Luisa Madrigal is one of the main characters in Disney’s 2021 animated film Encanto. She has superhuman strength, which allows her to lift extremely heavy objects and perform feats of incredible power. However, some viewers have questioned why Luisa is depicted as being so muscular and large in size.
Luisa’s Backstory
In Encanto, Luisa is part of the magical Madrigal family who each have their own unique gift. Luisa’s gift is super-strength, which she uses to help the village with construction, heavy lifting, and defending against threats. She is seen carrying multiple donkeys, pianos, and other large objects with ease.
As a child, Luisa realized she had extraordinary strength when she accidentally caused destruction while playing. Her grandmother Alma gave her a pair of magical braces to help control her strength. Alma told Luisa that her role in the family was to be strong for others and take on the heaviest burdens.
This set the expectation that Luisa always had to be physically and emotionally strong. She felt it was her duty to take on all the difficult tasks in the village without complaint. Luisa tied her self-worth to how much she could carry and lift.
Her Muscular Build
Because Luisa’s magical gift is superhuman strength, it makes sense that she would be depicted as having a muscular build. Her strength comes from her muscles, so they would naturally develop to be much larger than average.
Years of carrying, lifting, climbing, and using her strength in physical ways would cause Luisa’s muscles to grow. The bigger her muscles are, the more powerful Luisa can be.
While Luisa’s build is exaggerated for animation, it is logically consistent. To give her the ability to lift houses and fight bears, she would need a muscular frame well beyond normal human limits.
Body Image Pressures
Though necessary for her role, Luisa’s muscularity contrasts typical depictions of women in media. Female characters are often slender and downplay physical strength.
Some viewers may struggle to relate to Luisa because her body does not fit narrow beauty standards. Her size can make her feel unfeminine or unattractive. Even confident women can feel burdened by expectations about how a woman “should” look.
Luisa feels obligated to maintain her extreme strength. If she loses her gift, she worries she will be letting people down or be seen as less valuable. This pressure compounds normal insecurities about appearance and ability.
Heavy Expectations on Luisa
Not only does Luisa have to be strong physically, but she also feels obligated to be strong mentally and emotionally. The village relies heavily on her for labor, problem-solving, and facing threats.
Luisa sings “I move mountains, I move churches, and I glow cuz I know what my worth is” – but she struggles with the exhaustion of nonstop work. She suppresses doubts and anxieties to appear confidently in control.
Carrying the weight of everyone’s problems takes a toll on Luisa. Her size represents taking on burdens too heavy for one person. She grows larger to visually symbolize the scale of pressure placed on her.
Examples of Luisa’s Extreme Workload
| Task | Reason |
|---|---|
| Lift houses | To renovate villages |
| Stop flooding | Redirect rivers after heavy rains |
| Fight alligators | Protect villages from wildlife threats |
| Carry touring musicians’ equipment | Haul heavy loads between performance sites |
| Move giant boulders | Clear debris from roads |
As seen above, Luisa takes on numerous intense physical tasks on a regular basis. It’s an enormous weight to carry for one woman.
Hiding Her Struggles
Not only is Luisa physically strong, but she feels forced to be emotionally strong at all times. She hides any sadness, anxiety, or vulnerability behind a smile. Luisa stuffs down her feelings and works to exhaustion to avoid facing herself.
During the song “Surface Pressure,” Luisa admits privately that she is extremely stressed but would never let it show. She feels that if she asks for help, she would be failing in her duty and letting everyone down.
This pressure to be “the strong one” and not admit hardship is isolating. Luisa feels alone in her struggles. She probably longs to be able to talk openly and drop the facade of constant strength.
Luisa’s Inner Thoughts
| What Luisa Shows | What Luisa Thinks |
|---|---|
| Confidence | Self-doubt |
| Control | Anxiety |
| Calmness | Stress |
| Happiness | Sadness |
This table shows the contrast between the image Luisa presents and her inner emotions. She feels compelled to suppress her real feelings.
Letting Go of Perfection
When Luisa’s magic begins to fade, she is forced to confront her limits. She can no longer maintain the facade of the perfect strong woman. Luisa must learn to be okay with being vulnerable and asking others for help.
She opens up to her sister Mirabel about her anxieties and inadequacies. Luisa admits she felt forced into her role and tied her worth to her gift. Mirabel reassures Luisa that she is worthwhile even without super-strength.
Over the course of Encanto, Luisa realizes she put unnecessary pressure on herself. Her huge size represented the burden of perfectionism and isolation. As she lets go of sole responsibility for the village, she begins to feel free to just be herself.
Conclusion
Luisa’s giant size represents the immense pressure she feels to be strong in Encanto. Her muscular build allows her superhuman gift to make sense, but also contrasts typical depictions of women in media. Luisa struggles internally with self-doubt and anxiety from forcing herself to hide weakness. As she learns to open up and share her struggles, Luisa gains acceptance of herself as enough, without needing to be perfect.