So this I did a couple years ago, I was looking through my binder and found it. So I thought I would share it with you all, enjoy and let me know what you think.
Pocahontas as an American Icon
Native Americans has been apart of American popular culture for generations. In movies and music ,"the Indian", more specifically the "Indian woman" has been the subject of debate, ridicule and stereotypes. In 1994 perhaps
Hollywood went too far with Disney’s Pocahontas. Ask yourself: What do people think when they hear the name Pocahontas? The first thought that will probably come into their mind is “Oh yeah, that was a movie right?” Even though Pocahontas was a million dollar Disney film, Pocahontas was an actual person. She was the Powhatan woman who lived more than five hundred years ago, and over the centuries, along with her vital part in American history, the image of Native America women will forever be connected with her name, all of the good along with the bad. These assumptions, which will be mentioned later, are made by the narrow-minded stereotypes branded from American and European popular culture. The reason Disney’s Pocahontas plays such an important part in this topic is that Disney spends millions of dollars contributing to the problem, making her life into an animated film with the most inaccurate representations being shown to young children all over the world.
At this point we should begin with the most surprising, yet basic facts. Her name wasn’t Pocahontas, her given name was Mowtaka. When the surreal story of her and John Smith all started when she was about eleven or twelve years old, and for people who have viewed the movie will notice that she had all of the sudden turned into a nineteen or twenty year old woman (43). Perhaps the most important and biggest misrepresentation in this film is that John Smith and she never had a romantic relationship. We can now understand why the animated film of her life more complex. Sure, Disney is a business, and as a business, their ultimate goal is to make money. They are most well known for their fairytale formula of boy meets girl, girl falls in love with boy and they live happily ever after.
The irony in Pocahontas is too similar to the age old stereotype that has been portrayed many times in American films. Pocahontas is the beautiful Native American woman. She is sacrificing her community and culture for her white love.
The tragic, yet somewhat inspiring story of the true Native American woman who was apart of that crucial moment at Jamestown will be only found in the shadow her own larger than life persona revealing her true self only to those who are willing to search for it.
Thoughts?
Sources:
1. Green, Rayna. “The Pocahontas Perplex.” Revisiting America:
Readings in Race, 2.
2. Culture, and Conflict. Ed: Wyle, Susan.
Upper
Saddle
River: Pearson Education, 2004. (33-41).
3. Kilpatrick, Jacquelyn. “Disney’s ‘Politically Correct’ Pocahontas.” Revisiting
4. America:
Readings in Race, Culture, and Conflict. Ed: Wyle, Susan.
Upper
Saddle
River: Pearson Education, 2004. (42-46).
5. Pocahontas. Dir. Mike Gabriel, Eric Goldberg. Disney, 1994.
*Note: actual paper is around 4-5 pages long. Attched below :)
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| Pocahontas_In_American_Culture.doc | 42.5 KB |
Nice blog. I've only seen bits and pieces of Pocahantas, but from what I saw matched up with what I learned in history, thye are nothing alike. It just goes to show you how Disney will do anything to make money, even make a movie that is historically inaccurate.
It is an interesting topic, and I do agree that the movie misrepresetned her life, but I have more questions leaving the paper than I do going in:
1) Where did the stereotypes come from?
2) Is there more to the stereotypes than you are portraying? You say it's a critical part of your argument, then spend one sentence explaining what these were.
3) What IS her true self? You tell us what her real name was, but if the story that Disney portrays is not true, then what is?
You may have described these in more detail, since I just saw your note that your actual paper was 5 pages long, and if so, I'd be interested in reading it.
Furthermore, I'd argue that there are many, perhaps worse, representations of history, even in Disney itself. Anastasia is a great example. It's based on the premise that people believed that Anastasia was alive. She may very well have been. But then the story goes on and brings her to her grandma, and then explains that this isn't mentioned in history because she left and went to be with Dimitri.
Mulan is a Chinese Legend that we aren't sure whether it actually occured or not. In the Legend, she kept up the pretense that she was a man until after her service was up, and she went home to be with her family. Her comrades find out about her while she is dressed as a woman at her home.
There are, of course, countless other historical movies that represent things in a way that didn't really happen. Braveheart, Ghandi, Titanic, Glory, etc. These are movies based on historical fact that are meant for adults, and grossly misinterpret the way in which the events described occur. Are you saying that Pocahontas is worse than these, especially when it is geared at a younger audience?
~C
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Yeah I did address all of those issues, but I didn't think people would bother to read 5 pages of work,lol. I'll edit it later and make it a bit longer.:)
"There are, of course, countless other historical movies that represent things in a way that didn't really happen. Braveheart, Ghandi, Titanic, Glory, etc. These are movies based on historical fact that are meant for adults, and grossly misinterpret the way in which the events described occur. Are you saying that Pocahontas is worse than these, especially when it is geared at a younger audience?"
I think so because younger people are more impressionable and are more likely than adults to think it actually happened. Not all parents tell thier kids "hey, this is just fiction". I'll talk more later I have to go study :(
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See my blog and I'll love you forever! Or at least temporarily: www.progressiveu.org/blog/npsm18
You could attach the paper, instead of copying and pasting into your blog. Just a suggestion. Thanks for responding, though :-).
You do make a good point. I don't know the answer to the question I posed, I was just wondering your take on it. However, I know that when I was in elementary school, we learned that Columbus discovered America. When I got into US history in 8th grade, we really got to criticizing that point of view, and I don't know anyone who graduated from my high school that still thought Columbus discovered America, and brought 'good' things, rather than nearly wiping out an entire civilization with small pox.
~C
Visit my blog.
Have you seen the Movie, New World?" It is about Pocahontas and John Smith, but goes on to her life with John Rolfe. While it is still not completely accurate, it does address some misconceptions of her life. for example, She is played by a 12 year old whereas John Smith is played by Colin Ferrell. However, they do suggest a romantic relationship between them. It goes on to talk about her life in Jamestown and when she went to England. It was not a bad movie, but not overly exciting. This has less effect on people ideas about her than the Disney movie because it was for an older audience and simply wasn't as popular.
Even though Disney's movie had many inaccuracies, I still do not think it was a bad movie. For me personally, it created an interest in learning more about her so I did a book report on a biography about her in third grade. I throughly enjoyed learning exactly how incorrect the movie was so I could point it out. Also, it has positive themes such as the dangers of emperialism. (Jamestown was built on land that was already inhabited. If I used the wrong word, feel free to correct me,) and racial barriers. By the way, Pocahontas was a nickname. The story anbout her sacrificing herself for John Smith was told by Smith himself, and doubted by historians. http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/tricia0711