Ray and Evangeline

So yes, I am writing about fictional Disney characters, Ray and Evangeline, from The Princess and the Frog. My college friends know that I love Ray and Evangeline's story. The Princess and the Frog movie came out in 2009 and received a lot of attention, partly because Tiana was Disney's first African American Princess. I remember being at an event filled with women and hearing a black woman stand up and admit that she cried when she first heard about the movie because she had never seen a black princess whilst growing up. Needless to say, it was and is still a pretty big deal.

So, The Princess and The Frog is set back in 1920’s New Orleans. It depicts a story about a young lady named Tiana and a Prince named Naveen and how their lives intertwine. Tiana is a hardworking and talented individual. Prince Naveen is lazy and comes from a family of wealth. Her dream is to open her own restaurant named Tiana's Place and she spends most of her youth working and saving up money. Her parents are her motivators as she often daydreams about what it would be like when she opens up her restaurant. Prince Naveen is from a faraway Kingdom in Maldonia. He is known for partying and laziness and as such, is "cut off" by his parents. Not so spoil the whole movie for those who haven't seen it, a series of unfortunate events force them across each other’s paths and they must depend on each other to save one another.

Along this journey they meet some interesting characters, most notably Ray, the firefly. Raymond is his name but he prefers to be called Ray. He is "a Cajun", born and raised in the Louisiana Bayou. Ray is warm, generous, fearless, and funny. He can be naïve, yet wise. He has an old school charm about him and has a massive family. He is wholeheartedly in love with an evening star named Evangeline. Throughout the movie, Ray professes his love to Evangeline. He sings a song entitled "Ma Belle Evangeline" and one of my favorite lyrics is "Love always finds a way, it's true and I love you, Evangeline". When I first saw this movie, I was immediately attracted to Ray's personality and his love for Evangeline. Though Ray is unable to physically be with Evangeline, the love they share strengthens him through good and bad times. Ray admires Evangeline's beauty and her ability to light up his life. Their relationship is reminiscent of a long distance relationship and despite the distance, Ray stays true to their love. Ray teaches me that love gives you true strength and sees you through the darkest of times throughout life. Ray teaches me that love is light and has the ability to light up your life. (cheesy but true). Ray and Evangeline's love is one of the coolest Disney romances of alllllllll time lol. What are your favorite Disney romances?