Line #4 WesternAnimation/TheGoddessOfSpring


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/scale_3.jpeg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350: A proto [[Franchise/DisneyPrincess Disney Princess]], in more ways than one.]]
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4	''The Goddess of Spring'' is a 1934 [[WesternAnimation/SillySymphonies Silly Symphony]] directed by Wilfred Jackson. While it is ostensibly an adaptation of the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone, it was actually created in order to give the Disney animators practice on drawing realistic humans, in preparation for ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs''. Unfortunately, the animators weren’t quite there yet, and the short initially flopped. Today however, it’s one of the more famous Silly Symphonies.
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6	The short opens with the Goddess of Eternal Spring frolicking through the woods, surrounded by her animal and plant subjects. As the narrator says, the whole world loves her because she keeps the Earth in eternal springtime. However, she is soon kidnapped by the god Pluto (who in this case looks a lot more like the Christian devil) so that they can be married. He takes her to his underground layer, full of jewels, fire, and dancing minions. Meanwhile, winter sets in and everyone on Earth is miserable. The Goddess is miserable too, so much so that Pluto allows her to stay above ground for 6 months out of the year, [[JustSoStory and that's why we have winter.]]
7	----
8	!!''The Goddess of Spring'' contains the following tropes:
9	* AbhorrentAdmirer: The Goddess is kidnapped by Pluto because he wants to marry her, but she's absolutely distraught when with him.
10	* AdaptationDistillation: The basic plot comes from the story of Hades and Persephone, but Demeter, Zeus, and the part about the pomegranate seeds are cut out.
11	* AdaptationExplanationExtrication: Because there’s no pomegranate seeds in this version of the myth, there doesn’t seem to be a reason why the Goddess should keep her promise of returning every six months (unless she’s worried that Pluto might do something bad if she doesn’t).
12	* AllThereInTheManual: The god is never referred to as “Pluto” in the short, only in the script, and Persephone's name is only given in modern-day descriptions.
13	* TheAlmightyDollar: The one thing Disney did get right about Pluto was that he was the god of wealth (because jewels are found underground). He showers the Goddess with all manner of shiny things, but it doesn't make her any happier.
14	* ArtShift: The whole short was an exercise in realistic human movement, completely different than the previous shorts. Furthermore, the Goddess' face looks a less cartoony than previous animated heroines.
15	* CompositeCharacter:
16	** Demeter and Persephone are combined to form the Goddess of Spring.
17	** Pluto takes his name and mythological role from the Roman god, but his appearance and demeanor are entirely those of the Devil of Western fiction and folklore.
18	* CreepyJazzMusic: The Music/CabCalloway-esque "Hi-dee Hades" number the imps play for the Goddess at Hades.
19	* EverybodyHatesHades: This version of Hades (called by his Roman name, Pluto) is basically just the Christian devil, complete with fire and pitchforks all over his lair. Oddly, he is only so aesthetically, and in demeanour he is actually more pleasant than a lot of actual Greek gods.
20	* FireAndBrimstoneHell: Hades is a vast cavern full of leaping flames and Pluto's demonic minions.
21	* HaveAGayOldTime: When the Goddess is miserable, Pluto tells her to "Be a little gay!"
22	* {{Hell}}: This version of Hades (called by his Roman name, Pluto) is basically just the Christian devil, and so is his realm basically just the modern Western imagination of hell.
23	* IGaveMyWord: The Goddess promises Pluto to return every six months, and she keeps her word.
24	* IncorruptiblePurePureness: There’s absolutely nothing Pluto can give to the Goddess to make her stay with him longer than six months.
25	* {{Melodrama}}: The whole thing plays out like an opera, complete with everyone singing their lines.
26	* NonStandardCharacterDesign: The Goddess and Pluto are more realistically designed than the more traditionally cartoony imps and dwarfs that surround them.
27	* PetTheDog: While Pluto kidnaps the Goddess, upon realizing nothing he does will make her happy and learning of her concern for the world above, he agrees to let her go back as long as she returns every six months.
28	* PrincessClassic: The Goddess is kind, beautiful, and literally causes spring on Earth. She is constantly surrounded by animals and flowers who adore her.
29	* RubberMan: The Goddess and Pluto, but not intentionally. The animators were ''trying'' to make realistic human movements, they just weren't very good at it yet.
30	* ShoutOut: This version of Pluto is basically Mephistopheles from Gounod's ''Faust''.

Context WesternAnimation / TheGoddessOfSpring