In a recent young adult fantasy novel published by Disney, “Frozen 2: Dangerous Secrets,” it is revealed that one specific line from Frozen actually has a much deeper meaning, making Elsa’s actions even more important than previously thought. Frozen is a 2013 animated film created by Disney. It tells the story of sisters Anna and Elsa, who are best friends until Elsa’s ice powers separate them. However, on the day of Elsa’s coronation, the sisters’ relationship, and Elsa’s concealed powers, finally come to a head, as Elsa turns summer into winter. The film has spawned one sequel, and Frozen 3 is currently in development.
One of the most memorable lines from Frozen is “conceal, don’t feel.” Elsa sings this line often, however, it originates from Elsa’s parents in Frozen. As a child, when Elsa struggled to keep her powers in check, and as a result, hurt Anna, her parents told her to “conceal, don’t feel.” Agnarr and Iduna hoped that Elsa would not harm anyone else. However, the sad truth is that this advice hurt Elsa and Anna more. Elsa tamped down her powers to the point of complete isolation, leaving her lonely and unfulfilled. But as it turns out, Elsa’s parents did not have bad intentions when they gave this advice.
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“Conceal, Don’t Feel” Was Practically A Family Motto In Anna & Elsa’s Family
According to the 2020 novel, “Frozen 2: Dangerous Secrets,” the phrase “conceal, don’t feel” was not created by Agnarr and Iduna in regard to their daughter’s powers. In fact, the advice was actually part of a long tradition for Arendelle’s rulers. “Conceal, don’t feel” was a phrase that Agnarr and Iduna used themselves as the king and queen, and was passed down to them by their ancestors and those before them. Ultimately, “conceal, don’t feel” is not a phrase created specifically for Elsa, but is a concept for all of Arendelle’s rulers.
Overall, “conceal, don’t feel” is relevant for Elsa’s parents and previous ancestors because the phrase is in regard to any type of emotion or personality. For the rulers of Arendelle, they felt that they should not show their true selves to their kingdom, and in turn, “conceal” themselves. They worried that showing their full selves would open the door for their subjects to reject them. Therefore, Agnarr and Iduna used “conceal, don’t feel” to keep themselves in check from being too vulnerable in front of the people of Arendelle. It is only a coincidence then that this advice would be so harmful for Elsa specifically.
Elsa Isn’t Just Rejecting Her Father’s Advice
In the end, this background about “conceal, don’t feel” does not only change Agnarr and Iduna’s motivations, but it also changes the magnitude of what Elsa does in Frozen. When Elsa sets off an eternal winter, and escapes to be free in her ice castle, she is not just rejecting the advice that her parents gave her. In reality, Elsa is rejecting her entire ancestral line and the problematic ideas that they held. In this way, Elsa’s “Let It Go” moment is so much bigger than it seems. She not only changes her own present as queen of Arendelle, but the reality of all the rulers of Arendelle to come.
Therefore, Elsa’s storyline is much more dramatic and effective than it previously seemed. Although Frozen does not provide this type of context, “Frozen 2: Dangerous Secrets,” helps to fill in the blanks in a very important way. With this background, audiences can see that, although Agnarr and Iduna were not trying to hurt their daughter, their ideology was still deeply flawed. The end of Frozen is proof of this. Although Elsa made a mistake is turning summer into winter, the citizens of Arendelle forgave her, and the kingdom became harmonious once again. In this way, Elsa never had to “conceal, don’t feel” at all.
“Conceal, Don’t Feel” Was The Bad Advice Anna & Elsa Needed To Overcome
In the end, “conceal, don’t feel” is the crux of Anna and Elsa’s problems in Frozen. Although the main conflict seems to be Elsa’s eternal winter, the reality is that Agnarr and Iduna’s advice started the issues. If Elsa had not concealed her powers from Anna as a child, they would have been able to have a stronger relationship. Therefore, when Anna fell in love with Hans, the sisters could have talked truthfully about the situation and nothing bad would have happened. Neither of them would have concealed their true feelings. In this way, the conflict of Frozen runs much deeper than it originally seemed.
