The Movie Moana Of The Polynesian Culture

736 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Elements of polynesian culture

Society is built of many different cultures which is used to identify a person with their customs, moral beliefs, and behavioral patterns. Culture is a significant root to society. Traditions that are passed down from generations to generations is accustomed from Cultures. The accuracy of Disney’s animated movie Moana of the Polynesian culture and traditions was extensively research by John Musker and Ron Clements throughout the native tribes in Polynesia, which displays throughout the movie on its accuracy on fine details such as character design, songs/dances, prints, resource gathering, and many more examples. Disney effectively uses rhetorical appeals of doxa, logos, kairos, and pathos that provides their audience knowledge on the Polynesian …show more content…

Polynesians are known for the colonization of the Pacific Islands through voyaging and wayfinding. Canoes were built to go across the larges ocean on earth and battle the winds and currents. In the movie Disney displays doxa, the Polynesian value and tradition of Moana’s ancestors wayfinding throughout the song “We know the way” and presenting Moana’s journey as a voyager and way finder. Moana becomes a chief in the movie but Polynesian cultures do not believe in women becoming chief but Disney practices the Polynesian tradition and value of passing their tittle down to their first born who is ready to lead a kingdom. Other Doxa examples are displayed in the movie such as the way pacific islanders cook their meals in pits, how the character is presented in a mix of cultures by their appearance, Samoan headdress, Tongan traditional clothing together with Hawaiian dancing, Tokelau lyrics and Tahitian drumming. In the movie Moana’s home is on the island of Motunui, Motunui provides resources like fish and plants so the characters are expected to not go beyond the reef, in resemblance of Polynesia, Tetiaroa atoll is uses as a reference point as an island that is an enclosed lagoon. Values that are passed down from generations to generations are used in the movie when Moana’s grandmother is shown as a mentor to connect Moana to ancient traditions, this is a great example of Kairos and Doxa. Furthermore, Moana practices the way Polynesians treat their elders by respecting and honoring her

Show More
Related

  • Personality Disorder In Moana Case Study

    513 Words  | 2 Pages

    Moana leaves her island to find Maui, by following the star patterns shaped like his fish hook. When watchers are originally introduced to Maui, he is trapped on an island, and keeps track of the days spent there by making tally marks in the shape of his

    Read More

  • Effective Use of Pathos and Connotative Language

    925 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Hawaiian culture is known throughout the western world for their extravagant luaus, beautiful islands, and a language that comes nowhere near being pronounceable to anyone but a Hawaiian. Whenever someone wants to “get away” their first thought is to sit on the beach in Hawai’i with a Mai tai in their hand and watch the sun go down. Haunani-Kay Trask is a native Hawaiian educated on the mainland because it was believed to provide a better education. She questioned the stories of her heritage she heard as a child when she began learning of her ancestors in books at school. Confused by which story was correct, she returned to Hawai’i and discovered that the books of the mainland schools had been all wrong and her heritage was correctly told through the language and teachings of her own people. With her use of pathos and connotative language, Trask does a fine job of defending her argument that the western world destroyed her vibrant Hawaiian culture.

    Read More

  • Transcendentalism In The Movie Moana

    685 Words  | 2 Pages

    Moana shows non-conformity in the start of the film when her father is telling her that she will become the chief of the island of Motunui. However, Moana ignores him and goes out sailing past the reef against her father's orders. Moana realized that there's more to her life than staying on the island and that she had sailing in her blood and wasn’t about to let her father stand in her way. She wasn't about to let her life be controlled by

    Read More

  • Comparison Of The Polynesian Culture On The Hawaiian Culture

    746 Words  | 2 Pages

    78,086,081 people, domestic and internationally have gone to Hawai’i in 2015 (Historical Visitors). However, has anyone truly went past the beautiful scenic lands and Hawaiian culture to learn the origin of everything? Fittingly, this essay will go in-depth of the Polynesian culture that soon settled on the Hawaiian islands of today: identifying cultural norms, symbols, and values that influences their communication that encompasses the Hawaiian spirit tourist known to love. Lastly, a comparison of Hispanic culture and investigate qualities that are similar and different between the two cultures.

    Read More

  • Lack Of Ethnic Diversity In Disney Movies

    1237 Words  | 3 Pages

    Tangled was an entertaining eye opening illustration that included action, romance, comedy, that would be enough to keep the whole family entertained. Time and time again, Disney films are being criticized by the public because of the lack of ethnic diversity; this lack of ethnic diversity can be illustrated through the film titled Tangled. In 1995, Disney gave us Pocahontas and in the year of 1998 Disney had released Mulan. This showed the public that, Disney was in fact capable of creating films in which the lead protagonist was not white, however it wasn’t till more recently that racial diversity truly had taken stand when The Princess and the Frog (2009) was released. While, I applaud the efforts of Disney in attempting

    Read More

  • A Girl Worth Fighting For: A Critical/Cultural Analysis of Disney’s Mulan

    1624 Words  | 4 Pages

    Disney’s 1998 classic tale, Mulan, is renowned as a timeless film, one that inspires young girls everywhere. It is by far the most girl-power filled film in the Disney Princess franchise due to its eponymous heroine who goes to war in place of her father by impersonating a male soldier. Not only does she singlehandedly save the whole country of China, but she also manages to get a husband in the process, with whom she lives happily ever after. Although this sounds like the perfect tale of girl power, some more sinister themes lay beneath the innocuous, picturesque surface.

    Read More

  • CL

    841 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Disney film Pocahontas can be viewed as a false portrayal of American history. Although it may have been made for entertainment purposes, Pocahontas is regarded to be a coming of age film for children due to its didacticism. The life lessons that one could possibly take away from the film are considerably positive, but the depiction of Native American and European cultures is deceitful. Most Disney films involve “epic romances,” in the case of Pocahontas one is not necessarily needed to convey the message of the film. Even though historical films cannot always be accurate to actual events, this film manages to stray away from the actual historical story of Pocahontas entirely. Due to this, children are presented with false information that they perceive to be true. Adults on the other hand might just perceive the fictionalized account as source for their children to learn sugarcoated lessons and not historical facts. While distorting historical facts, Pocahontas fulfills the typical Disney film mold as it incorporates multiple moralities for its audiences.

    Read More

  • Birth of a Nation

    631 Words  | 2 Pages

    On March 3, 1915 the movie The Birth of a Nation was released at the Liberty Theatre in New York City. This film was financed, filmed, and released by the Epoch Producing Corporation of D.W. Griffith and Harry T. Aitken. It was one of the first films to ever use deep-focus shots, night photography, and to be explicitly controversial with the derogatory view of blacks.

    Read More

  • Teaching Children How to Discriminate

    667 Words  | 2 Pages

    Rosina Lippi-Green's article "Teaching Children How to Discriminate - What We Learn From The Big Bad Wolf" (1997) examines the discrimination and stereotypes toward different race, ethnicity, gender, religion, nationality and region that Disney presents in their animated films. Lippi-Green also points out the use or misuse of foreign accents in films, television and the entertainment industry as a whole. Such animated films are viewed mainly by children. Lippi-Green makes a central argument in which she says that children are taught to discriminate through the portrayal of the different accented characters in Disney films.

    Read More

  • Birth of A Nation

    905 Words  | 2 Pages

    It has been said that the Declaration of Independence was more democratic and for equality and the Constitution was more for a republic that benefited only some people. The Declaration was idealistic the Constitution realistic. That 1776 gave us liberty and 1787 gave us order. Although as unfair as it may sound this seems to be true. After gaining liberty this country had to establish a system that would have order.

    Read More

  • Polynesian Culture Essay

    1276 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Polynesian peoples have a lifestyle quite different than that of any other culture, as living on an island requires a level of flexible adaptability in order to cope with such a different, sometimes difficult environment. We see the way diverse cultures build their lives around their circumstances and how they respect them in their cultural myths and stories. The Polynesian legends emphasize the physical environment that they live in. They are quite different than any other region in the world, but the beauty and individuality of the Polynesian culture is prominent as seen in their mythology.

    Read More

  • Disney Films: The Little Mermaid

    1599 Words  | 4 Pages

    The first thing to pop into one’s mind when they hear The Little Mermaid is most likely the Disney animated movie starring the beautiful red haired mermaid, Ariel. However, as with most Disney films, The Little Mermaid is an adaption of an original story written by Hans Christian Andersen in the 1830s. The creation of this classic fairytale into an animated feature required alterations from the Disney corporation, leading to a final product that is reminiscent of Andersen’s original story with added layers of American culture, sexism, and musical numbers. The initial release of Disney’s The Little Mermaid was highly successful both domestically and overseas, resulting in a total box office revenue of about 180 million. Although the film received rave reviews and substantial profit, I argue that the Disney adaption loses the fundamental elements of Andersen’s original story and presents a new narrative laced with negative values and inferior moral lessons. The changes in the Disney remake are closely connected to cultural and social aspects of America in the late 1980’s, making it arguably more relatable and successful for current audiences of the time. However, Disney’s adaption of The Little Mermaid perpetuates negative American ideals and incorporates classic Disney fairytale elements, ultimately erasing the positive moral overarching theme of Hans Christian Andersen’s original story.

    Read More

  • Walt Disney's Impact On American History

    1117 Words  | 3 Pages

    His work in modern media was revolutionary. Moreover, he broadened communication and made it easier to learn about new cultures. Disney’s movies play a vital role in children’s development and their productivity when they enter the “real world”.

    Read More

  • Racism and Other Themes in Disney´s Pocahontas

    825 Words  | 2 Pages

    Disney’s intentions were more than to captivate young children. They were ultimately to retell the original story of Pocahontas and the settlers and to address social issues of lifestyle and acceptance depending on race and the way they are being treated, proving that marriage isn’t all that important and addressing familial gender roles in society based on having a mother figure. Since 1995, the story of Pocahontas serves to entertain the young minds of children, but none the less the messages for seen in the movie, are mentioned to stress the issues of a series of systems in which maintain the imbalance of power among society’s social organization.

    Read More

  • Life of Pi

    359 Words  | 1 Pages

    Having just experienced the sinking of his family’s ship, and being put onto a life boat with only a hyena, Pi felt completely lost and alone. When he sees Richard Parker, the Bengal tiger from his family’s zoo, it is a familiar face to him. His initial reaction is to save the life of his familiar friend so that he may have a companion, and a protector aboard the lifeboat. Suddenly Pi realizes just what he is doing. He is saving the life of Richard Parker, by welcoming him, a 450 pound Bengal tiger, onto the small lifeboat. He experiences a change of heart when helping the tiger onto the boat. Pi realizes that he is now posing a threat on his own life. With Richard Parker on the boat, Pi is faced with not only the fight to survive stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but the fight to survive living with a meat eating tiger. The change of heart that Pi experiences might possibly mean that he is an impulsive thinker. It may mean that he often does something on impulse without thinking it through, and then later regrets his actions.

    Read More

More about The Movie Moana Of The Polynesian Culture

Open Document