All Hail the Queen of Letting It Go

Elsa’s journey can be a testament for all of us.

When Disney’s first took the world by storm in 2013, everyone was keen on examining the deuteragonist Elsa in a variety of ways. Was she a secret LGBTQ symbol? Was her iconic song “Let It Go” just a way to express the mechanisms of anxiety and depression? The ramping up of these discussions only grew with the release of in November 2019.

As someone who’s struggled with mental health concerns for a long time, I gravitated toward Elsa as a character because she felt real in all the right ways. Her journey of self-actualization paired with her growing needs to understand herself and her capabilities made her a compelling character to watch in both Frozen films. What can someone riddled with doubt, anxiety, and even depression take away from a character like Elsa? Well, here are a few things that come to my mind when I think of Queen Elsa of Arendelle.

Taking the Helm of Your Life

When Frozen first opens, Elsa is the poster child of the “perfect daughter” striving to make everyone else — especially the adults in her life — happy with her and her decisions. Her entire character arc in its beginning stages hones in on how she is making sure everyone around her is safe from her powers. This self-suppression succeeds…