is a trap when, in reality, it’s a symbol of commitment, partnership, and mutual respect, is frustrating. Especially when you consider that in the context of the time period the story is set in (and even now, in terms of emotional commitment), marriage is not about losing one’s freedom-it’s about choosing to be with someone you love, and choosing to create a life together. The traditional story of Rapunzel (whether you go with Basile’s version or Grimms’ adaptation) is about love and freedom-freedom to choose your own path and your own happiness, which ultimately, for Rapunzel, is about being with her prince. Marrying him is how she gains freedom. It's not a prison; it's a means to build a future. So, when the series flips that concept on its head, it can feel like a betrayal to the spirit of the original tale and the film's message. It diminishes the power of commitment and love by turning it into something negative. And I hate that they kept the 18th-century setting and ignored the fact that, in their time, marriage was the only way people could be together without being scandalized or ostracized. Rejecting a proposal back then meant breaking up-period. But the series didn’t care about historical accuracy, and now we’re left with a plot that feels forced and unrealistic. In the original movie, marriage for Rapunzel wasn’t a trap-it was a symbol of her freedom, a way to be with Flynn on her own terms. But the series turns this concept on its head and portrays marriage as something Rapunzel fears, as if it means she’ll lose her freedom. This portrayal not only feels out of character but also perpetuates a false narrative about what marriage is. Marriage isn’t a prison-it’s a commitment to someone you love. And if Rapunzel truly loved Flynn, why would she see her future with him as a "trap"? In the movie, she was willing to risk everything for him, including her life. The idea that she would now reject him because marriage seems like a loss of freedom is absurd. The series not only messes with the romantic narrative but also sends the wrong message about commitment and love. Back in their time, marriage was a celebration of their love, and rejecting that commitment would have meant the relationship was over. If the writers wanted a more modern relationship dynamic, they should have done what Tangled did-celebrate their commitment, not undermine it. And don't get me started on how the series turned Rapunzel into a fighting, modern-day “Mary Sue” girlboss character. In the original fairy tale, Rapunzel was already empowered-she made decisions for herself, let the prince into her tower, and plotted her own escape. The only thing that’s different in the series is that they’ve amped up her physical strength to make her more “modern” and “feminist,” as if it wasn’t already clear from the original that she was no damsel in distress. This change in her character feels unnecessary and forced, and it completely undermines the beauty of the original tale, Petrosinella, where her love for the prince was a true source of freedom, not a burden. To add to my frustration, I despise how they twisted the whole narrative to fit a “modern feminist” agenda. The original Rapunzel (or Petrosinella, as it’s known in Basile’s version) is a beautiful love story, and Disney’s series ruined that. Rapunzel was a girl in an oppressive situation who found freedom and love in the prince, which was an empowering message. She wasn't just waiting for a man, she was waiting for a future and a life outside the tower-and a marriage to a prince was the way to escape. That was reality for women at the time. So why is that seen as a problem now? And don’t even get me started on how they made Flynn look. In the series, he’s turned into a completely different character-dumbed down, less charming, and just... wrong. He’s not the clever rogue who stole Rapunzel’s heart in the movie. He’s a different person altogether, and I refuse to believe he’s the same guy. It's honestly insulting to the character development we saw in Tangled. At the end of the day, I refuse to count the series as canon. It’s not. The original movie is still my canon, and I firmly believe the writers of the original film intended for Rapunzel and Flynn’s story to end right after the movie, with their love continuing in the short film Tangled Ever After. If the series had never happened, their love story would have been perfect, and I could have continued to enjoy the magic of the movie without this unnecessary and frustrating complication. The series just isn’t believable. It doesn't fit with the tone of the original movie. And it absolutely doesn't fit with the world that the Brothers Grimm or Basile created. If the writers of the fairy Tales saw how the original story was meant to be interpreted, they would be spinning in their graves.

[@st4r_eats_molten_plastic]

@mariechen4375 ok I'm gonna keep this short bc a) ur opinion is valid and frankly you do you. And b) I don't want to yap too much under poor op's comment 😭 SO, to me, Rapunzel rejecting Eugene's proposal is less of her feeling trapped by marriage and more of her noticing the differences between their wants in life. Eugene, having spent his life never knowing where he was going to go or what he was going to eat the next day, wants to settle down with a secure routine. Rapunzel, having spent her life in the same routine for eighteen years, never seeing the outside world, wants to explore as much as she can. Settling down into another routine to her seems like she's missing out on everything she wants to see. Also to me she is isn't a Mary Sue, she has trouble understanding how to people and that often gets her into trouble (cough cough Cassandra), as well as not knowing who she truly is. I do agree that the series is flawed asf tho, especially when it comes to the whole "don't steal!!!!" Thing. Like it's giving Let The Rich Get Richer and also Fuck The Poor. I'm planning on making a whole video yapping abt this show so if u wanna yap in my comments feel free! (Shameless self promo) 🌠

[@AG-fg1uk]

They will "Girl Boss" the remake to death. It will be a miracle if they dont choose to write off Flynn, because ya know "strong women don't need love or romance".

[@harrietyounger6118]

When I had a serious mental break down I had my hair cut off. It felt like I was Cleansing myself in some way, removing the old me. I know a few women that have done the same. We all just had a compulsion to cut our hair off. I have heard native Americans believed your hair hold your memories and that when someone died they would cut their hair. I know that part of the separation of their children at residential schools they would cut the children's hair and this was a huge source of pain for them.

[@ningmushii]

I love this!! I think for many of us we’ve become attached to our hair based off how we were raised. So when we do something drastic like cutting or dyeing it, it’s like a sort of change in ourselves.

[@kristinrburkett]

Mulan was bad at being a perfect bride and bad at being a soldier because she was repressing the parts of herself that were problem solving and inventive - you see here with the chicken feeding dog thing and her father is like “PLEASE help this weirdo who I also adore” … she goes to the matchmaker pretending g to be someone else - when she was in the camp she was also pretending to be someone others wants her to be. The chicken feed dog thing, her helping the old man win at go, her compassion to give the girl her doll - it sets her up to be a clever problem solver but also compassionate. Go is the opposite of chess which is a game of attrition- go means you use the fewest resource/soldiers to end a conflict and that is what she does by triggering the avalanche - minimizing lost life. She fails at being a soldier when she tries to be someone else and doesn’t believe in her own problem solving cleverness - when she looses the weights as a tool rather than a burden, she succeeds and also weaponized the original feminine thing she failed at, teaching her fellow soldiers -who respect who she is when she is herself - to use her previously suppressed cleverness, using the same levered climbing when she accepted her own strengths in the camp - she is only successful when she doesn’t suppress herself. Mulan is both sacrifice but also finding peace and victory of self acceptance - when her hair made her a bride it wasn’t her and when it was cut is wasn’t her - she had to find herself and her hair ended up being the middle ground - both short and down - a nod to both necessary experiences for self acceptance because - ultimately she could not help har family as a bride more a soldier until she accepted herself and leaned into her strengths.

[@ThePrincessCH]

In Ancient China, men and women wouldn't cut their hair because they used to believe that hair and nails were gifts from the Ancestors and cutting it was a cardinal sin. Cutting hair in back then probably would have been punishable by death.

[@2Ten1Ryu]

I love the original Display Mulan movie and watched many times, but I never thought about the sybolism of the shorter hair when it's let down. I think, you're right with your interpretation. the hairstyle ends up combining the best of both worlds and shows Mulan as her true self. love it!

[@lininrabbit]

​@@ThePrincessCH What are you talking about in the second sentence? There were circumstances where an ancient Chinese person might cut their hair, for example, to become a Buddhist monk or nun. However, there is no record of people being killed because of a haircut. On the contrary, cutting hair was used as a punishment by the government, as it was seen more as psychological humiliation than physical torture. Secondly, although the hair-cutting scene is not part of the original Ballad of Mulan (木兰诗), it could have totally happened. The idea of "not damaging the body, hair, and skin" is a Confucian belief, mostly practiced by Han Chinese and not necessarily by ethnic minorities. Mulan was most likely a Hu Chinese, as the original source mentions her being recruited by a Khan (可汗大点兵), not an emperor. The only thing that bothers me about the Disney version is that it portrays the Hua family as Han Chinese, which makes the hair-cutting scene very confusing for anyone familiar with Han Chinese culture. It confused the fuck out of me when I was 7, because you don’t need to cut your hair to tie it into a bun! Nor do you need to cut it to pretend to be a man!

[@ThePrincessCH]

@@lininrabbit I did say probably. I'm mostly parroting what I remember from Xiran Jay Zhao's video on the animated film.

[@syren4731]

Hair has always been a physical representation of a persons attachments... its why monks shave their hair. It's why when its done willingly, it can symbolized sacrifice, a change in identity or a complete rebirth. And when it is done to a person against their will, it can symbolize that they've given up their autonomy or been made to give it up, such as in the army or in prison.

[@Lyrielonwind]

During war it was done to bring shame onto women.

[@larissaorozco3255]

Im was so glad you chose to include Arya on this , In the books, she's such a great character. She has it cut again by the hound, and she cuts it herself after she leaves westros while she's in brovos.

[@witchplease9695]

For Black women, long hair is more empowering since we were historically forced to shave our Afros, hide our hair and were stripped of our femininity.

[@jeremiahnoar7504]

slaves of many different races were forced to shave, not just black slaves.

[@zammmerjammer]

@@jeremiahnoar7504 What's the point of this reply?

[@jeremiahnoar7504]

@zammmerjammer correcting the original comment. Long hair isn't "more important" for black women. At least it can't be for the reason stated because many different races underwent the same treatment of slavery, not just blacks. What was the point of your reply?

[@boop-9167]

Since most of these women were cutting their hair or having their hair cut by somebody else as a sacrifice, I wouldn't say they felt empowered by their short hair at all, they were mostly very distressed by it.

[@CallmeOzymandias]

@@zammmerjammerIstg everytime someone brings up the experience of one group someone else just has to chime in with a "well, what about us. It's not just you". Irks me to no end lmao

[@Kayenne54]

Ask Britney Spears. Hair is history. Ask any hairdresser how many women come in, after a relationship breakup or divorce, and say "Cut it off". Hair encodes and contains the history of the person. When we want to let it go, we change it up. If someone or a situation forces us to get it cut off, they're essentially asking us to let go of everything that made us who we now are.

[@Birdyboys]

It’s one of those things I find so interesting because it’s a really good example of cultural differences. Like I know a lot of black women who don’t find cutting their hair empowering because of the history with slavery and how slave masters often shaved their heads.

[@Anna-B]

I don’t think it’s empowering for most women

[@blkloislane]

​@@Anna-B It can be empowering or disempowering for anyone depending on the context. But I believe that Black women besides myself would be less likely to feel empowered by it for exactly the reasons the op said, and because of our particularly unique relationship to our hair in general. I have long hair, but if it were to be cut it would probably take more than twice as long to grow back to the same length as most women without my 4c texture.

[@ThePrincessCH]

Another cultural aspect is that in Ancient China, men and women wouldn't cut their hair because they used to believe that hair and nails were gifts from the Ancestors and cutting it was a cardinal sin. Cutting hair in back then probably would have been punishable by death.

[@ThePrincessCH]

If there is a reason to cut your hair in Ancient China, it would be for a love token.

[@seeker995]

@@Joe-sg9llmany women wear wigs not just black women…. And with wig wearing our natural hair can grow a lot since we cornrow it and let it be until we unbraid it It can be a long term protective style if it’s well executed

[@Lauren_210]

Korra is another standout for me from when she cuts her hair in Book 4 in Legend of Korra. In "Korra Alone," during her 3 year hiatus when she was recovering from the aftermath of her traumatic fight with Zaheer in Book 3, she was traveling across the different nations avoiding to come back to Republic City as the avatar again and there's a scene when she stops by a little pier and decides to throw her signature Water Tribe gear like her armbands into the water and then she decides to cut her hair. She just cuts it short enough to having it in a bobcut style since she had long hair prior and it's a bit similar to Mulan where she had used a blade to cut it and there's a quick shot of her holding onto her hair and squinting her eyes right before she cuts it as in she is making that sacrifice to remove her old identity and begin trying to find a new one for herself. It's a very beautiful and impactful moment in the series.

[@mayrahemmerechts5867]

There is also the scene of zuko and iroh cutting their hair when they became fugitives, they sacrificed their culture and identity to stay out of azula’s clutches. And then there is also the fact that after having been burned by ozai zuko’s head was shaved leaving only his pony tail marking him as banished

[@ThePrincessCH]

Culturally, Mulan cutting her hair would be unrealistic. In Ancient China, men and women wouldn't cut their hair because they used to believe that hair and nails were gifts from the Ancestors and cutting it was a cardinal sin. Cutting hair in back then probably would have been punishable by death. The only reason one would probably cut their hair in those days would be for a love token.

[@mayrahemmerechts5867]

@ I thought they also cut their hair when grieving?

[@Ki_Adi_Mundi]

@@mayrahemmerechts5867 Much better example, with actual good writing to support it. The Legend of Korra sucked. No offense.

[@l.n.3372]

​@Ki_Adi_Mundi LoK didn't suck. Very much offense. Why must you spread hate to those who love a show? You didn't have to respond at all. But you chose to bash a show on a comment that enjoys it.

[@APink176]

I vividly recall how epic it felt watching Sakura cut her hair during a battle in the original Naruto series to attack a shinobi who had her pinned down. I know a lot of people hate on Sakura, but that was a powerful moment.

[@dracofirex]

Yes! That was a real turning point for her character in letting go of the things that were holding her back.

[@tiramisunsun]

Same! As much as I don't feel satisfy with how the author handled her character (at least towards the end of the series) she still has a lot of powerful scenes/moments and I really like her.

[@nevaehaho61]

YES! Justice for no-hair Daenerys!! As much as I love her absolutely gorgeous wigs, it was so interesting that she lost it when she was “reborn” in a sense and she was described as absolutely rocking the look in the books. I guess they didn’t want to put Emilia in a bald cap for a season?

[@TemariNaraannaschatz]

I can understand not doing it because it would have been a huge production hassle. She wouldn't be bald for a season, her hair would need to regrow. And doing dozens of hairpieces over the production would have been insanely expensive. And bleaching Emilia Clarkes head the entire time would have not been pausible. Neither for her scalp, nor her hair.

[@heatherhaven1268]

Didn’t she also have brain surgeries during filming? I’m not sure when exactly, because we found out after wrap. I think…

[@SarahEMorin]

Other hair-cutting scenes that stand out to me: The Queen's Gambit - Beth gets a standardized bob and gives up her personalized embroidered dress upon entry to the orphanage, symbolizing a loss of identity and assimilation. Her later fascination with fashion is a deliberate reclaiming of choice and identity. Star Trek's Borg - none of them have hair, so it's shorn as part of the assimilation process. Like Eleven, Seven's regrowth of hair over several seasons shows her adapting to her new society/adopted family. Samson - He's a big buff guy, not a woman, but a woman (Delilah) brings about his downfall through cutting his hair. I guess this is a new category called, "Don't trust women?" Roman Holiday - Audrey Hepburn's character Princess Ann gets a haircut as a sign of freedom and independence. This one stands out to me because she really has to fight the barber to go that short. It's a microcosm of her restrictive life, where her choices are resisted. The fact she ends on, "It's just what I wanted," is so significant.

[@trenae77]

Let’s Not Forget the short story “Gift of the Magi” by O’Henry.

[@heatherhaven1268]

I don’t know if it counts, but Buffy also cut her hair because Spike keeps calling her Goldilocks.

[@trinaq]

Millie Bobby Brown was brave enough to shave her head for her role as Eleven, and was convinced to do it when the Duffer Brothers showed her a picture of Charlize Theron as Furiosa. Thankfully, they used a bald cap for Season 4.

[@ElliannaEllett-of6yl]

Anne Hathaway also cut her real hair for her role as Fontaine

[@emilyrln]

@@ElliannaEllett-of6yland Natalie Portman in V for Vendetta!

[@chandlertheramhandler]

Hair can mean so many things, because it is so closely linked with identity. A woman’s hair in particular is often associated with social standing: long, well-kept hair is a symbol of privilege, as it indicates that the woman has enough time and money to take care of herself. When not standing in as a symbol of status, hair is instead an avenue for self expression. This is particularly relevant for women, who under crushing societal expectations throughout history, have been conditioned to take particular care in their own physical presentation to the world around them. Hair, being such an obvious aspect of a woman’s physical appearance, is then used by women to either adhere to or rebel against these societal expectations, which is by extension, an indication of whether that woman is choosing to live by or against society as a whole, in everything she does in life- hair, then, is inseparable from a woman’s identity itself, and perhaps more importantly, a woman’s hair is inseparable from her ability to make that choice. Hair, then, becomes not only a symbol of identity, but of autonomy and dignity. When a woman makes the choice to cut her hair for herself, this is often used as a powerful symbol of freedom, or of change: she is breaking free from what society expects of her, and becoming something new-or, she is removing a physical reminder of a past version of herself that holds bad memories, and stepping into a new person. An unusual example of this I like comes from Mitsuha from ‘Your Name’. Throughout the film, she switches bodies with a boy named Taki, who has hair shorter than hers. Over time, she comes to get used to his body, and plays with a short strand of his hair for comfort. When she is switched back, and thinks she won’t ever see him again, Mitsuha cuts her own hair to feel closer to him. Her friend makes a comment about how girls only change their hair when something significant happens in their life, often in relation to a boy. When a woman’s hair is forcefully removed from her, this is usually a shattering indication of a complete loss of dignity. The removal of her hair is the removal of her right to make a choice of how to live. She is not only stripped of her hair, but of her autonomy itself. Her dignity as a human person. The case of Rapunzel in Disney’s Tangled is an interesting exception to this, while Aslan is the perfect example of this in action. Just as long hair is a symbol of femininity, of womanhood itself, what could symbolise a lion better than his mane? And so, what better way to humiliate him, than by removing it? My favourite example of this when it comes to women, is of the “Confessors” from the Sword of Truth series of books. In the world of Sword of Truth, in the region Confessors originate, long hair is seen as a legal symbol of status. It is illegal for women to grow their hair long unless they are a princess or some other form of nobility. Confessors are a class of magical women who have the ability to convert anyone into their forever devoted lover with a single touch. The danger to autonomy they pose against everyone in their world has granted them an extremely high status, as they cannot be challenged. People’s fear thus grants them control, and Kahlan, the Mother Confessor, has the longest hair of all the land. But the Confessor’s hair is not just an outward indication of status, it is also a physical manifestation of their immense power: it is physically torturous for a Confessor to cut her own hair-like an internal rejection of her own being, for a confessor to cut her hair is a form of self destruction. This, as well as Disney’s Rapunzel, carries echos of the biblical Samson, whose god-granted super-strength is tied to his hair. When his hair is cut, he loses his power. The reason his hair cutting rings a little hollow when compared to someone like a Confessor, or like Rapunzel, is because for girls, there is always another dimension to it: the social dimension. It’s not just their power, it’s not even just their identity-it’s also the way they will be perceived as a part of society. When a woman makes the choice to cut her hair for someone else, this is a powerful symbol of sacrifice. This part of her physical being that so strongly shapes how she is perceived in society as a woman, how she can express herself as a person, becomes instead a currency with which she must exchange for the things in life she otherwise cannot access. My favourite example of this is of Jo from Little Woman, who sells her hair to buy a train ticket for her mother to visit her father who is in hospital. Her sisters cry, “Your one beauty!” Because Jo is considered tomboyish and rebellious, or just different in society. Her long hair was the only part of how she expressed herself that still adhered to societal expectations. So by giving this up, Jo is giving up the last shred of respect others had for her as a woman. Awesome video!

[@Visforelvenshireling]

Thank you for including Aslan! I love how you discussed each example. This is a really well edited and enjoyable analysis. Definitely earned a new subscriber.

[@TropeAnatomy]

Thank you for subbing! Hope you like the videos to come

[@harrietyounger6118]

I think it can represent striping yourself. You can't hide behind anything. It can be a metamorphosis, a rebirth and a death. It can be a sign of strength, defiance, loss and I think you really got to the emotions behind it in this video I agree Mulan transformation is one of the most beautiful examples of this but all your examples were moving. X

[@nyxcole9879]

Yep, that's a perfect explanation

[@harrietyounger6118]

@nyxcole9879 thank you x

[@ThePrincessCH]

@harrietyounger6118 It's not culturally accurate, though. People in Ancient China used to believe that hair and nails were gifts from the Ancestors, and cutting then was a sign of disrespect. I can only think of two instances where an Ancient Han Chinese person would cut their hair: to become a monk or a nun, or to make a love token.

[@harrietyounger6118]

@ThePrincessCH cross dressing wasn't either was it? Are you saying men had long hair so to look like a male she didn't need to cut her hair? Also the dragon talks. So I think most people take it with a pinch of salt. I think is beautiful because welding the sword to cut her hair is the point of no return where we see her commit to her plan. Her expressions are beautiful the way she uses the sword mirrors her at the end of the film. Disney is known for taking liberties with historical accuracy for example Pocahontas was around 9 I think when she saved the much older John Smith and many people think he made the story up also they were not in a romantic relationship, jasmine from Aladdin shows her stomach and Heracles is the greek version of Hercules which is the Roman version when the other characters are the Greek versions of the names and he actually kills his wife Megara at the start of his legend. To name a few cultural issues with their films.

[@ThePrincessCH]

@@harrietyounger6118 The cross dressing is part of the original folktale, though.

[@OpticalSorcerer]

There's a fun contrast between Barbie's Rapunzel and Disney's Rapunzel with the hair-cutting scene. In Barbie's version, the hair itself is Rapunzel's identity, and Gothel cuts off to use it to deceive the prince, telling Rapunzel "Now now. It's only hair." At the end of the film, her hair even grows back, and it feels symbolic of her having her own identity. In contrast, Disney's Rapunzel is symbolized by her hair's POWER, and her love intetest cuts it in order to free her. When it loses it's power, her hair not only changes color, but ut's been shortened, and it doesn't grow back (in the film). Where the hair in Barbie represents her own freedom, Disney's version of Rapunzel's hair represents a prison.

[@miamama9886]

Barbie Rapunzel is essentially a toy commercial rather than a real film like Tangled, its target audience is little girls, its purpose is to show off a series of images that indulge feminine fantasies so of course the main character's hair grows back the same as before, the film even has a series of unnecessary dress transformation sequences (like it's trying to parody Disney Cinderella 1950).

[@myleemartin8083]

Fantastic video! My hair matters to me so much and it’s amazing to view the symbolism behind these awesome female characters!

[@TropeAnatomy]

Thank you!

[@noelialopez6750]

It’s rare to find women who loves their hair not just for beauty

[@katrinabrown3561]

When I was with my narcissistic father, I wore my hair In extensions and wigs because that’s what my father required. He would make fun of my natural hair and tousle it, and I would feel ashamed of it. Immediately after I moved out, I wore my natural hair for months for the first time in my life. Hair can definitely symbolize freedom and autonomy

[@lol-np5vp]

personally, i love all the hair symbolism. whether it represents sacrifice, a new beginning, loss or gain of autonomy. it will forever be a good visual

[@nsikanakpan1200]

Currently watching your content back to back TO BACK. Your insight is precious

[@TropeAnatomy]

Wow, thank you! Thats such a nice compliment 😭, never had anyone describe the essays as precious

[@caseyoung1527]

omg this is an amazing video. i dont really want to watch it in one sitting because there's so much to unpack here. thank you! 🎉

[@caseyoung1527]

i think i agree with everything in the narnia, mulan, and tangled/rapunzel. but in stranger things and V for vendetta im not sure if it counts as sacrifice because the women didn't choose to shave their heads, it was forced on them. i guess they still gained something after but still.

[@TropeAnatomy]

🎉

[@sienkiewiczmonika1161]

So in a way, that cutting of hair is a ceremony that mirrors that of an Edo period Samurai: an end to an era of someone's life, and the beginning of another. It's a grand gesture that is really only noticed when people are looking for symbolism.

[@melinnamba]

The thing with Daeny's hair burning of isn't just that it's a rather small detail in the books, it's also a strange and has always raised some questions for me, that totally distract from the point and symbolism of it. After the fire Daeny's body is unharmed. But her hair is also a part of her body. Than why did it burn? Is that a hint that she isn't quite as fire proof as she appears to be on first glance? Is that an oversight by the author? Or is that intentional? If so, what does that mean? And if we don't consider hair to be a part of the body, shouldn't her finger and toe nail also be gone? I think it creates an unnecessary plot hole for not a lot of pay off. In my opinion it changes the scene for the better to let her keep her hair.

[@melinnamba]

@diviasookdeo9737 I get the symbolism of her loosing her hair. But it isn't cut. It burns of when her body is supposed to be unharmed by fire. That opens up a plot hole, as I explained, and in my opinion totally undermines and distracts from the symbolism. Is she, or is she not fire proof? Btw, it's also not an active choice she made, it is something that happens to her. So I don't think it can be interpreted as a symbol of her taking charge of her own life. So I do stand by my initial statement: the change was for the better.

[@myperspective6207]

I loved this video a lot. I'm a black woman and I cut my hair a few years ago. Black women are the only women with our hair texture so we've been taught to hate it (slavery had a role to play but if I expound on that I'll go on and on lol). But I didn't cut my hair because I hated it... maybe I did. Our hair is considered unacceptable in its natural form so to get it to appear 'acceptable' we go through extremely tedious processes. Managing our hair is like another job and I never in my life had a knack for hair-care nor did I enjoy maintaining a socially presentable form of black hair. So, I'd often receive harsh comments from people that my hair wasn't presentable. It didn't help that I had a sensitive scalp. I didn't hate my hair but I did hate caring for it and struggling to make it appear pleasing to others. Anyway, I think I ended up cutting it because I just couldn't deal with the hassle anymore. At that time I'd also been profoundly miserable. Somehow, that misery provided me with the bravery I needed to go through with chopping it all off. I did feel like crying when I watched it fall off my scalp at first but after, it felt so liberating. Now, I hope to loc my hair for a new look. Just thought I'd share a black woman's experience to this awesome discussion on hair and what it means to different women who cut it :)

[@adjadenisedoumbia9305]

I have the same experience,my scalp is incredibly sensitive and I can't even wear braids now

[@Lyrielonwind]

I'm not black but I have lots of hair although very thin. I had problems with my scalp because air can't get through so I had an itchy scalp. I love long hair but mine gets so entangled it's hard to brush. I also don't like spending so much time with it. I guess that's why I always longed for natural straight hair; you can brush it dry. I can't brush my hair unless it is wet, otherwise it gets frizzy and I look like a bush 😂

[@ladygwene]

Fantastic essay, I love all of these works independently and it was satisfying to see them collectively analyzed through this lens. I found your channel through this vid and went on to watch many others, all great. I see this is a recent addition after a long hiatus--I hope to see you produce more in the future!

[@qkranarchist3015]

Endorse this as well. Same same.

[@michellechouinard4958]

Thank you for including Aslan. This touched my heart.

[@noelialopez6750]

His hair being cut was deep

[@lindayhuang]

Missed opportunities: Jo in LITTLE WOMEN sold her hair, and so did Della from RAPUNZ…I mean THE GIFT OF THE MAGI. :)

[@TropeAnatomy]

I know!! I love Little Women. And Furiosa from Mad Max as well. I had a couple others on my list but it was already my longest script so didn’t want to go on forever and ever lol. Maybe a part 2 if I find a new angle

[@melenatorr]

@@TropeAnatomy There's at least one real life example: Joan of Arc.

[@fralou_sind_kreativ]

Thanks for the great video! And thanks for the other comments mentioning so many other great characters like Jo and Korra and Ashitaka :)

[@amberdionne1161]

This was an amazing video! I just found your channel and the way this video was so in depth and well thought out was amazing!! I will be coming back!

[@TropeAnatomy]

Thank you so much!!

[@suparnamandal9338]

There's also not one but two such scene in "Malena" starring Monica Bellucci one where she cuts her hair by herself to work as a prostitute to earn her bread but it wasn't a choice she willingly made the town people projected the idea on her. Even though she did cut her hair herself, she didn't had any authority over it. And the second scene is when all the jealous women mostly wives of the townmen dragged her, beat her and cut her hair to literally rip her off her 'beauty', the only thing they thought she was valued for. Again she had no authority over it but was forced to make the sacrifice. To me the first scene stood out more after multiple rewatch because how it seems like it was her choice to cut her hair but ofcourse it was not, the pain in the second scene is very thick you can almost touch the greif and so for that we tend to sympathize then a little more but the first scene seems more of a subdued misery and that is where it's more relatable because that's how most women's(atleast the one I'm accquainted with) pain feels like. It's not on the face but very subtle most viewers can't even see it they overlook it which is very common when it comes to women misery.

[@tinashmina116]

Hair is everything! - Fleabag

[@TropeAnatomy]

I look like a pencil

[@The-Busy-Beeeee]

​@@TropeAnatomyClaire it's french

[@ReedRichardsStretchyPenis]

To pathetic people

[@qkranarchist3015]

Enjoyed this very much, digging into the archives. Great work and channel. Glad to see you back. (Was hoping you and Andrewism were connected)

[@magiv4205]

A phenomenal video! What I would have liked to be touched on a little more is how long hair in women is not only tied to beauty and dignity, but absolutely intrinsic to the social ideal of what a woman is supposed to be. It is part of our social role, and one that holds alot of power over us, whether we care for our hair or not. It automatically affects how we are percieved. This is why women making that sacrifice, whether of their own volition or voluntarily, hits THAT much harder. I loved all the examples you gave though. I'm a woman who adores her long hair and am currently struggling with some hair loss. This video was strangely cathartic.

[@meganb4432]

I'm sorry, that sucks. If it helps any, I was losing my hair some years ago, and found that it was due to a sensitivity to cocobetaine. I'd been using cocobetaine based products for 10 years due to a sensitivity to SLS, and apparently it's quite common to develop a sensitivity to it after such prolonged use. I had to find a shampoo with neither... so I switched to Hairstory, and most of my hair grew back fairly quickly, thank goodness. Mid 40's with multiple bald patches was very confronting. I hope your problem has a solution, too. :-)

[@magiv4205]

@meganb4432 Thank you for your kind words! I'm working on a solution and seeing if it's something vitamin, iron or stress related. I hope it's not caused by a longterm medication that I started, because that would suck. I wish you all the best too!

[@noelialopez6750]

The Narnia parts you mentioned are always a bullet to my heart. Not in a bad way, but the way his part went down was just so emotional

[@ghadeerjalal8742]

I got a shampoo hair ad just before this vid LMAOOO

[@TropeAnatomy]

Lmao you’re the second person to say this. Algorithm thinks this is a hair care tutorial or something 💀

[@Lue_ArtStudy]

Hair is tied to ego, People judge your head’s shape. Monks lose their hair as part of losing their ego.

[@lilaa.arenaspancca2482]

Hair means attachment to beauty, wich is also temporary or voyd. So getting rid of it means another way to manifest detachmente to mundane world.

[@southernfriedscandal1474]

Unrelated but I’m so so so glad ur making videos again

[@TropeAnatomy]

Thank you! Glad you’re still watching

[@Babysongebob1]

While i get it in the book, i did like what the show did because the dothraki get braids for every victory, and with each battle, she would gain another braid in her hairstyles. So while the loss of hair can mean something, i have also been really impressed with the storytelling of hair. This was one of my favorite things about danys hair, the progress of her victory being shown through her hair and the more complex the braid style became the more it sort of reflected the changes in who she was as a person .

[@himesilva]

God, I couldn't even watch the section about Fontaine without crying like a baby. It's just so awful and tragic to me as a woman who had also know loss of dignity, loss of self. The way it''s supposed to go is that these sacrifices result in something GOOD happening, but Fontaine sacrified and sacrified and still lost her life. It crushes me to know that there are real women who have lived (and currently live) like this. It makes me angry at the violence and opppression of society that women, especially women of colour, face in our world. I'm not religious in the slightest, but I don't know what else to do than pray that the souls of all who experience such horrors will be at peace.

[@amiezwag]

This is really interesting and so well-presented!

[@astrobookwormsinger]

I have a character I've written who loves her long hair because she inherited it from her deceased mother, but when her empire goes to war, soldiers are mandated to have short hair as a necessity for convenience on the battlefield, and because their enpire's armour doesn't accomodate for long hair. She tries to keep it long anyway, wearing it out of a custom, one of those Roman-esque helmets with a hole at the top. It gets stuck at one point, and to survive, she chops it off with her sword, against her will. Later, she finds her charred locks on the field and mourns them as a loss of freedom of being able to choose for herself. You then switch to her diplomat girlfriend's perspective, she sees her soldier lover walking in with a few bruises, a haunted look, and absolutely messily chopped hair, and she instantly realises that sacrifices are inescapable in war, and feels this sense of failure for not being able to negotiate for peace in the situation even though the situation was fairly out of her control, because there are far more sacrifices to come and she doesn't know if her girlfriend will survive this. Nothing to do with anything. I just wanted to share. I love writing women.

[@TropeAnatomy]

Thanks for sharing! I like knowing the video reaches people who write

[@astrobookwormsinger]

​@@TropeAnatomy Thanks for making these videos! ❤

[@darkstarr984]

That is absolutely wonderful! I like how you use this in your story

[@jeremiahnoar7504]

very cool, but I don't know if it can count as a sacrifice is her hair being cut was ultimately out of her control. It looks more like a tragedy than a sacrifice as sacrifices seem to be something one willingly gives up.

[@astrobookwormsinger]

​@@darkstarr984 thank you so much!❤

[@rebeccat715]

So many great additions in the comments! My immediate thought is Azula. Her hair is a persistent little theme since her introduction-- "one little hair out of place." For her it's a part of her rigid self-control, and when she cuts it, it's a sign she's completely lost control. I don't know that it directly fits, but it does highlight the costs of the war. Azula unknowingly sacrificed her sanity to the standards set by her father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, and it's heartbreaking.

[@NotInMYName_AntiZionistJew]

There’s also Little Women, where Jo cuts her hair for charity and her sister Meg refers to it as her “beauty”.

[@elvenkind6072]

This make a lot of sense for a Norwegian that have gone on a strong hormonal medication to keep the long hair I love to have. Others at my age usually just shave their hair nowadays, because it look better then a bald head. I make braids instead and feel I can handle most hardship, but not the loss of my long hair. Our first king, Harald Hårfagre (Finehair) built up the power of the whole nation and got the love of his life, by not cutting his hair until he had achived his task. There's power in hair, and it's horrible to watch in movies females, who have so much feminine power in their hair, get it cut away.

[@castellaher]

Sakura Haruno from Naruto, too 💗❤️

[@DarkKing009]

I have to agree. When I see a male character shave their head it usually means some sort of metamorphosis or change that they're going through. Such as Max Payne rejected his alcoholism in the video game Max Payne 3. Walter White shaves his head as a result of his cancer diagnosis and his adoption of the drug trade. But I noticed when female characters shave their head that means some sort of rejection of their familiarity in some form or fashion. a commitment to a cause or signifying a loss. Because of American society where women shave their heads it still means something more than a man shaves his head.

[@mycattypedthis2827]

Dany loses her hair not once but twice in the books. Her hair loss symbolizes her liberation from patriarchy and traditional gender roles. She starts her story as a young powerless girl only regarded for her beauty and femininity, literally sold away for an army, examined by her buyers and sellers like a mare. She later gains some agency through her husband and unborn son, but it’s not her own, which is repeatedly thrown at her by the Dothraki, who point that as soon as her husband dies she’s nothing to them. However, after her husband dies, she finds her own agency, she becomes powerful in her own right, not via a man or her beauty. Now she doesn’t have to conform to societal expectations of what a traditional woman should look like and behave like to be respected and valued. She’s free of them, of her hair, of her beauty, of men in her life, to do as she wants. When she starts growing her hair back, the amount of responsibility and pressure upon her also grows. She even ends up marrying another man out of political necessity, only to abandon him and lose her hair again in the fiery fighting pit of Meeren. Similarly, Arya also loses her hair not once. First time it’s immediately after her male protector, her literal patriarch, dies. She’s forced to find and define her own agency in a traditional society without the means of femininity. It’s also not a sacrifice but salvation. With her hair she’d be recognized and captured. Without it, she’s free to assume any identity or role she wants. And she literally starts to play roles as a part of her assignment while training to become a skilled cunning and resourceful assassin. she assumes an identity of an actress and shaves her head constantly to make it easier to wear a wig.

[@Neku628]

I also listened to a Chinese American KZbinr mention the importance of hair within Chinese culture, especially in regards to Confucianism. It's against Confucianism to cut one's own hair because it's seen as an insult to one's parents, because hair is seen as a gift from one's parents. At least, that's what I got from them.

[@zoesway5036]

This is such a great video

[@TropeAnatomy]

thank you!

[@peanutbuttersandwich3412]

Kagero of the Koga clan in Ninja Scroll- it was the 1st time I'd ever seen this sacrifice and I knew instantly exactly what it meant. She cuts her hair off and drops it in front of Hanza and the rest of the Koga team. It means she's going with on this mission- end of discussion.

[@lol-np5vp]

mulan doesnt 'feel free' when she was ping, infact. she struggled to fit the stereotype or the model they set for soldiers (the way they acted, the way they approached problems or eq the way they tried to force their way through to get the arrow or the way they were ready to fight an obvious losing fight) which is why she struggled hard and was sent home but when she did it her way, she succeeded and became better, thats when she was actually 'free' and discovered herself.

[@seamusomorain6244]

One of my favourite examples is in Monstrous Regiment where, at the start of the book, the main character decides to join the army to go look for her brother who’s MIA. But two things that always stood out were that a) she’s surprised that it’s NOT a big emotional moment for her and b) she takes her cut hair with her and hides it in her pack (spoiler: until it’s stolen and used to try and out her). I think in terms of hair cutting scenes and the context of the story, it’s my all time favourite

[@markpostgate2551]

You're probably sticking to tv tropes for a reason, but in religion monks (both Christian and Buddhist) and nuns both may have their heads shaved as part of their initiation, and another cultural image is that of Elvis Presley having his head shaved to enter the Vietnam war. In mythology it would be a strange omission to not include Samson and Delilah where she removes his hair in order to literally disempower him. Convicts is another category of persons that get their heads shaved to rob them of personhood. And, finally, back to culture; Pink in Pink Floyd's The Wall on becoming a fascist shaves not only his hair but his eye brows and chest hair too.

[@meimeilei]

I've just gotten an advert of hair products haha

[@TropeAnatomy]

Ahaha algorithm probably thinks I’m talking about combating hair loss

[@meimeilei]

@@TropeAnatomy Must be so 🤣

[@AJ-xc4qe]

Yesterday, The Virtual Celebrity made a whole video about how Disney has been abandoning romance plots since Tangled and the scrapped concepts for Wish is maybe the most blatant example of it.

[@duckraft]

Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace has one of the most gut wrenching scenes. Ruyi, the empress, cuts her hair in front of the emperor and woof! It’s her act of rebellion and liberation, breaking with the emperor, the love of her life who done her wrong. Context: locks of snipped hair were a symbol used in weddings then. The hair remained bound forever. Otherwise, women never cut their hair. So when she pulls out scissors and cuts a lock it’s intense. Such a powerful scene.

[@outcast4087]

I like long-ish hair on women, but I also like when they are strong and capable. So in my story I tried to combine both. The female lead starts off already boisterous and daring, while rocking mid-length hair (to the shoulderblades) that she either ties into a ponytail or leaves down. She's a warrior, was raised as such and been trained since the age of 5. One day she herself becomes a mentor to someone, a man just a year older than her. While training him, she falls for him, as does he. Once his training is complete, he becomes her battle partner, they go on missions, and relax together in their free time. One day her partner dies during a mission, which she blames herself for. She is devastated. A week after the death, she decides to shave her hair (in shame, but also justifying that it would be an inconvenience in battle), adopt new name and never take any students or battle partners, opting to go on missions solo, because she doesn't want anyone to get hurt because of her again. Every day she's on a mission, with only one goal in mind - avenge her partner by killing as many enemies as she can, or die like him, in battle, with a sword in her hand. When she's not out in the field, she's training at the base, constantly, tirelessly, with no mercy to herself, gaining quite the muscle over time. This is how her life goes for a couple of years, during which her prowess is well-known all over the base and even beyond, and her kill streak remains the highest in her region. During this time her hair obviously grows back, but she always shaves it again and again, saying that her old self is dead. Then the events of the main plot happen, where she is introduced to the male lead and made his mentor by a superior (he knew she enjoyed training her previous partner, so it was an attempt to bring her old self back by having her train a newbie), which she reluctantly agrees to, because "orders are orders". Very displeased and outright despising the newbie at first, she sees how he genuinely wants to be better and keeps trying, which makes her warm up to him slowly, over the course of the story. The superior's plan works, and her old self slowly starts to emerge back, with her beginning to enjoy small things that she previously would've disregarded as "waste of time". During that time, her hair grows back again, but instead of shaving it, she hesitates, postponing it. Eventually she does cut it, but not shave it, symbolising her gradual return. Fast forward to a major event, she is forced to confront her inner demons, leading to a mental breakdown, a first in years since that tragic day. The male lead soothes her, encouraging her to forgive herself, wether it was her fault or not. Because that's what her previous partner would've wanted for her. And eventually, she finally does. Next day, she sees her hair getting long again, and instead of shaving or cutting it, after some contemplating, she ties it back, like she used to, symbolising her return. She doesn't change her name back though, leaving the past in the past. In short, in my story the hair represents not the loss of femininity or whatnot, but rather the distancing from the old identity, the torment, guilt and inability to let go of own mistakes, and punishing oneself for them.

[@theJellyjoker]

It feels more impactful when it's forced on the character rather than a conscious choice.

[@TropeAnatomy]

maybe but even then the difference between forced and choice isn't that clear cut. Evey was forced, but she could easily have prevented it by ratting out V. She made the conscious choice to sit there while they cut her hair and not do the thing that would stop it. Fantine made a conscious choice to sell her hair, but she was forced to make that choice because there was no other way to get money for her child. Same with Aslan, Arya, Cersei. Its all a mix of choice and being forced to endure it for survival. I like the mix

[@theJellyjoker]

@@TropeAnatomy Fair enough. I suppose it's the Stubborn rebel in me is why "a forced choice" doesn't resonate with me. I'm very much a "don't' tell me what to do!" kind of person.

[@EyelinerAce]

In ancient China both women and men had long hair so Mulan cutting her hair actually doesn't really make sense

[@ThePrincessCH]

@@EyelinerAce There are a couple of exceptions, though. If they decide to become a nun or a monk, or they're making a love token.

[@EyelinerAce]

@@ThePrincessCH I didn't say they didn't cut their hair, I just meant that it doesn't make sense for her to cut it to join the military

[@ErikKemeeyKUVBBS]

@@ThePrincessCH thats shaving their head bald

[@ThePrincessCH]

@ErikKemeeyKUVBBS Not for the love tokens. You'd just need a lock.

[@harrietyounger6118]

I know he is male but I feel like all of these cases have an element of Samsung from the Bible. Some are the polar opposite but many have an undertone of hair representing a persons strength. Or the belief that they have lost their strength to find out that their strength came from deeper within like Rapunzel .

[@gingivitis9148]

Samsung

[@harrietyounger6118]

@@gingivitis9148 it seems to be something that is part of the human experience. It transcends culture and time.

[@shanon2ns]

Had a brief bout of madness reading "Samsung from the Bible" 😂😭🤣 its Samson lol, I actually was part of a musical rendition of his story when I was a child and went to church

[@harrietyounger6118]

@shanon4768 I'm dyslexic and often use the wrong spelling glad it made you feel good

[@gingivitis9148]

@harrietyounger6118 saaame lol(you can tell coz i managed to leave out "remember")

[@CreamyRubylove]

I am so angry with Nintendo for cutting BOTW Princess Zelda beautiful hair. Like, she left royalty and went to live in Link's house, but nevertheless her big changing, she was still in need to be rescued. So the haircut was just useless to mean "no longer beautiful damsel in distress". Riju cut her hair too btw, which is super sad because she had it touching the ground! As much as i like strong and capable Princesses who don't have beauty as their primary, i think the Zelda princess character is not fitting for masculine look and clothes, she's supposed to be sweet and feminine damsel in distress, but at the same time wise and strong willed. Being a damsel in distress doesn't mean being weak, and if you're a damsel trying to become a hero, cutting your hair is definitely unnecessary, you can still be feminine and elegant while being a fighter. That's literally the best part about her character: she's supposed to be a damsel, but kind, wise and generous ruler, unlike Peach who is just a dumbass in distress with no real personality. And speaking of Peach, they COMPLETELY changed her character in the movie, but STILL didn't have her cut her hair!

[@tiffanypersaud3518]

❤Thanks for the vid. I think a female character cutting her hair is a show that she will no longer be protected the way we inherently protect girls and women. She is now like everyone else on the surface. But STILL a girl or a woman, and her strength comes from that. It never meant that she had to be like everyone else. But had to own a strength everyone else called a weakness.

[@everestmendoza8164]

Yona from yona of the dawn is one that comes to.the forefront of.my mind

[@orianefaton1885]

And she is one of the rare case of the hair being a mess after it, because it was spur of the moment, to save someone she loved. The only other I saw in anime that had that is Sakura Haruno. They both had messy hair because they had to cut their hair to free themselves from someone grabbing it and protect someone they loved and cared for.

[@Neku628]

I gave myself a bad haircut when I was sixteen because I was bored and just going crazy because I was irritated by one lock of my hair that always hung to the side. Of course, my mom was pissed and took me to the hair stylist and punished me with getting a haircut. She always threatened my sister and I with pixie cuts because we didn't brush our hair.

[@aliceinwonderland8314]

I was reading a web comic a while back where the leading girl ends up an almost completely male environment. One time she gets grabbed by the hair in a fight, and I remember the comments were going absolutely nuts over that fact that instead of cutting her lovely long hair she just stabs the guy grabbing her in the hand instead.

[@Gabrielle-bb2zq]

In the reboot Ranma 1/2, they totally missed this trope: Akane was cut her hair by accident and the episode didn't even mention how important her long hair is because it's the only claim for feminity she autorised herself. Higlty disapointed moment for me. It feels so much heartbreaking in the old anime.

[@speaktruth9989]

14:00 aww😮

[@Eyrenni]

A very poignant hair cutting moment for me, featuring a man, is in the movie The Last Samurai (it was a while ago since I watched it but I'm 99% certain it was that one). The longer hair bound up in the more traditionally Japanese style is connected to the old ways, much like the sword the character is carrying, and is in violation of the newer, more Western-leaning laws and views that's being introduced/forced onto the society. The sword represents one thing while the hair is another, so the forced adherence to the new rules isn't complete by just removing the sword, but by forcefully cutting off the long hair as well. It becomes a case of giving up your personal and cultural identity.

[@amaeliss7827]

Btw, i really, really dislike the way Fantine's loss is adapted in the musical, and maybe even mote in the movie. Sex work is not considered worse than losing her teeth and hair, it's just part of her dealing with sickness and poverty. The hair is actually WAY MORE significant in the book ("her gold was on her head" is an actual quote) than the sex work ever is, which I think is way, way cooler.

[@lynnthomas8457]

I also find it intresting just how young girls can be with this mindset of hair = identity. The FIRST thing I did when my parents divorce was finalized, when I was only 8 years old, was ask for it all to be chopped off. My mother had a very particular cut she liked to keep it in, and I wanted it cut off so it would grow back the way *I* wanted it to. Dad said OK, we got it cut the next day. At the time, the only movie I had ever watched where the girl cut her hair was Mulan; I thought it was to make her look more like a boy and completely missed the symbolism. But having my hair under MY control? That was innate.

[@GabiDAmico]

Trope Anatomy is fucking back babes

[@elizabethwright5261]

In my mama's culture I have never been allowed to cut my hair.

[@TropeAnatomy]

What culture is that if you don’t mind saying? Just curious

[@elizabethwright5261]

@@TropeAnatomy Ukraine Romani

[@HeatherNickless-vt8zr]

The White witch and her minions did not shave Aslan out of symbolism, they mock him and taunt him with him bound out of sheer spite because they are cowards, if they'd done it out of symbolism, then they would've been much more ceremonial about the execution(Pirates had better class than these dark and souless creatures); true, it seems symbolic to us; but, to the girls, this was nothing but cowardice and spite, because we knew what they did not quite understand in that moment of Aslan's sacrifice.

[@john80944]

Because they sacrifice their hair in real life. Cutting your hair after a breaking up is pretty common. Is more about cutting yourself from your past, that is, if it's up to you tho.

[@rebecca7051]

Watching to see if Jo March is on the list.

[@meimeilei]

Long hair means energy too, Samson's hair being cut meant a loss of energy and his defeat :(

[@RamdomManeGenerator]

I lost my hair in 2020. I wish I felt empowered when I lost it. I more felt denied of my anatomy.

[@fernandad1086]

To be honest i don't feel short hair empowering, maybe is because i just like long hair in general XD

[@katerinabuie936]

Mulan was also prepared to sacrifice her life not just because of war, but because women soldiers were executed during that time.

[@queenglimmer444]

you know what's interesting? one of the few male examples you included was a lion for humans, long hair is considered the ideal for women, therefore it's considered a bigger loss if a woman loses her hair, but for lions, it's the other way around male lions have manes, female lions don't

[@ivanbarrena1545]

Man I love your videos, but I think this one had way too much text flashing on screen and I found it very distracting, just letting you know in case you ever read this. Keep up the good work!

[@masumi1990x]

Not just fiction, but IRL too. After breakup with a boyfriend, a woman change hairstyle and clothes.

[@annamattos8627]

Aslam, Mulan, Rapunzel and Daenerys are amazing!!! ❤

[@box0choco593]

I think part of it is a shedding of “excess” in life.

[@lancelobato]

shouldn't it be loss of LONG hair? this would open a new avenue for reflection, since long hair wasn't associated with woman for the most part of human history. it is a fairly recent social construct. then the relation between LONG hair and sacrifice would have even more socio-historical meaning. by contrast, loss of short hair may be seen as futile, irrelevant. another historical enrichment of this discussion might have to do with gender roles and how masculinity is historicaly associated with sacrifice, martyrdom and the such. and by associating long hair with womanhood and then loss of long hair with sacrifice, pop culture might be either conecting gender roles or maybe enforcing them. meaning: women sacrifices have an appearance component while men's usually don't. men's lives are seen as more disposable, while women that have their appearance perceived as "tainted", are considered "sacrificed", dead or at least "not a woman anymore". both being different types of "social death". and I think all this can be read as subtle patriarcal enforcement on gender roles and how each one is allowed to "die".

[@marshmallow9774]

Thanks!

[@Bingb0ngbing]

I literally waa thinking about Boyhood this morning. about how long it took to create that movie and no one talks about or even remembers it anymore... And this video just autoplayed after rhe video i was watching. What the heck

[@TropeAnatomy]

Ahah you’re right it doesn’t get talked about much anymore, if at all. But had a huge impact on me because my timeline is pretty much lined up with Masons. I graduated high school when the movie came out and I think about scenes from it all the time

[@micanikko]

what music did u use for denaerys' part? :O its gorgeous!

[@TropeAnatomy]

Resilient by Trevor Kowalski. I tweaked it a bit and jump between the full mix vs melody on epidemicsound (link in description)

[@ThePrincessCH]

In Ancient China, men and women wouldn't cut their hair because they used to believe that hair and nails were gifts from the Ancestors and cutting it was a cardinal sin. Cutting hair in back then probably would have been punishable by death.

[@ChrisMcSweeney]

"Keeps" missed a trick by not sponsoring this video.

[@jojoviviator9258]

What's the piano piece called that plays during the Danearys segment of the video?

[@meganb4432]

When i think of headshaving scenes in film, my mind instantly goes to GI Jane.

[@extoyshred2957]

Interesting men in fiction sacrifice their physical strength and also their health I wonder why can you make a video on that next?

[@jeremiahnoar7504]

That would be a cool video. My guess would be because physical strength is the symbolic value of what we value in men (the masculine form), just as long hair stands in as the symbolic image of what we most value in women (the feminine form). For me, Disney's Hercules came to mind.

[@The_Nightsong]

Aslan 😢💔

[@Alina-dq7ew]

what's the song in the beginning?

[@TropeAnatomy]

Resilient by Trevor Kowalski. I tweaked it a bit and jump between the full mix vs melody on epidemicsound (link in description)