Mentor Archetypes In Disney Movies

I was watching a Disney movie. I know what you're thinking, why is this teenage girl being lazy on a Saturday night? Well, I don’t know. As I was looking at the movie, I noticed a person following the hero. “Wow! Is this like a sidekick?” I ask myself, Why is this person giving wise advice and why is their sayings different from other movies? How did he or she overcome that? I remembered something from english class. It was something about archetypes. I told myself, “Wait this is like the mentor archetype!” Around the world, there are a lot of movies and books that come or are made from different cultures. How? When it comes to Disney and superhero movies they come from everywhere. For example, the movies Mulan, Moana and Pocahontas. But

have you ever wondered, how is the mentor archetype depicted in different cultures? The mentor archetype is depicted in different cultures by showing how different people are and where they are from, but no matter how it is depicted, in society, it has helped people learn more about the different cultures and understand how those societies have developed.

We must determine and get a better understanding on what is a mentor archetype. A article titled, Character Archetypes: F for fallen mentor, “ The mentor character must display enough expertise and wisdom to be able to support the protagonist or hero through their external or internal journey, or both.” This shows that the mentor archetype is a character that helps the hero throughout his or her adventures.They are kinda of like a parent or a teacher. Sometimes magical. The mentor could be someone who teaches important skills and information. Occasionally it could be someone that is wise with amazing stories from pass experience. This article explains that, “The mentor is the wise old man or woman every hero meets fairly early in the most satisfying stories" (Thought Co). This shows that It could be a wise man and women that is older than them. The hero could have met them in a younger age from their parents. Their stories might have motivate the hero to save the world.

Now that we know what is a mentor archetype.

I am going to explain how the Chinese culture is used in a disney movie called Mulan. In this movie, you meet the mentor name Mushu. He is a dragon that was sent by her ancestors because they wanted to help Mulan with her adventures. This shows that this story takes place in China and from the Chinese culture. According to the lines of the 1998 Mulan movie she stated, "Oh my ancestors sent a little lizard to help me” (Mulan 1998). In this scene, when Mulan was trying to pretend to be a guy, she was expecting something from her ancestors. They sent someone to guide her. She sees a huge shadow shaped like a dragon. It was this loud voice with flames in the background. Mulan thought it was a huge tough dragon but it turns out it was a little ragon. It shows that in this culture Mulan’s ancestors sent a dragon to guide Mulan through her adventures. This dragon helps her. Also, reveals that cultures can be different from

others.

The mentor archetype is used in the Chinese culture, but now we are discussing how the mentor archetype is used in Hawaiian culture. We are relating it back to the movie called Moana. It is used in the text by the mentor named Grandma Tala. According to the article titled, Meet The Awesome, Oceanic Characters Of Disney’s Moana, “She may be older than Moana, but that hasn’t stopped Granna Tala forming an incredibly strong bond with her sea-voyaging granddaughter. Tala is Moana’s best friend, and is played by Rachel House” (Abc news). This shows that since Moana was little she helped and inspired her by sharing her stories. They are family and bond really well. Grandma Tala is showing how the culture works by sharing her the special connection with the ocean. Also, the advice she gives to Moana. According to the lines of the movie Moana 2016, “You must. The ocean chose you. You follow the fishhook” (Moana 2016). In this scene it is showing the part when Grandma Tala is dying. She tells Moana to get the heart of te fiti from Maui. She is telling her to save the people in the island before she dies. In addition, Grandma Tala is a huge believer of the ocean. The mentor can be a character that believes in something that can influence the character/hero.

While the mentor is used in the Hawaiian culture in Moana, but how is it used in the Native American culture in Pocahontas.

In this movie, the mentor is Grandma Willow. She is an ancient and wise figure that is a tree. In the past, this tree has given advice to the mother of Pocahontas. Whenever she needs advice, she goes and visit her. According to the movie 1995 Pocahontas, “I told her to listen all around you. Our spirits child they live in the earth, the water, the sky. If you listen, they will guide you” (Pocahontas 1995). In this scene, it is showing that she is asking for advice from a wise character. This indicates that in different cultures, there could be a wise woman or man. Additionally, they could have other sayings that could mean something in the

culture.