Warm greetings

Hello there! Welcome to Warmth in Winter, my humble tribute to the beautiful queen Elsa of Frozen. This movie has taken the world by storm (I couldn't avoid that pun), and many months after its theatrical release is still going strong. The lovely Elsa is a big reason why, with her powerhouse voice and magical ability to create ice and snow. However, there is much more to this intricate-as-a-snowflake character. That's where this site comes in! Please, make yourself comfortable and read on. I hope you enjoy your stay and that I can shed a little light on the snow queen. :)

Please know that there are SPOILERS throughout the site for Frozen, and for Frozen Fever in its section. So please read on carefully if you don't want anything ruined for you. If you have any questions or comments, don't hesitate to contact me. Thank you!

♥ Sarah
Part of OMD ; Listed at Amassment & Imagination

updates

January 21, 2016: WiW was recently featured at The Amazing, a shrine recommendation blog. This is quite an honor, and I'm very grateful to have been featured. ♥ I've added the badge from The Amazing (see above); check it out if you haven't before, as there are some really awesome sites recommended there, with more to come! Receiving this recommendation inspired me to work on the site a little bit, so I added my own introductory summary of Frozen in addition to the official one. I definitely have more in store for WiW in 2016, so stay tuned!

About Frozen

Frozen is Disney's 53rd animated film. It was released to theatres in November of 2013, and, according to Wikipedia, is the 5th highest-grossing film of all time and the highest grossing animated film ever. Its popularity seems to know no bounds and does not show signs of stopping. Frozen merchandise ranges from shirts to dolls to beach towels and beyond. And just why is it so popular? Well, for one thing, it's Disney. For another, it has princesses. There are also catchy (or if you are a parent, maybe annoying) songs. But I like to think Frozen is so widely received because of all the things it is about - sisters, love, and facing/overcoming your fears.

Below is an official summary of the movie, so you can get a glimpse of the story. And after that, I'll provide my own introductory rundown of the movie. Naturally, though, I do recommend watching it if you have not done so already, as no summary can replace actually viewing the film.

"Fearless optimist Anna (voice of Kristen Bell) sets off on an epic journey- teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff (voice of Jonathan Groff) and his loyal reindeer Sven - to find her sister Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel), whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom."
- Official Frozen website

Frozen is set in the Norway-inspired kingdom of Arendelle. The royal family consists of the king, queen, and two princesses, Elsa (older) and Anna (younger). Elsa has the amazing ability to create snow and ice, which she uses to have fun with her sister. However, when Elsa accidentally harms Anna with her magic one night, everything changes. The castle gates are closed and Elsa is isolated from everyone except her parents, and develops a fear of her powers. Being separated from Elsa is hard for Anna (and I do not doubt vice versa), and the sisters' loneliness and pain that builds over the years is only increased when the king and queen die in a shipwreck. A few years later still, at Elsa's coronation, emotions boil over and Elsa's powers are revealed to the entire kingdom, as well as visiting dignitaries. Anna, who had been made to forget about Elsa's powers, is stunned. When Elsa runs away, Anna chases after her, but the journey is not an easy one. The stress of the situation has caused Elsa to set the kingdom in a harsh winter, right in the middle of summer! It is now up to Anna, with help from ice harvester Kristoff, his reindeer Sven, and the lovable snowman Olaf, to find Elsa and get her to thaw the winter born of her fear. What follows is a hilarious, emotional, and surprising tale that highlights the many ways in which true love can be shown.

frozen fever

Frozen Fever is an animated short that takes place after the events of Frozen. It is Anna's birthday, and Elsa wants to make it the perfect day for her sister. She plans a wonderful party for Anna, but trouble arises when Elsa becomes sick. Every time she sneezes, she creates snowgies, tiny snowman-esque creatures. Eventually the snowgies and Elsa's being sick start to interfere with the party planning, till eventually Elsa has to take to her bed. She's disappointed that the day's events didn't go as planned, but Anna couldn't be happier, considering Elsa's thoughtfulness and effort.

FF is pretty short, but every moment is fun and enjoyable. In my opinion, it's wonderful to see more interaction between Elsa and Anna now that they are no longer separated and can have a proper relationship. Not to mention, hearing Elsa sing with a cold is adorable, haha. FF was released with the 2015 live-action verson of Cinderella. It will be a part of the Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection, which is being released in August 2015.

Meet Elsa

Name: Elsa; Queen Elsa of Arendelle
Birthday: December 22, 1817
Age: 21 (8 at beginning of movie)
Hair: Platinum Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Family: Mother (deceased); Father (deceased); Sister, Anna
Abilities: Ice and snow magic
Voices: Idina Menzel (speaking and singing), Spencer Lacey Ganus (teen), Eva Bella (child)

Elsa is a main character in Frozen; more specifically, she is the film's deuteraganist. She was originally intended to be a bad character, but was changed to be a misunderstood one. ^src Elsa is a princess (who will later become queen) of the kingdom of Arendelle. She has a sister, Anna, who is three years younger than she. Elsa was born with powers that allow her to create ice and snow. It's these abilities that set Arendelle in a winter that cannot be thawed unless Elsa overcomes her fear and embraces the thawing power of love.

voice

Idina Menzel provides both the singing and speaking voice of adult Elsa. She was born May 30, 1971 in Queens, New York. Ms. Menzel is a Broadway star, well-known for her roles in the musicals Rent (as Maureen Johnson) and Wicked (as Elphaba). As such, she naturally has a strong, wonderful voice and is therefore able to sing as Elsa, a trait that not all Disney princesses/heroines share. And while some people think Ms. Menzel's voice is too "old" or "nasally" for Elsa, I love it. She is an absolute powerhouse and knows how to deliver emotion, whether speaking or singing.

Personality

Despite her association with all things cold, Elsa is a very warm person. She is kind and caring, and a good sister. We see this at the beginning of the film, when she eventually caves in to Anna's demands and agrees to use her icy powers for a night of fun. Again we see it at her coronation party, when she and Anna speak for the first time years. She is gentle and polite, complimenting Anna and even teasing her in a playful, sisterly way.

Elsa is also fearful. After accidentally hurting Anna with her powers when they are children, fear becomes an issue for her. Her powers are getting stronger, and she is having trouble controlling them. It is her fear of hurting Anna again that keeps Elsa isolated from her sister.

This may seem to counteract her caring nature, and while I think Elsa may go too far in pushing Anna away, it is still a reflection of a what a caring person she is. Because while Anna suffers from the isolation, I don't doubt for a second that Elsa does, too. She is doing it for Anna's safety, and that right there is a sign of caring.

While there are times when Elsa can seem vulnerable and uncertain, she does have a strong and determined nature about her. The former is more apparent when she is in Arendelle, and the latter comes through after she runs away and creates her ice castle, where she can be free. In Arendelle, she is reserved and careful because she has to be. I don't think that is who she really is. It is at her ice castle where her true persona shows - a strong young woman who is happy with who she is, and who embraces the gift she was born with. Also an indicator of her strength is when she is defending herself from the Duke of Weselton's men, who are trying to kill her. Elsa does not back down and even comes close to killing them. But Hans tells her not to, or she will be the monster people think she is. While Elsa could have done off with the men, she does stop, and I believe it takes strength to restrain oneself in a situation like that.

To end this section, I want to come back to Elsa being a warm person. Once she realizes that love is the greatest emotion, and love will thaw a frozen heart, she is able to control her powers and free Arendelle from the out-of-season winter she created. She shows concern for Olaf when he begins to melt, and creates a snowcloud for him so he'll stay cold.

She also creates an ice rink in the castle's courtyard, bringing happiness to her people. And most importantly, she is never going to shut her sister out again. So even though she can make it snow with a snap of her fingers, Elsa really emobodies warmth and kindness.

Her powers

Elsa was born with her powers, and she is the only one in her immediate family to have them. We see her powers at the start of the film, when Anna wakes her up and asks her "Do you want to build a snowman?" A knowing smile crosses Elsa's face and the two girls escape to the castle's empty ball room. Elsa begins to weave her magic, creating a winter wonderland inside. She is able to make ice for skating on and snow for building snowmen. She also can make snow pillars. These are the more docile ways in which we see her powers at work.

There is also a dark side to Elsa's magic. It is harmful, even fatal, to anyone who is hit by it. In fact, this is the driving force behind the movie, as Anna being hurt by the magic sets the story in motion. This leads to the issue of control and Elsa keeping her abilities hidden. When Elsa is unable to contol her powers, ice will form on anything she is touching and on the surrounding environment. And after her powers are revealed at the coronation party, her icy magic comes through in

Elsa's feelings show through her ice magic

full force. Elsa's fear and anxiety create a wintry storm in the middle of summer, blanketing the entire kingdom in snow. Additionally, the actual appearance of her ice creations can reflect her feelings. Anxiety and frustration appear in the form of jagged, dark spears of ice.

Creation is a very big part of Elsa's abilities. When she is calm and in control, she can create beautiful things out of ice and snow. Elsa makes it look easy as she raises an entire castle up from the ground. This castle has a chandelier, staircases, balcony, even a fountain. To go with her new digs, Elsa's magic is even able to transform her coronation dress into a shimmering, ice-like gown, complete with cape. And if you look close enough, you'll see cute little snowflakes sprinkled throughout her braid.

A truly amazing aspect of Elsa's powers is that she can create living creatures. The oh-so-obvious (and lovable) example being Olaf, the snowman. Olaf first appears at the beginning of the movie. Young Elsa creates him for Anna, and it is here that she gives him his name and his trademark line "I love warm hugs". Not forgetting the symbol of her and her sister's childhood happiness, Elsa creates Olaf once again after she has run away from the kingdom. This time he comes to life and ends up running into Anna, Kristoff, and Sven. Olaf comes complete with a personality; he is curious, has a sense of humor, and longs to see the summer. In contrast, Elsa also creates Marshmallow, a hullking snow-monster who is made to guard her ice castle. Marshmallow is scary and not quite as vocal as Olaf. However, later on (after the movie credits) we see that he may have a soft side, as he smiles while putting on Elsa's discarded crown. He also retracts the spikes from his back.

Transformation

Elsa's transformation scene takes place during the "Let it Go" sequence. Which is fitting, because as Elsa's appearance changes, she does too. She is letting go of the restraints that held her back for so many years. The fear, the anxiety, the pressure to be perfect and control her powers. Now that her secret is out, Elsa doesn't care anymore. She is starting anew and she is going to live life her way. Even if that means being alone. (Which I feel is another meaning behind "The cold never bothered me anyway.")

The changes in her physical/outside appearance are definitely a reflection of Elsa gaining confidence and finally getting to be who she wants to be. She gets rid of the one glove she had left (the other being the one Anna took off of her) and throws it into the wind. She also gets rid of her crown, and her cape, suggesting her desire to be queen of Arendelle is gone. (At least at this point in the story.)

And then of course is the dress; her formal dress that she had been wearing at the castle transforms into a beautiful, shimmering blue gown. Obviously it is blue to represent her powers, but blue can also represent serenity. Blue represents sadness as well, so even though she is happy at her new found liberation, it's not too far out to think Elsa has sadness inside her as well at how things played out at the coronation.

And her hair. Elsa lets down her hair, and the phrase to "let your hair down" means to relax. It's also of note that with her hair down like this, Elsa has the same style she did when she was a child, before her confinement and isolation from Anna.

is she really just "getting hot"?

I recall seeing someone online complain about how Elsa's transformation was just an excuse for her to be made to "look better", and I want to address that here. Is Elsa really just "getting hot" when she transforms? I don't think so. At least, that never occured to me. The change in her appearance is not to make her more attractive, but to symbolize her gaining freedom. She is a new person now, she can be who she wants to be. In doing so, she is naturally going to rid herself of the appearance she had during her life in Arendelle. Her new looks are also an extension of her powers, which she are now embracing. As such, it's only fitting that she looks more at ease with herself and less held to the standards that made life so difficult for her. And hey, if she does look better for it, more power to her!

Relationship with Anna

The relationship between Anna and Elsa is a heartbreaking one for much of the movie. It's incredibly hard to imagine living in the same house - er, castle - as someone and rarely getting to see them. Especially when you love that person. We see this pain from Anna's side, and she is the one who has no idea why her sister has shut her out of her life. But what about from Elsa's point of view?

Elsa knows why she and Anna must be separated. It is because Elsa's powers nearly killed Anna. This fact, as well as the fact that Elsa even has powers, were erased from Anna's memory. But Elsa still knows, and the guilt and fear overtake her. I think she could interact with Anna if she wants; she could open the door when her younger sister knocks on it. But she is too afraid of hurting her again, and those feelings will only make Elsa's powers harder to keep in line. So she shuts herself out.

Even during her parents' funeral, Elsa stays in her room. Anna really needs her now, but Elsa can only grieve from her side of the door. It is not until her coronation that she finally sees and talks to Anna after so many years. Elsa compliments her sister, and Anna is only too receptive.

The two begin to warm up, teasing each other and reveling in the smell of chocolate. Their time here together will be brief, but in those short moments we can see how much they love each other and would have a close relationship if given the chance.

Anna's frustration with Elsa shutting her out all these years comes to a head later that evening. The two fight, and Elsa's emotions cause her to reveal her powers to everyone at the celebration. She flees into the woods, and Anna makes it her mission to go after her. Elsa has created an eternal winter in Arendelle, and Anna is convinced she can get her to stop it. So, she goes after her sister.

When Anna and Elsa are reunited at Elsa's ice castle, Anna asks her to stop the winter. She believes in Elsa, though Elsa does not believe in herself. Anna also wants Elsa to come back to the kingdom with her, but Elsa is still afraid of harming her sister. Ironically, the one thing she has been trying to avoid all these years is just what happens in her attempt to keep Anna safe. Elsa strikes Anna with her magic, again accidentally, but this time in Anna's heart.

Elsa is devastated when Hans falsely tells her that Anna is dead thanks to her. The whiteout Elsa had created comes to an abrupt stop as Elsa collapses to the ground in grief. She does not know that Anna is still alive, though not for long. Hans is just about to strike the vulnerable Elsa when Anna, suffering from the blow to her heart, steps inbetween Hans's sword and Elsa. At this moment she turns completely into ice, an ice so strong that Hans's sword shatters and throws him several feet. Elsa turns to see her sister, frozen, and cries out in depair. She holds Anna's face in her hands and throws her arms around her, crying. Her greatest fear has been realized, and she is heartbroken.

However, Anna's sacrifice was the act of true love that she needed to experience in order for her heart to be healed. Anna returns to life and she and Elsa embrace. Realizing that love is all she has ever needed, and that love will help her keep her powers in line, Elsa is able to thaw Arendelle. She and Anna can now live as they always should have - being there for each other and always leaving the door open.

Queen, not princess

Elsa is one of the few Disney princesses (and the only one, if you are just counting those in Disney's official princess lineup) who becomes a queen in the course of her movie. The other two are Kida from Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Nancy Tremaine from Enchanted. (Who is also played/voiced by Idina Menzel!) Of the three, Elsa is the youngest, as Kida is thousands of years old when she becomes queen, and Nancy is likely in her mid-thirties. (I'm going by Idina's age when she was in the movie.)

Being a queen is a much bigger responsibility than being a princess. A queen rules her kingdom, she is in charge. Especially when it is she alone, with no king. Can Elsa handle it? I think so. Once everything is settled between her and Anna and summer is restored to Arendelle, I don't doubt she will do a magnificent job as ruler. In fact, we see how she cares about the happiness of her people when she makes an ice rink for them in the palace courtyard. And she carries out a queenly duty when she cuts ties with Weselton, after the way the Duke accused her of being a monster and had his men try to kill her. Elsa means business, don't you think?

Lack of romance

Another area in which Elsa is unique is the fact that she does not find romantic love. I want to make it clear right now that I see nothing wrong with this. For one thing, Elsa is perfectly happy at the end of the movie. She is in control of her powers, she can finally have a relationship with her sister again, and the kingdom has accepted her abilities. (They quite obviously enjoy the courtyard being turned into a skating rink.) She does not need a man to be happy. If she does want one, though, that's just fine, as well. It is just that Frozen is more about sisterly love than it is romantic love. It is Anna and Elsa overcoming fear and isolation so they can actually be sisters again, not two unhappy souls living under the same roof yet never interacting with each other.

It's also of note that Elsa is only 21. She has more than enough time to find a man, should she want one. In the meantime, she has just become the queen of Arendelle and re-established a relationship with her sister. She will have plenty to be busy with.

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About the Site

Warmth in Winter was opened on August 22, 2014. It is a participant in both the One Page, One Month and Blast From the Past events at Amassment.

the layout

WiW was designed in PSP9. For the header, I used a screenshot of Elsa that I aboslutely love. The font used in the layout image and headers is always forever. Credits for resources used can be found here. Many of the screencaps used throughout the site were taken by me, but I did also use a few from here and here. The coding was done in Notepad. I owe Amassment for the motivation to make this site. ♥

the name

Warmth in Winter just came to me one day. I was racking my brain for titles, because this is one of the sites I had a more difficult time naming. It popped into my head when I was thinking about how funny it is that Elsa has powers related to the cold, but she is a warm person. So "Warmth in Winter" came of that thinking, because Elsa is a warm presence in the winter she bestows on Arendelle. I rather like it! I hope you do, too.

reason

I wanted to make something for Elsa because she really captured my heart. I have always had a thing for characters who were outcasts/misunderstood. Elsa is that, but so much more. Despite her difficult childhood, she remains a kind and loving person. She goes through a lot to keep her sister safe. Her fear of physically hurting her sister is so strong, but it's something Elsa is able to overcome. And watching her get to that point is so rewarding. I don't know, maybe it's because I am a sister and I have sisters that I love Elsa, her relationship with Anna, and what this movie is about. All I know is, Elsa is a wonderful character and a unique lady in the Disney world.

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link here

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Set your links to http://elsa.ohmydarling.org. Thanks!