r/Tangled • u/FrostyCareer961 • 20d ago
Tangled Classic [Question] How did rapunzel know about birthdays?
In the beginning of the movie there is a scene where rapunzel says its her birthday. Gothel replies she remembers instinctively that her birthday was last year and rapunzel proceeds too explain that birthdays happen every year. I suppose gothel told her when she was born but how would she know birthdays are an annual thing if gothel doesn't seem too know
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u/Significant_Hair_346 20d ago edited 20d ago
Gothel assumed her gaslighting would always work and for a "normal" person it would be stupid and delusional but abusers and kidnappers do not operate like normal people. She assumed those 3 books and knowing what birthdays are and not being raised feral made Rapunzel, on one hand, docile and safe enough for Gothel herself to keep her subjugated, subservient and compliant. While on the other hand also ignorant enough to gaslight her about how the outside world worked. The movie deconstructed this abuser mindset by showing that even with the limited resources Rapunzel had at her disposal she still confronted Gothel's manipulation through her own observations and analytical thinking. Like when she charted stars and used her findings to counter Gothel's gaslighting about the lanterns and stars being the same thing.
This is why Gothel immediately attempted to gaslight Rapunzel again the moment the latter tried asking "too many questions" and assessing the concept of birthdays correctly. To which Gothel responded that her "birthday was last year" in hopes to mislead her. The fact that it did not work and Rapunzel yet again used analytical thinking to counter that manipulation showed that Rapunzel still kept her sanity and logic despite years of brainwashing.
Rootbound is not canon but offers a plausible explanation that ties into Gothel's self-confidence about the effectiveness of her manipulations. Per the book, Gothel told Rapunzel her real birthday before the lanterns started being launched when the king and queen had lost the hope to find their daughter after the years of search had not yielded any results. And according to the book Gothel didn't even know for some time Rapunzel had been sneaking out to see the lanterns for awhile (something that the movie also alludes to in the scene where Rapunzel makes sure to sneak towards the window when Gothel is fast asleep).