The Damsel in Distress

The damsel in distress archetype is one of the older archetypes out there. Traditionally it is seen in myths, fairy tales, but more recently can be found in superhero comics, action movies, comedies, and even video games. It's still a very common archetype and it isn't limited to any one genre.
The damsel in distress is traditionally depicted as a young beautiful maiden, often at the height, or approaching puberty. Their defining features are their beauty, their helplessness, and their passivity. It can be argued that the first wave of feminism influenced the fact that princesses such as "Sleeping Beauty" and "Snow White" even got their own movies, but it wasn't until the third wave of feminism hit (late 1980's and early 1990's) that we started to see more active Disney females such as Belle from "Beauty and the Beast".



The video below is about the damsel in distress trope in video games, but more importantly, it gives a brief history of the damsel in distress throughout the ages.
http://youtu.be/X6p5AZp7r_Q?t=3m9s   

The Third Wave of Feminism

The third wave of feminism began in the early 1990's and continues on to this day. It began when women became dissatisfied with how the media was depicting them, prompting women to redefine the way in which that was done. It also encompassed issues that had been part of previous feminist movements such as gender equality, equal pay, and women's body issues. Women's body issues includes such things as contraception and abortion.  This ongoing movement has somewhat succeeded in how women are seen in  pop-culture, this not only includes the damsel in distress archetype, but also that of the female hero. While some may argue that this movement is less important than the feminist movements of the past, it becomes obvious that there is an impact in the perception of media.

Modern Examples of the Damsel in Distress

The third wave of feminism has impacted the damsel in distress archetype in mostly subtle ways. What the archetype is has not changed, but how it is presented has been altered. The damsels in distress we see today still require saving, but they are often less passive than their counterparts from the past.
 Here we have Lois Lane from the newest Superman origins movie "Man of Steel" Like any traditional damsel in distress, she requires a hero, in this case Superman to save her from the antagonist. What isn't traditional about her is her intelligence and natural curiosity. This leads her to be a much less passive damsel in distress. She attempts to change her fate by actively seeking to save herself and Superman. She marks a newer, more modern damsel in distress who is not always so keen on sitting around and waiting for a savior to come to her.

 Sansa Stark is another outcome of the Third Wave of Feminism. She represents a more dynamic character and damsel in distress in that she is never solely one archetype. Does she play the princess who romanticizes her fate? Of course, but during the Book and show "Game of Thrones" she also portrays the damsel in distress, and the survivor. As her character evolves, so too, does her archetype.

This more dynamic version of the damsel in distress is not limited to Sansa Stark, or even to the American and European cultures. The above picture represents Momoko and Ichigo the main protagonists of the 2003 Japanese novel "Kamikaze Girls". In the book Momoko is written as a frail young women who prefers to wear frilly Lolita, or dolly clothes. She wants nothing more than to be a French aristocrat and live an idyllic Rococo life. Ichigo on the other hand is a traditional Japanese yanki, or gangster. She starts out as very much the tough girl archetype. She's tough, she fights, and she doesn't take crap from anybody. That being said it is the tough chick Ichigo who requires saving from frail Momoko at the hands of her cruel gang, thus showing that the need to transcend archetypes is not limited to just one culture.
And finally, Peeta Mellark from "The Hunger Games" trilogy represents a new age damsel in distress that is becoming more frequently seen in modern day pop-culture. What this means is that he ends up in some situation that requires him to be saved by the hero. Often, in cases like this the hero is female, resulting in a gender-bent take on the older archetypes where masculinity and femininity are not necessarily limited to any one gender.

The Bigger Picture

The bigger picture of feminism and the damsel in distress archetype is not necessarily that the archetype itself is changing, but that it is society that is changing. As our society evolves it becomes apparent that such weak archetypes that put women in bad light are not as socially accepted anymore. In order to keep the damsel in distress archetype relevant it becomes necessary for it to evolve into something that is socially accepted. Thanks largely in part to the third wave of feminism and the overall changing mindset, the damsel in distress is no longer limited solely to women. On top of that the damsel in distress is more active and has skills such as intelligence or strength. The damsel in distress has always been a product of society. It used to be used to show women admirable traits such as domesticity and passiveness, and as it slowly evolves it shows women that they can be tough but still occasionally need saving, The archetype isn't perfect, but it is taking us in a direction that us more admirable and shows more hope for the future.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the damsel in distress archetype is slowly morphing, due largely in part to the most recent feminist movement. While it is still not a perfect archetype and can depict women in a weaker and more unattractive light, it is a start. This archetype is no longer limited to any one gender. Now men can be saved by men, or more often the female hero. The damsel in distress is usually depicted as the weaker person, but that's not always the case. Lois Lane may be weaker than Superman, but she's intelligent and strong in her own right. The same thing goes for Ichigo in Kamikaze girls, she's not a weak person, rather the opposite, but it is in this one instance that she falls into the role of damsel in distress. People need to be saved, it's a common trope in action and superhero movies, how else would the girl get the guy, and vice versa? What's no longer so typical is that our society's changing outlook on this archetype has evolved the way in which we present it. Do we still see it in it's original form? Of course, but it is becoming less and less common.

Bibliography

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Sleeping Beauty. Dir. Clyde Geronimi, Les Clark, Eric Larson, and Wolfgang Reitherman. Perf. Mary Costa Eleanor Audley Verna Felton. Walt Disney Productions, 1959. DVD.

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Star Wars: A New Hope. Dir. George Lucas. Perf. Mark Hamill Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher. Lucasfilm, 1977. DVD.

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