Journal Articles
Fisher, Jerilyn , and Ellen Silber. "Good and Bad Beyond Belief: Teaching Gender Lessons through Fairy Tales and Feminist Theory."Women's Studies Quarterly 28.3/4 (2000): 121-136. Print.
This piece discusses the different ways fairy tales can influence young girls by the way characters are portrayed. The way characters are defined and the roles that they play teach children what their position is in the world. The Disney fairytales in particular give the impression that mothers are witches. This idea leads the princess or young girl viewer to feel they need to find prince charming. Fisher and Silber also describe in their piece the ways that fairytales influence stereotypes and gender roles. They go into depth about what fairytales teach young girls about lying and misleading others using examples from both Disney movies and old versions of fairytales such as Grimm’s.
I will use the claims that Fisher and Silber make about how fairytales influence young girls to gain an understanding of how fairy tales do this. I will also use their ideas to understand the relationships of young girls and their mothers in the different Disney fairytales and how these relationships might influence girls to feel a particular way about their own mothers. I am curious if the fact that most of the mother figures in the Disney movies are portrayed as evil does affect young girls perspectives of their own mothers or not. I am also interested in examining how these ideas of gender roles affect the way young girls picture their “happily ever after (Fisher & Silber (130)”.
Friedmeyer, Wendy. "The Disneyfication of Folklore: Adolescense and Archetypes."Teaching Literature. N.p., 19 May 2003. Web. 1 Apr. 2012. <www.teachingliterature.org/teachingliterature/pdf/story/disneyfication_friedmeyer.pdf>.
This piece analyzes how fairytales and folklore stories have been changed from the original versions by writers such as Grimm to the Disney versions that are popular today. Friedmeyer argues in her piece that Disney has forgotten the stories roots or original purpose. She supports this argument by providing examples from original versions of the stories to the Disney versions such as Snow White and Cinderella. Friedmeyer goes into detail discussing how Disney changes the stories by adding in friendly animals that were not in the original versions.
I want to use this piece to help evaluate the ways that characters are depicted within the Disney movies. I want to also examine how although the stories have changed from the original stories written by Grimm they still hold some valuable lessons. I think I may also look into how lessons are similar but taught differently between the different versions of the fairytales.
Gallop, Jane. "The Ethics of Reading: Close Encounters." Journal of Curriculum Theorizing Fall (2000): 7-17. Print.
Jane Gallop's journal article defines what it means to be a close reader. She explains that close reading is about reading what is actually on the page. She also explains that to be an ethical reader you must take the time to learn how to close read. By close reading you will better understand what the writer's intended message was. Gallop says that when close reading you will pick up on minor elements in the writer’s piece such as individual words, unusual vocabulary, images, things that are repeated and italics. By close reading you will also become a better writer.
I plan to use Gallop's method of close reading to better understand what Disney is teaching children. I want to better understand the minor elements in the Disney movies and see what these elements do for the audience members. I plan to compare Gallop's method to that of other analysts’ methods to gain different perspectives on the same topic. This will help my piece because by evaluating the Disney movies in different ways I can get a better understanding of what could possibly be the lessons and messages in the movies.
Giroux, Henry. "Public Pedagogy and Rodent Politics: Cultural Studies and the Challenge of Disney." Arizona Journal of Hispanic Cultural Studies 2 (1998): 253-266. JSTOR. Web. 15 Apr. 2012.
This article written by Henry Giroux is about how the entertainment industry and how it impacts our culture. Giroux goes into depth in this piece about how Disney influences children’s culture and how it transforms culture by educating children through its movies, theme parks and other products. He discusses why Disney is valued by Americans and how it has become such a big part of the American culture. He also puts emphasis on how Disney sells itself as a company providing entertainment that is innocent and pure. But what Giroux argues is the fact that education like the education presented in the Disney movies is “never innocent”. In other words education always has a “particular view of citizenship, culture, and society” which influences the thoughts of children.
I plan to use Giroux’s piece in my own research piece by expanding on his ideas of how the Disney Company plays a role in shaping the American image. I also want to use his piece to support my ideas of how Disney has a reputation that American’s value and why we value Disney. This piece also makes me think more about how Disney impacts the way children learn about themselves, their relationships with other people and their view of the world as a whole.
Izard, Ralph. "Walt Disney: Master of Laughter and Learning." Peabody Journal of Education 45.1 (1967): 36-41. JSTOR. Web. 15 Apr. 2012.
In this article Ralph Izard gave a lot of credit to Walt Disney for being both an entertainer and an educator. Izard stated that Disney was a “master of communications” because of his skillful talent of incorporating education into entertainment. He explains that Disney made the character of Mickey Mouse relatable to his audience members by giving him realistic qualities of not being perfect, but instead Mickey Mouse has “stumbled and fallen” before reaching the top. He emphasizes that Disney’s movies and films teach audience members about decency and playing fair. Izard also points out the different types of lessons that Disney has taught in his movies including, using your imagination, music appreciation, history, natural science and geography, American values and morals.
For my piece I plan to use many of Izard’s ideas about the lessons that Disney teaches children to support my claim that Disney is a good influence on children. I think that Izard has good evidence as to why he believes Disney teaches valuable lessons in a fun and entertaining way, so I want to use this to base my evidence around. I also liked that Izard talked about Walt Disney being not only an entertainer but a teacher so I would like to incorporate that idea into my work to help my argument.
Speyer, Esther. "Movies and Children: A Challenge to Parents." Journal of Educational Sociology 20.7 (1947): 422-424. JSTOR. Web. 15 Apr. 2012.
This piece was about motion pictures as well as media influence people. Speyer begins her piece by questioning whether or not films are made for children and if parents are concerned about the films that their children are watching. This article discusses how some things shown in children’s movies are shown too early and can cause children to feel “doubts about family relationships and friendships” through the showing of violence, lying and cheating. This piece wants parents to become more aware of what films they are showing their children as well as what their children are watching at school.
I plan to use ideas from this piece to question whether parents and teachers should be showing children Disney movies at such young ages. I also want to use this piece as support to the fact that movies and media influence children and their beliefs. Not only do movies and media influence children’s beliefs but it influences their relationships with people and understanding of reality.
Stone, Kay. "Things Walt Disney Never Told Us." The Journal of American Folklore 88.347 (1975): 42-50. JSTOR. Web. 1 Apr. 2012.
This piece identifies and describes the things that Disney has changed when rewriting folktales. Kay Stone goes into an in-depth analysis of the heroes and heroines in the stories describing the characteristics they hold. Kay notes how Disney changes the tales to make characters less aggressive, less violent and less sexual to make them more appropriate for children to view. Kay argues that the heroines in the Disney fairytales are passive and “barely alive (Stone 44)” in the stories. Kay continues her piece explaining how the stereotype of the females within fairytales such as Cinderella and Snow White influence the children viewing them. The females are described as “passive and pretty, but also usually patient, obedient, industrious and quiet (Stone 44).”
I plan to use Stone’s piece to explain the characteristics that male and female characters within the Disney movies hold. By taking what Stone claims and applying it to my other pieces of research I can better see how gender roles are identified with in the Disney princess movies. The examples that Stone uses in her piece help me better understand how children identify what role they play in society.
This piece discusses the different ways fairy tales can influence young girls by the way characters are portrayed. The way characters are defined and the roles that they play teach children what their position is in the world. The Disney fairytales in particular give the impression that mothers are witches. This idea leads the princess or young girl viewer to feel they need to find prince charming. Fisher and Silber also describe in their piece the ways that fairytales influence stereotypes and gender roles. They go into depth about what fairytales teach young girls about lying and misleading others using examples from both Disney movies and old versions of fairytales such as Grimm’s.
I will use the claims that Fisher and Silber make about how fairytales influence young girls to gain an understanding of how fairy tales do this. I will also use their ideas to understand the relationships of young girls and their mothers in the different Disney fairytales and how these relationships might influence girls to feel a particular way about their own mothers. I am curious if the fact that most of the mother figures in the Disney movies are portrayed as evil does affect young girls perspectives of their own mothers or not. I am also interested in examining how these ideas of gender roles affect the way young girls picture their “happily ever after (Fisher & Silber (130)”.
Friedmeyer, Wendy. "The Disneyfication of Folklore: Adolescense and Archetypes."Teaching Literature. N.p., 19 May 2003. Web. 1 Apr. 2012. <www.teachingliterature.org/teachingliterature/pdf/story/disneyfication_friedmeyer.pdf>.
This piece analyzes how fairytales and folklore stories have been changed from the original versions by writers such as Grimm to the Disney versions that are popular today. Friedmeyer argues in her piece that Disney has forgotten the stories roots or original purpose. She supports this argument by providing examples from original versions of the stories to the Disney versions such as Snow White and Cinderella. Friedmeyer goes into detail discussing how Disney changes the stories by adding in friendly animals that were not in the original versions.
I want to use this piece to help evaluate the ways that characters are depicted within the Disney movies. I want to also examine how although the stories have changed from the original stories written by Grimm they still hold some valuable lessons. I think I may also look into how lessons are similar but taught differently between the different versions of the fairytales.
Gallop, Jane. "The Ethics of Reading: Close Encounters." Journal of Curriculum Theorizing Fall (2000): 7-17. Print.
Jane Gallop's journal article defines what it means to be a close reader. She explains that close reading is about reading what is actually on the page. She also explains that to be an ethical reader you must take the time to learn how to close read. By close reading you will better understand what the writer's intended message was. Gallop says that when close reading you will pick up on minor elements in the writer’s piece such as individual words, unusual vocabulary, images, things that are repeated and italics. By close reading you will also become a better writer.
I plan to use Gallop's method of close reading to better understand what Disney is teaching children. I want to better understand the minor elements in the Disney movies and see what these elements do for the audience members. I plan to compare Gallop's method to that of other analysts’ methods to gain different perspectives on the same topic. This will help my piece because by evaluating the Disney movies in different ways I can get a better understanding of what could possibly be the lessons and messages in the movies.
Giroux, Henry. "Public Pedagogy and Rodent Politics: Cultural Studies and the Challenge of Disney." Arizona Journal of Hispanic Cultural Studies 2 (1998): 253-266. JSTOR. Web. 15 Apr. 2012.
This article written by Henry Giroux is about how the entertainment industry and how it impacts our culture. Giroux goes into depth in this piece about how Disney influences children’s culture and how it transforms culture by educating children through its movies, theme parks and other products. He discusses why Disney is valued by Americans and how it has become such a big part of the American culture. He also puts emphasis on how Disney sells itself as a company providing entertainment that is innocent and pure. But what Giroux argues is the fact that education like the education presented in the Disney movies is “never innocent”. In other words education always has a “particular view of citizenship, culture, and society” which influences the thoughts of children.
I plan to use Giroux’s piece in my own research piece by expanding on his ideas of how the Disney Company plays a role in shaping the American image. I also want to use his piece to support my ideas of how Disney has a reputation that American’s value and why we value Disney. This piece also makes me think more about how Disney impacts the way children learn about themselves, their relationships with other people and their view of the world as a whole.
Izard, Ralph. "Walt Disney: Master of Laughter and Learning." Peabody Journal of Education 45.1 (1967): 36-41. JSTOR. Web. 15 Apr. 2012.
In this article Ralph Izard gave a lot of credit to Walt Disney for being both an entertainer and an educator. Izard stated that Disney was a “master of communications” because of his skillful talent of incorporating education into entertainment. He explains that Disney made the character of Mickey Mouse relatable to his audience members by giving him realistic qualities of not being perfect, but instead Mickey Mouse has “stumbled and fallen” before reaching the top. He emphasizes that Disney’s movies and films teach audience members about decency and playing fair. Izard also points out the different types of lessons that Disney has taught in his movies including, using your imagination, music appreciation, history, natural science and geography, American values and morals.
For my piece I plan to use many of Izard’s ideas about the lessons that Disney teaches children to support my claim that Disney is a good influence on children. I think that Izard has good evidence as to why he believes Disney teaches valuable lessons in a fun and entertaining way, so I want to use this to base my evidence around. I also liked that Izard talked about Walt Disney being not only an entertainer but a teacher so I would like to incorporate that idea into my work to help my argument.
Speyer, Esther. "Movies and Children: A Challenge to Parents." Journal of Educational Sociology 20.7 (1947): 422-424. JSTOR. Web. 15 Apr. 2012.
This piece was about motion pictures as well as media influence people. Speyer begins her piece by questioning whether or not films are made for children and if parents are concerned about the films that their children are watching. This article discusses how some things shown in children’s movies are shown too early and can cause children to feel “doubts about family relationships and friendships” through the showing of violence, lying and cheating. This piece wants parents to become more aware of what films they are showing their children as well as what their children are watching at school.
I plan to use ideas from this piece to question whether parents and teachers should be showing children Disney movies at such young ages. I also want to use this piece as support to the fact that movies and media influence children and their beliefs. Not only do movies and media influence children’s beliefs but it influences their relationships with people and understanding of reality.
Stone, Kay. "Things Walt Disney Never Told Us." The Journal of American Folklore 88.347 (1975): 42-50. JSTOR. Web. 1 Apr. 2012.
This piece identifies and describes the things that Disney has changed when rewriting folktales. Kay Stone goes into an in-depth analysis of the heroes and heroines in the stories describing the characteristics they hold. Kay notes how Disney changes the tales to make characters less aggressive, less violent and less sexual to make them more appropriate for children to view. Kay argues that the heroines in the Disney fairytales are passive and “barely alive (Stone 44)” in the stories. Kay continues her piece explaining how the stereotype of the females within fairytales such as Cinderella and Snow White influence the children viewing them. The females are described as “passive and pretty, but also usually patient, obedient, industrious and quiet (Stone 44).”
I plan to use Stone’s piece to explain the characteristics that male and female characters within the Disney movies hold. By taking what Stone claims and applying it to my other pieces of research I can better see how gender roles are identified with in the Disney princess movies. The examples that Stone uses in her piece help me better understand how children identify what role they play in society.
Books
Bazerman, Charles, Paul A. Prior, and Jack Selzer. "Rhetorical Analysis: Understanding How Texts Persuade Readers." What writing does and how it does it an introduction to analyzing texts and textual practices. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2004. 279-303. Print.
In Selzer's chapter on Rhetorical Analysis he explains how to evaluate writing using his method of rhetorical analysis. He says that by following this method of analysis you will better understand the writer and the way they persuade their readers. He states that rhetorical analysis is "the study of language and the study of how we use it" (280). He breaks down the method of rhetorical analysis into three key parts; ethos, pathos and logos. The ethos are described as the "credibility of the rhetor" (284). The pathos have to do with the values that the rhetor holds and the logos have to do with the rhetor's "intellectual reasoning" (284). Selzer talks about why these elements are important in the art of persuasion and how they prove the rhetor trustworthy and credible.
I plan to use Selzer's theory to evaluate how Disney persuades its audience member's. I also plan to break down the Disney Corporation to examine how they establish ethos, pathos and logos. I want to use examples of Disney's work and history to see what they have done to become such a successful corporation. This is important to my piece because it helps me and my audience members understand what Disney has done to gain such a large fan base, that strongly supports it. I want to see what values both Disney and it audience members hold and how this helps to keep people interested in their products and entertainment.
Greene, Stuart, April Lidinsky, and Henry Giroux. "Children's Culture and Disney's Animated Films." From inquiry to academic writing: a text and reader. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 567-591. Print.
In this piece Giroux evaluates how Disney films act as “teaching machines (Giroux 567)” in that they influence children’s values and understanding of gender roles. Giroux also explains how at large the Disney Corporation has a large influence on society and how children learn who they are as a member of society. It is also noted in this piece that the Disney films “dreamlike world (Giroux 569)” puts emphasis on Disney’s value of innocence and security. The Disney movies for most appear as innocent, fun and entertaining stories with happy-ever-after endings but if we look more closely there are many other messages in these movies that are not so nice. One that Giroux mentions multiple times in his piece is the story of Aladdin and the racism with in the movie. Also mentioned in this piece is how the female characters help children identify and understand gender roles.
I will use the facts and examples from Giroux’s piece to explain how Disney movies influence not only children’s gender roles but what they are making children believe by watching their movies. I also plan to look more closely at specific movies and how their characters are portrayed as good or bad using different colors, voice tones and accents. I found that Giroux’s piece was good not only because it looked at how the movies have affected children but how parents view the movies as good or bad influence for their children. So to gain more information about this idea I want to interview parents and see what they think about Disney movies and their influence on children.
Leebron, Elizabeth, and Lynn Gartley.Walt Disney: a guide to references and resources. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1979. Print.
The chapter “Critical Survey of Oeuvre” in Elizabeth Leebron and Lynn Gartley’s book explains some of Walt Disney’s beliefs and values. It tells the history of Walt Disney’s and his movies. It also explains that Disney’s main focus was to create shows that were for family entertainment. This piece tells readers about how Disney wanted to entertain his audience using very little violence and end movies on a happy note. But some viewed him as juvenile saying that his movies were violent and unhappy. Also mentioned in this chapter were the characters from Disney’s movies. It says that the characters in Disney’s movies are childlike and deal with issues that children encounter such as humiliation and dealing with peers. But in each movie the characters are successful at overcoming their problems. This book goes into detail about many of the different Disney movies made and gives brief synopses of what the stories are about.
I plan to use this book as a reference to understand the themes in the stories and the characters that are used to share these stories. I also will use this book to explain what Walt Disney’s original point was when creating the Disney movies. What Walt Disney’s original message was when drawing up his animated movies is an important part of my research because it helps me see what he as the main producer wanted to tell his intended audience members. I can use the synopses of the many Disney movies mentioned in this book to help me explain what the movies main ideas were and the characters involved in sharing these messages with viewers.
Palestini, Robert. "Walt Disney." Going Back to the Future a Leadership Journey for Educators.. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Pub. Group, 2011. 59-70. Print.
In this piece Palestini gives readers a background on who Walt Disney was and what his ambitions were. Palestini also talks about Disney's leadership skills and how his hard work in the entertainment industry made what he is known for today. Palestini explains the different frames that make up what kind of leader Disney is including "The Structural Frame", "The Human Resource Frame", "The Symbolic Frame", "The Political Frame", and "The Moral Frame". In each of these sections readers are given insight as to who Disney was, what he believed in, what he wanted for his audience, who his audience was and how he worked.
I plan to use Palesitni's piece to help my readers gain and understanding of who Walt Disney is. I plan to include Walt Disney in my writing to help readers understand the intentions he had when he first created his animated films. I think it is important for the readers to know how the Disney Corporation started and what values Walt Disney held as a leader.
Schopenhauer, Arthur, and E. F. J. Payne. "On Education." Parerga and Paralipomena. Oxford: Clarendon, 2000. 627-633. Print.
In this chapter Schopenhauer explains how our perceptions are created from “artificial education (Schopenhauer 627”. Artificial education is the concepts we are taught through lecture and reading before we have an understanding of the world through “intuitive perception”. He discusses how humans learn through experiences and interaction in the world. The argument that Schopenhauer makes is that when we are in an educational setting such as school teachers are more concerned with teaching students ideas that have already been made. These ideas and values are forced on a child and as a result influence a child’s perception of the world.
I plan to use Schopenhauer’s ideas about education and how children are taught to evaluate how the Disney Corporation and their movies teach children. I want to apply Schopenhauer’s theories to evaluate how Disney movies influence the beliefs, judgments and perception children have of the world around them. I want to use this chapter, “On Education” to evaluate how influential the Disney movies really are on children and how they can send underlying messages to children that parents don’t even see as affecting their children. Can Disney movies teach children things that they don’t already have a strong understanding of such as gender roles and good vs. bad?
Smith, Dave. Disney A to Z: the official encyclopedia. New York: Hyperion, 1996. Print.
This book by Dave Smith is a great source to learn about many different aspects of Disney including hundreds of movies that Disney has made, photos, the awards that Disney has won and so much more history about the company. This book also includes information about the educational movies that Disney has written, specific people involved with Disney’s success and background on many other aspects of the Disney Corporation including the amusement park rides, music from the movies and individual Disney characters.
I plan to use this book as a resource for learning some background about the different Disney characters as well as some history of the Disney movies. For example this book has background information on characters such as Jiminy Cricket who is Pinocchio’s conscience; it explains the meaning behind his character. This encyclopedia is filled with other facts about not only the main characters but the stories that they tell. Something that I found to be very helpful is the explanation of the different movies, such as the section on Pocahontas which explains how the movie is educational because of its historical facts. It explains the messages that are taught through the characters experiences such as respect and understanding. I plan to use this book to gain a better understanding of all the different educational movies and efforts that have built Disney into what it is today.
In Selzer's chapter on Rhetorical Analysis he explains how to evaluate writing using his method of rhetorical analysis. He says that by following this method of analysis you will better understand the writer and the way they persuade their readers. He states that rhetorical analysis is "the study of language and the study of how we use it" (280). He breaks down the method of rhetorical analysis into three key parts; ethos, pathos and logos. The ethos are described as the "credibility of the rhetor" (284). The pathos have to do with the values that the rhetor holds and the logos have to do with the rhetor's "intellectual reasoning" (284). Selzer talks about why these elements are important in the art of persuasion and how they prove the rhetor trustworthy and credible.
I plan to use Selzer's theory to evaluate how Disney persuades its audience member's. I also plan to break down the Disney Corporation to examine how they establish ethos, pathos and logos. I want to use examples of Disney's work and history to see what they have done to become such a successful corporation. This is important to my piece because it helps me and my audience members understand what Disney has done to gain such a large fan base, that strongly supports it. I want to see what values both Disney and it audience members hold and how this helps to keep people interested in their products and entertainment.
Greene, Stuart, April Lidinsky, and Henry Giroux. "Children's Culture and Disney's Animated Films." From inquiry to academic writing: a text and reader. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 567-591. Print.
In this piece Giroux evaluates how Disney films act as “teaching machines (Giroux 567)” in that they influence children’s values and understanding of gender roles. Giroux also explains how at large the Disney Corporation has a large influence on society and how children learn who they are as a member of society. It is also noted in this piece that the Disney films “dreamlike world (Giroux 569)” puts emphasis on Disney’s value of innocence and security. The Disney movies for most appear as innocent, fun and entertaining stories with happy-ever-after endings but if we look more closely there are many other messages in these movies that are not so nice. One that Giroux mentions multiple times in his piece is the story of Aladdin and the racism with in the movie. Also mentioned in this piece is how the female characters help children identify and understand gender roles.
I will use the facts and examples from Giroux’s piece to explain how Disney movies influence not only children’s gender roles but what they are making children believe by watching their movies. I also plan to look more closely at specific movies and how their characters are portrayed as good or bad using different colors, voice tones and accents. I found that Giroux’s piece was good not only because it looked at how the movies have affected children but how parents view the movies as good or bad influence for their children. So to gain more information about this idea I want to interview parents and see what they think about Disney movies and their influence on children.
Leebron, Elizabeth, and Lynn Gartley.Walt Disney: a guide to references and resources. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1979. Print.
The chapter “Critical Survey of Oeuvre” in Elizabeth Leebron and Lynn Gartley’s book explains some of Walt Disney’s beliefs and values. It tells the history of Walt Disney’s and his movies. It also explains that Disney’s main focus was to create shows that were for family entertainment. This piece tells readers about how Disney wanted to entertain his audience using very little violence and end movies on a happy note. But some viewed him as juvenile saying that his movies were violent and unhappy. Also mentioned in this chapter were the characters from Disney’s movies. It says that the characters in Disney’s movies are childlike and deal with issues that children encounter such as humiliation and dealing with peers. But in each movie the characters are successful at overcoming their problems. This book goes into detail about many of the different Disney movies made and gives brief synopses of what the stories are about.
I plan to use this book as a reference to understand the themes in the stories and the characters that are used to share these stories. I also will use this book to explain what Walt Disney’s original point was when creating the Disney movies. What Walt Disney’s original message was when drawing up his animated movies is an important part of my research because it helps me see what he as the main producer wanted to tell his intended audience members. I can use the synopses of the many Disney movies mentioned in this book to help me explain what the movies main ideas were and the characters involved in sharing these messages with viewers.
Palestini, Robert. "Walt Disney." Going Back to the Future a Leadership Journey for Educators.. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Pub. Group, 2011. 59-70. Print.
In this piece Palestini gives readers a background on who Walt Disney was and what his ambitions were. Palestini also talks about Disney's leadership skills and how his hard work in the entertainment industry made what he is known for today. Palestini explains the different frames that make up what kind of leader Disney is including "The Structural Frame", "The Human Resource Frame", "The Symbolic Frame", "The Political Frame", and "The Moral Frame". In each of these sections readers are given insight as to who Disney was, what he believed in, what he wanted for his audience, who his audience was and how he worked.
I plan to use Palesitni's piece to help my readers gain and understanding of who Walt Disney is. I plan to include Walt Disney in my writing to help readers understand the intentions he had when he first created his animated films. I think it is important for the readers to know how the Disney Corporation started and what values Walt Disney held as a leader.
Schopenhauer, Arthur, and E. F. J. Payne. "On Education." Parerga and Paralipomena. Oxford: Clarendon, 2000. 627-633. Print.
In this chapter Schopenhauer explains how our perceptions are created from “artificial education (Schopenhauer 627”. Artificial education is the concepts we are taught through lecture and reading before we have an understanding of the world through “intuitive perception”. He discusses how humans learn through experiences and interaction in the world. The argument that Schopenhauer makes is that when we are in an educational setting such as school teachers are more concerned with teaching students ideas that have already been made. These ideas and values are forced on a child and as a result influence a child’s perception of the world.
I plan to use Schopenhauer’s ideas about education and how children are taught to evaluate how the Disney Corporation and their movies teach children. I want to apply Schopenhauer’s theories to evaluate how Disney movies influence the beliefs, judgments and perception children have of the world around them. I want to use this chapter, “On Education” to evaluate how influential the Disney movies really are on children and how they can send underlying messages to children that parents don’t even see as affecting their children. Can Disney movies teach children things that they don’t already have a strong understanding of such as gender roles and good vs. bad?
Smith, Dave. Disney A to Z: the official encyclopedia. New York: Hyperion, 1996. Print.
This book by Dave Smith is a great source to learn about many different aspects of Disney including hundreds of movies that Disney has made, photos, the awards that Disney has won and so much more history about the company. This book also includes information about the educational movies that Disney has written, specific people involved with Disney’s success and background on many other aspects of the Disney Corporation including the amusement park rides, music from the movies and individual Disney characters.
I plan to use this book as a resource for learning some background about the different Disney characters as well as some history of the Disney movies. For example this book has background information on characters such as Jiminy Cricket who is Pinocchio’s conscience; it explains the meaning behind his character. This encyclopedia is filled with other facts about not only the main characters but the stories that they tell. Something that I found to be very helpful is the explanation of the different movies, such as the section on Pocahontas which explains how the movie is educational because of its historical facts. It explains the messages that are taught through the characters experiences such as respect and understanding. I plan to use this book to gain a better understanding of all the different educational movies and efforts that have built Disney into what it is today.
Movies
Beauty and the Beast . Dir. Gary Trousdale. Perf. Paige O'Hara, Robby Benson and Richard White. Disney , 1991. DVD.
This movie is a story about a girl named Belle who ends up a prisoner in a castle. A spell had been cast upon the castle and the prince who lived there because the prince was selfish, and didn't see people for who they were on the inside. To learn his lesson he was turned into a beast and had to find true love before he turned twenty one years old. After taking Belle prisoner and a number of mistakes, the Beast learned many lessons from Belle about how to behave appropriately and control his temper. After spending some time together Belle and the Beast developed a friendship that led to love. In the end of the movie the princess and the Beast kissed. The spell was broken and the Beast turned back into a human. The Beast also defeated the evil Gaston and won the love of Belle.
I plan to use examples from this movie to help develop my paper. I also plan to use ideas about the characters to analyze how the male and females are portrayed in this movie. I plan to discuss how Belle is different from other girls in the movie, and how she is a symbol of feminism. I also want to discuss the lessons within this movie.
Cinderella . Dir. Clyde Geronimi. Perf. Ilene Woods, James MacDonald, Eleanor Audley. Disney, 1950. DVD.
The story of Cinderella has to do with a girl who lives with her evil stepmother and step sisters. The evil stepmother and step sisters treat Cinderella terribly and make her spend all day doing chores. When she asks to go to the big ball her stepmother tells her that if she finishes her chores she could go. Cinderella did finish her chores in time but her evil step sisters destroyed her dress so she had nothing to wear to the ball. But Cinderella's fairy Godmother showed up and changed everything with her magic and made Cinderella look beautiful, but the magic only lasted till 12:00. Cinderella meet the Prince but had to leave the ball early because the magic was wearing off and she lost her glass slipper on her way out of the ball. The Prince eventually found where she lived by having every girls around try on the glass slipper until he found Cinderella. In the end the Prince and Cinderella get married and live happily ever after.
I plan to use this movie to support my writing. I will take examples from it such as the characters roles in the movie and the lessons that are taught in this movie. I will also reflect on how this movie made me feel when I watched it as a young girl.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs . Dir. David Hand. Perf. Roy Atwell, Adriana Caselotti. Disney, 1937. DVD.
Snow White is a movie about a girl who runs away from the wicked Queen who wants to kill her. Snow White ends up in a cottage with the seven dwarfs. She lives with the dwarfs, cooks and cleans for them until one day the Queen shows up. When the Queen shows up she is dressed as an old sickly women who needs help. Snow White being the kind girl she was trusted the Queen and let her come inside. The Queen gave Snow White a poisoned apple that when she bit into it put her into sleep like death. The spell was eventually broken when the prince who had been admiring Snow White kissed her.
I plan to use the story of Snow White in my analysis piece as an example of Disney's work. I want to discuss the roles that the different characters play in this movie and how these roles influence children. I also want to see what types of lessons are taught to children as they watch the movie of Snow White.
The Little Mermaid. Dir. Ron Clements. Perf. Jodi Benson, Samuel Wright, Rene Auberjonois. Disney, 1989. DVD.
The Little Mermaid is a story about a mermaid who wishes to be human. She wants more than anything to have legs and walk on land. She disobeys her father and goes to Ursula an evil sea witch to get help. Ursula gives Ariel, the mermaid legs and tells her she can stay human if she can get a kiss from the prince. But Ursula has other plans and tries to take over Ariel's fathers power. In the end Ursula is destroyed. Then Ariel and Prince Eric get married.
I plan to use the story of The Little Mermaid to talk about how women are portrayed in the Disney Princess movies. I will reflect on the characteristics that Ursula has and Ariel has.
This movie is a story about a girl named Belle who ends up a prisoner in a castle. A spell had been cast upon the castle and the prince who lived there because the prince was selfish, and didn't see people for who they were on the inside. To learn his lesson he was turned into a beast and had to find true love before he turned twenty one years old. After taking Belle prisoner and a number of mistakes, the Beast learned many lessons from Belle about how to behave appropriately and control his temper. After spending some time together Belle and the Beast developed a friendship that led to love. In the end of the movie the princess and the Beast kissed. The spell was broken and the Beast turned back into a human. The Beast also defeated the evil Gaston and won the love of Belle.
I plan to use examples from this movie to help develop my paper. I also plan to use ideas about the characters to analyze how the male and females are portrayed in this movie. I plan to discuss how Belle is different from other girls in the movie, and how she is a symbol of feminism. I also want to discuss the lessons within this movie.
Cinderella . Dir. Clyde Geronimi. Perf. Ilene Woods, James MacDonald, Eleanor Audley. Disney, 1950. DVD.
The story of Cinderella has to do with a girl who lives with her evil stepmother and step sisters. The evil stepmother and step sisters treat Cinderella terribly and make her spend all day doing chores. When she asks to go to the big ball her stepmother tells her that if she finishes her chores she could go. Cinderella did finish her chores in time but her evil step sisters destroyed her dress so she had nothing to wear to the ball. But Cinderella's fairy Godmother showed up and changed everything with her magic and made Cinderella look beautiful, but the magic only lasted till 12:00. Cinderella meet the Prince but had to leave the ball early because the magic was wearing off and she lost her glass slipper on her way out of the ball. The Prince eventually found where she lived by having every girls around try on the glass slipper until he found Cinderella. In the end the Prince and Cinderella get married and live happily ever after.
I plan to use this movie to support my writing. I will take examples from it such as the characters roles in the movie and the lessons that are taught in this movie. I will also reflect on how this movie made me feel when I watched it as a young girl.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs . Dir. David Hand. Perf. Roy Atwell, Adriana Caselotti. Disney, 1937. DVD.
Snow White is a movie about a girl who runs away from the wicked Queen who wants to kill her. Snow White ends up in a cottage with the seven dwarfs. She lives with the dwarfs, cooks and cleans for them until one day the Queen shows up. When the Queen shows up she is dressed as an old sickly women who needs help. Snow White being the kind girl she was trusted the Queen and let her come inside. The Queen gave Snow White a poisoned apple that when she bit into it put her into sleep like death. The spell was eventually broken when the prince who had been admiring Snow White kissed her.
I plan to use the story of Snow White in my analysis piece as an example of Disney's work. I want to discuss the roles that the different characters play in this movie and how these roles influence children. I also want to see what types of lessons are taught to children as they watch the movie of Snow White.
The Little Mermaid. Dir. Ron Clements. Perf. Jodi Benson, Samuel Wright, Rene Auberjonois. Disney, 1989. DVD.
The Little Mermaid is a story about a mermaid who wishes to be human. She wants more than anything to have legs and walk on land. She disobeys her father and goes to Ursula an evil sea witch to get help. Ursula gives Ariel, the mermaid legs and tells her she can stay human if she can get a kiss from the prince. But Ursula has other plans and tries to take over Ariel's fathers power. In the end Ursula is destroyed. Then Ariel and Prince Eric get married.
I plan to use the story of The Little Mermaid to talk about how women are portrayed in the Disney Princess movies. I will reflect on the characteristics that Ursula has and Ariel has.
Other Sources
" Become a Disney Princess - YouTube ." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. . N.p., n.d. Web. 5 May 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2IqWwedjhg&feature=relmfu>.
This video is about two mothers, one a woman who works for Parents TV, the other a woman from American Baby Magazine, who take their daughters to meet Disney Princesses. The girls are in Disney world and want to become Disney Princesses. Before becoming Princesses they get to meet Cinderella and Bell who teach them what it takes to be a Princess and what it’s like to be a Princess. After their interviews with the princesses the two young girls go to meet their "Fairy God Mothers" at the Bippidi Boppidi Boutique where they are transformed into their favorite Disney Princesses.
I plan to use this video as part of the introduction to my paper. I will use it to trigger thoughts in my audience members heads and get them interested in learning about the lessons that Disney teaches children. I want to use this as a real life example to show how Disney characters influence the actions of children and what they believe in.
Castillo, Paul. " The negative effects of Disney on children | Daily Sundial." Daily Sundial | Breaking CSUN news and information.. N.p., 4 Dec. 2006. Web. 1 May 2012. <http://sundial.csun.edu/2006/12/thenegativeeffectsofdisneyonchildren/>.
In this article Castillo argues what negative effects he sees Disney's movies have on children who view them. He gives specific examples of how Disney influences children's beliefs and actions. He talks about gender roles that the Disney princesses, Sleeping Beauty and Little Mermaid portray. He says that they are bad for children, that the princesses represent "hyper-sexualized" beauty and that these princesses are teaching girls how to look. Those women who have power in Disney movies are all villains. He then describes the male characters in the Disney movies saying that they need to be, "strong, but silent and withdrawn, to be successful" (1).
I plan to use Castillo's article to help argue how Disney portrays gender roles within their movies. I also want to see what different characteristics characters of each gender hold and if there are similarities or differences between characters of the same genders. I will use this as a support to my other sources that talk about gender roles within Disney movies by pulling quotes and thoughts of Castillo's.
Cork, Keith . "Archetypes in Fairy Tales: A Mirror of the American Ethos - Yahoo! Voices - voices.yahoo.com."Yahoo! Voices - voices.yahoo.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Apr. 2012. <http://voices.yahoo.com/archetypes-fairy-tales-mirror-american-1013405.html?cat=9>.
In this piece Keith Cork examines how Disney mirrors American vales through the stories and characters in their fairytale movies. He claims that because Disney mirrors the American ethos they have become so successful and so well liked by Americans. Cork goes into detail using specific examples to explain how American values and morals are incorporated in the Disney movies. One example he gave from the movie Cinderella explained how forgiveness was portrayed when the ugly stepsisters found out that Cinderella was the girl who the glass slipper belonged to. This and other examples from the Disney movies mentioned in this article help support Cork’s claim that Disney movies reflect the social codes, moral codes, qualities and values that Americans hold.
I plan to use this piece to help me explain the good lessons that Disney movies teach children. I also want to use examples from this piece to explain why so many Americans value and approve of the Disney Corporation. This piece also helps me see the importance of establishing ethos, logos and pathos so I want to incorporate how Disney establishes them. I also want to evaluate how although some people see that Disney teaches bad lessons they still hold such a strong group of followers because of the other lessons they teach children.
England, Dawn, and Lara Descartes. "Gender Role Portrayal and the Disney Princesses." Family Studies University of Connecticut . N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Apr. 2012. <www.familystudies.uconn.edu/undergraduate/honors/posters/Dawn%20England%20poster.pdf>.
This piece is about a research project done to examine the gender roles that are portrayed in the Disney Princess movies. These writers of this piece believe that the way genders are depicted in the Disney tales has an influence on children’s view of gender roles within their own lives. To understand the different components that make up the gender stereotypes of male and female’s in the Disney movies the researchers watched eight Disney Princess movies multiple times and tallied up the number of times different characteristics showed up in female characters. For example they tallied how many times the Princess was assertive, athletic, affectionate fearful, uncooperative and tends to appearance. The findings of this research showed that the Princesses were most likely to show attributes of fearfulness and tentativeness, but less likely to show “physical strength and withholding emotion” because these are stereotypically seen as masculine traits.
I feel this is a good piece to refer to when writing my own research paper about how Disney movies influence children because it explains how characters are depicted in the movies. Understanding the gender roles of the characters will help me as an evaluator see how these roles can influence the perception children have of themselves as members of society and the role that they need to play out. Characteristics such as physical appearance and being tentative are two that are continually shown in the Disney Princess movies that can influence the way young girls feel they need to act.
"Google Images." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2012. <http://www.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi>.
Google provides users with great images of basically anything you can imagine. I plan to use Google Images as a source for images of Disney characters. Images will enhance my piece and writing.
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs A Comparison/Contrast." OoCities - Geocities Archive / Geocities Mirror. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Apr. 2012. <http://www.oocities.org/trekkieb_99/Academics/snowwhite.html>.
This piece is an analysis evaluating the differences between two different versions of the Snow White fairytale. The two versions, the Grimm’s version and the other the Disney version have both similarities and differences. They both contain the same main characters and similar plots but the writer of this piece assesses how the tales execute the actions of the characters differently. The writer also examines how the Grimm’s version is more violent compared the Disney version. This piece also has a list of comparisons and contrast to look more specifically at the two versions next to each other. It also explains a good amount about the gender roles of characters in the text and how these images might affect readers.
I found that this piece although it only examines the story of Snow White closely it helps me understand the different aspects that can be altered to influence viewers. The idea of how different images or characters can influence and shape a viewer’s perspective of gender roles also has my interest. I hope to examine in more depth the ways that Disney’s animations like the examples used in this piece help shape a child and their understanding of values and understanding of good and bad people in the world, similar to how this writer did with the story of Snow White.
This video is about two mothers, one a woman who works for Parents TV, the other a woman from American Baby Magazine, who take their daughters to meet Disney Princesses. The girls are in Disney world and want to become Disney Princesses. Before becoming Princesses they get to meet Cinderella and Bell who teach them what it takes to be a Princess and what it’s like to be a Princess. After their interviews with the princesses the two young girls go to meet their "Fairy God Mothers" at the Bippidi Boppidi Boutique where they are transformed into their favorite Disney Princesses.
I plan to use this video as part of the introduction to my paper. I will use it to trigger thoughts in my audience members heads and get them interested in learning about the lessons that Disney teaches children. I want to use this as a real life example to show how Disney characters influence the actions of children and what they believe in.
Castillo, Paul. " The negative effects of Disney on children | Daily Sundial." Daily Sundial | Breaking CSUN news and information.. N.p., 4 Dec. 2006. Web. 1 May 2012. <http://sundial.csun.edu/2006/12/thenegativeeffectsofdisneyonchildren/>.
In this article Castillo argues what negative effects he sees Disney's movies have on children who view them. He gives specific examples of how Disney influences children's beliefs and actions. He talks about gender roles that the Disney princesses, Sleeping Beauty and Little Mermaid portray. He says that they are bad for children, that the princesses represent "hyper-sexualized" beauty and that these princesses are teaching girls how to look. Those women who have power in Disney movies are all villains. He then describes the male characters in the Disney movies saying that they need to be, "strong, but silent and withdrawn, to be successful" (1).
I plan to use Castillo's article to help argue how Disney portrays gender roles within their movies. I also want to see what different characteristics characters of each gender hold and if there are similarities or differences between characters of the same genders. I will use this as a support to my other sources that talk about gender roles within Disney movies by pulling quotes and thoughts of Castillo's.
Cork, Keith . "Archetypes in Fairy Tales: A Mirror of the American Ethos - Yahoo! Voices - voices.yahoo.com."Yahoo! Voices - voices.yahoo.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Apr. 2012. <http://voices.yahoo.com/archetypes-fairy-tales-mirror-american-1013405.html?cat=9>.
In this piece Keith Cork examines how Disney mirrors American vales through the stories and characters in their fairytale movies. He claims that because Disney mirrors the American ethos they have become so successful and so well liked by Americans. Cork goes into detail using specific examples to explain how American values and morals are incorporated in the Disney movies. One example he gave from the movie Cinderella explained how forgiveness was portrayed when the ugly stepsisters found out that Cinderella was the girl who the glass slipper belonged to. This and other examples from the Disney movies mentioned in this article help support Cork’s claim that Disney movies reflect the social codes, moral codes, qualities and values that Americans hold.
I plan to use this piece to help me explain the good lessons that Disney movies teach children. I also want to use examples from this piece to explain why so many Americans value and approve of the Disney Corporation. This piece also helps me see the importance of establishing ethos, logos and pathos so I want to incorporate how Disney establishes them. I also want to evaluate how although some people see that Disney teaches bad lessons they still hold such a strong group of followers because of the other lessons they teach children.
England, Dawn, and Lara Descartes. "Gender Role Portrayal and the Disney Princesses." Family Studies University of Connecticut . N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Apr. 2012. <www.familystudies.uconn.edu/undergraduate/honors/posters/Dawn%20England%20poster.pdf>.
This piece is about a research project done to examine the gender roles that are portrayed in the Disney Princess movies. These writers of this piece believe that the way genders are depicted in the Disney tales has an influence on children’s view of gender roles within their own lives. To understand the different components that make up the gender stereotypes of male and female’s in the Disney movies the researchers watched eight Disney Princess movies multiple times and tallied up the number of times different characteristics showed up in female characters. For example they tallied how many times the Princess was assertive, athletic, affectionate fearful, uncooperative and tends to appearance. The findings of this research showed that the Princesses were most likely to show attributes of fearfulness and tentativeness, but less likely to show “physical strength and withholding emotion” because these are stereotypically seen as masculine traits.
I feel this is a good piece to refer to when writing my own research paper about how Disney movies influence children because it explains how characters are depicted in the movies. Understanding the gender roles of the characters will help me as an evaluator see how these roles can influence the perception children have of themselves as members of society and the role that they need to play out. Characteristics such as physical appearance and being tentative are two that are continually shown in the Disney Princess movies that can influence the way young girls feel they need to act.
"Google Images." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2012. <http://www.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi>.
Google provides users with great images of basically anything you can imagine. I plan to use Google Images as a source for images of Disney characters. Images will enhance my piece and writing.
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs A Comparison/Contrast." OoCities - Geocities Archive / Geocities Mirror. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Apr. 2012. <http://www.oocities.org/trekkieb_99/Academics/snowwhite.html>.
This piece is an analysis evaluating the differences between two different versions of the Snow White fairytale. The two versions, the Grimm’s version and the other the Disney version have both similarities and differences. They both contain the same main characters and similar plots but the writer of this piece assesses how the tales execute the actions of the characters differently. The writer also examines how the Grimm’s version is more violent compared the Disney version. This piece also has a list of comparisons and contrast to look more specifically at the two versions next to each other. It also explains a good amount about the gender roles of characters in the text and how these images might affect readers.
I found that this piece although it only examines the story of Snow White closely it helps me understand the different aspects that can be altered to influence viewers. The idea of how different images or characters can influence and shape a viewer’s perspective of gender roles also has my interest. I hope to examine in more depth the ways that Disney’s animations like the examples used in this piece help shape a child and their understanding of values and understanding of good and bad people in the world, similar to how this writer did with the story of Snow White.