Topic > Disnification, Pocahontas and its effects on racial issues

Pocahontas was written in 1995 as a push for Disney to gain popularity through the diversity of its characters and cast. But what risky choices were made to their advantage? To create the 33rd animated feature film, the first based on real-life events, and to follow the hit film The Lion King, Disney hired a historian and live-action model to create a film that helped Disney to become a race-conscious film studio and an ideal for everyone else. However, “little liberties” were taken during this film to make Pocahontas a spectacle for everyone with touching scenes and a great adventure. Some can attest that Disney's creation of Pocahontas was helpful in spreading cultural awareness among children. It shows a great heroine that many can look up to and shows two cultures coming together and developing to a great ending. However, upon closer inspection, the “Disneyfication” of Pocahontas through her narrative has been more damaging to American history, literature, and identity. It misrepresented history, romanticized the violence of colonizers and settlers, and contributed to growing ignorance of Native American life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Fabrications of past events are harmful because they embrace ignorance, which can taint opinions about society and what America is. “The Disney version requires extreme creative freedom… this story has a much happier ending – in which… the colonists lay down their weapons, as do the Native Americans – than in reality.” This confirms that Disney misunderstood the story or rather “takes extreme creative liberty”, altering key story points and the ending to gain more popularity. It also doesn't take into account the mistreatment of the Native Americans when John Smith returns to England, which leads to the second point. “Pocahontas” is a good example of the romanticization of violence between Native Americans and settlers. After John Smith was wounded and sent back to Europe, "relations with the Powhatans worsened...Captain Samuel Argall, learning of her whereabouts, devised a plan to kidnap her...lured Pocahontas to his ship...Later Argall He sent word to Powhatan that he would return his beloved daughter upon payment of a ransom.” Powhatan gave them a portion of the ransom and demanded that they treat Pocahontas well. “After nearly a year of Pocahontas' captivity, Dale brought 150 armed men and Pocahontas in the Powhatan Territory to get the full ransom... the English burned many houses, destroyed villages, and killed several Indian men." The harsh violence and actions of the colonizers towards the Native Americans are not shown in the film, which instead focuses on the daring adventurer John Smith and his love for the beautiful Pocahontas and how their relationship can save the day from the greedy English. This shifts the focus from violence and murder to a sad attempt to partially deal with the "greedy Englishmen" and a love story. In many cases, romanticization has a negative impact on the narrative of Pocahontas because it hides and reinforces misconceptions. Instead of telling children, the target audience, what our nation is based on and why it indoctrinates them to believe false adventure stories. The film spreads false knowledge about tribes and Native Americans and appropriates their culture. In the film, the Powhatans are shown as people who are there to assist the main characters or the settlers and to provide for them. This exemplifies how the movie Pocahontas leads to greater ignorance in.