3 Years Ago, Disney Fixed Its Biggest Frozen Criticism – & Made Anna & Elsa’s Story Even More Tragic

In addition to Disney’s Frozen films, the book Frozen 2: Dangerous Secrets by Mari Mancusi helped fix the franchise’s biggest criticism and make the sisters’ story even more tragic. The novel was released as part of the Frozen franchise in 2020, a year after the sequel film premiered in theaters. Mancusi’s book, which told the story of Anna and Elsa’s parents, helped to expand what was first explored in the films, providing even more backstory for the characters. The popular series is set to grow even more with the upcoming Frozen 3 and the confirmed Frozen 4, which can further explore their histories.

Anna and Elsa were teenagers when their parents died in Frozen, making them just minor characters in the films, though they had a major impact on their daughters through their upbringing and tragic deaths. One of the biggest criticisms of the Frozen franchise revolved around the parents and their treatment of Anna and Elsa when they were alive, but thankfully, this was addressed in Frozen 2: Dangerous Secrets. Though Anna and Elsa might have grown up in a strict, isolated environment, the novel reveals a reason for this that made Frozen even more tragic than it appeared.

Disney Has Turned “Conceal, Don’t Feel” Into A Family Tragedy

The phrase was first introduced by Elsa’s parents

In the first Frozen film, Elsa often repeats the phrase that she learned from her parents, “conceal, don’t feel” to try and control and hide her magic. Frozen 2 reveals why Elsa has powers, but until then, she spends most of her life trying to deny her abilities in fear that she will hurt someone or others will hurt her. Of course, these fears were founded in Frozen when she accidentally hurt Anna and was later hunted by the Duke of Weselton, Hans, and soldiers. However, Frozen 2: Dangerous Secrets revealed that the phrase originally had nothing to do with Elsa and her magic.

Elsa and Anna’s parents, Agnarr and Iduna, were told to “conceal, don’t feel” to maintain the image of the royal family. They then passed this on to their daughter in Frozen, the next in line for the throne, and it took on a new meaning when her magical powers were discovered. Eventually, “conceal, don’t feel” became like a family motto, holding everyone in the family back from being and embracing their true selves. For Iduna, this also applied to keeping her Northuldra origin a secret, which kept Elsa from being able to discover who she truly was until the end of Frozen 2.

Elsa & Anna’s Family Were Defined By One Thing – Fear

Their family’s motto in Frozen being “conceal, don’t feel” might suggest that they were cold and unfeeling, but they were truly just afraid and trying to put on a brave face. Iduna spent her life in fear that she would be discovered as Northuldra, the enemy of the people of Arendelle. Agnarr feared that he would be letting his country down as the crown prince and eventual king of Arendelle. They then passed these fears down to their daughters, Elsa in particular, which led them to live sheltered lives behind castle walls and away from the rest of society. Their lives were ruled by fear until the events of Frozen.

One of the biggest fears present in Frozen is the fear of magic. Agnarr himself was originally afraid of magic, even though Iduna had used it to save his life. Although he was able to overcome his fear, he knew that others would be just as afraid of what they did not know and that Elsa would have to hide her magic away. Not only were they afraid that she would be rejected if people knew the truth, but that they would punish her for her powers. While their parenting methods and “conceal, don’t feel” motto may have been harsh, their fears were not entirely misguided.

Anna Was Spared “Conceal, Don’t Feel” For A Simple Reason

The family motto impacted both Anna and Elsa in Frozen, but it was only truly shared with one of the girls. Elsa was not just the only sister with powers she had to learn to conceal, but she was also the only one in line for the throne. Though they couldn’t have predicted it would have happened so early, Elsa was always meant to be queen. This gave her some added pressure that her younger sister, Anna, didn’t have, as she was never meant to be more than a princess. As the face of the monarchy, Elsa had to maintain a certain image for Arendelle.

Though Anna didn’t have the responsibilities that came along with being next in line to the throne, the “conceal, don’t feel” motto affected her negatively as well. Anna and Elsa were extremely close as young girls before the accident that led to her memories being altered by the trolls. When their parents made the decision to close the palace gates and keep Elsa separate to teach her to control her powers and eventually become a good queen, Anna essentially lost her older sister without any explanation as to why. Though keeping Anna in the dark might have spared her of the family burden, it left her confused and alone.

Disney’s Angar & Iduna Story Fixes A Massive Frozen Criticism

Before the release of Frozen 2: Dangerous Secrets, a major criticism of the series was the cruel portrayal of Anna and Elsa’s parents. They kept their daughters apart and put pressure on Elsa to “conceal, don’t feel” to the point where it wasn’t a surprise that she reached her breaking point in Frozen and didn’t have anywhere she felt she could turn. Yet, the prequel book explains that they were dealing with their own pressures and fears that kept them from truly living their lives as well. What seemed to be poor parenting in Frozen was a family tragedy that Anna and Elsa had to overcome.

When Elsa’s powers were exposed and she sang, “Conceal, don’t feel, don’t let them know / Well, now they know / Let it go,” Elsa freed herself from the family motto. In doing so, she was able to free the rest of her family as well, eventually repairing her relationship with Anna and learning about their parents’ history in Frozen 2. Though Anna and Elsa may have a tragic past in Frozen, they’ve broken from a damaging cycle, which will likely be explored even further in the upcoming sequels.