The 1989 The Little Mermaid was revolutionary for many reasons, but a closer look at the film's dialogue reveals a fundamental issue with Disney's classic movies. Ariel was the House of Mouse's first Princess with a strong personality all her own, making her a feminist icon of the time. Her independent nature and rebelliousness were unique compared to characters like Cinderella and Snow White, but that doesn't mean that The Little Mermaid didn't have its own problems—such as how it represented its male and female characters.

https://screenrant.com/little-mermaid-dialogue-disney-male-female-problem/