The Snuggly Duckling and Appearance

[Warning: If you haven't seen Tangled, this may contain spoilers...but seriously, it's based on a classic fairytale so how much big stuff can I really spoil for you?]

You may or may not be aware, but I'm a huge fan of the Disney movie Tangled (see An Ode to Tangled). I think it's a great retelling of a classic story that, while adding some fun and modern elements, goes back to the roots of this German fairy tale including some elements reminiscent of the original fairy tales.

But I digress. If you've seen the movie, you might remember a certain quaint, but sketchy pub called the Snuggly Duckling. I suddenly realized (not for the first time) that this sounds an awful lot like the title of another well-known fairy tale, The Ugly Duckling. And it got me to wondering: why call it that? Why put that reference in this movie? (Of course, Disney also more obviously referenced the story in Lilo & Stitch, so they clearly like that story.)

Looking at The Ugly Duckling, we see a story about deceiving appearances. The poor little bird looks nothing like his fellow ducklings. They think he is ugly and awkward, and assume that he will never amount to much. He feels he has no place in the world because he is different. But when he grows up, we learn that he is a beautiful swan, and is essentially considered to be above all of those ducks who once disliked him. But I think that at the heart of this story, the point is less about being careful not to underestimate people and more about realizing that even though we may look different, there is nothing wrong with that. In our core, we are all human (or avian, as the case may be).

So how does that fit into Tangled?

First of all, the pub looks like a quaint little cottage in the woods, and it has a rather unintimidating name. However, inside, it is a bit dark, and full of many very rough characters.

Secondly, the thugs at the pub appear to be hardened criminals, and they frighten Flynn. However, Rapunzel realizes (mostly because of her ignorance concerning the real world, although one might argue that it's because she has the ability to find the best in everyone, even Mother Gothel) that these men are not the horrible ruffians that they appear to be. They all have a gentle side, and they all have dreams. They're just like everyone else. 

These thugs are the closest parallel in the story to the Ugly Duckling himself. We quickly realize that they aren't bad guys, and they end up being the heroes of our story, helping Rapunzel and Flynn when they end up in dangerous and questionable situations. They're actually good people, not so deep down inside.

One must also consider how Rapunzel is also a misfit in her story, having never stepped out of her tower. She is considered to be a naive peasant girl under the control of her imposing mother. However, like the Ugly Dickling, we find that she does not really belong there. In fact, she's a princess and the hero of our story. She doesn't let others push her down, instead she fights to find out what the lights mean and who she really is, and then she stands up to Mother Gothel and is even able to rescue Flynn.

Flynn, too, is an ugly duckling. I always realized that he and Rapunzel got along because neither really felt like they belonged, but I had not drawn the parallel between the stories until now. Flynn is a crook, he's looked down upon, and he is unable to live a normal life because he is wanted for theft. But it turns out that he has not always been that person, that in fact he is Eugene. He tries to feel more important by becoming like a swashbuckling story character; he attempts an ugly duckling to swan transformation. However, his real transformation is in opening up to Rapunzel and becoming who he really is instead of who others perceive him to be.

The Snuggly Duckling is not a large part of the movie plot, nor do we see the structure for very long, but the emphasis placed on that seemingly arbitrary name is particularly significant to the plot. It reflects the metamorphosis which so many of the characters undergo, and reminds us that even the lowly thug is still human. We all have dreams.