DIPLOMARBEIT / DIPLOMA THESIS Titel der Diplomarbeit / Title of the Diploma Thesis “The Indigenous Other in Disney's Moana and Pocahontas” verfasst von / submitted by Michael Hermann Hosp angestrebter akademischer Grad / in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Magister der Philosophie (Mag. phil.) Wien, 2019 / Vienna, 2019 Studienkennzahl lt. Studienblatt / A 190 344 313 degree programme code as it appears on the student record sheet: Studienrichtung lt. Studienblatt / Lehramtsstudium UF Englisch degree programme as it appears on UF Geschichte, Sozialkunde und Politische Bildung the student record sheet: Betreut von / Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Dr. phil. Sarah Heinz Acknowledgements I would like to thank those who supported and motivated me while writing this thesis. I am particularly grateful to Univ.-Prof. Dr. phil. Sarah Heinz, my supervisor, for her valuable advice, encouragement and patience. I also wish to thank my parents, Dagmar and Gerhard, who supported me not only during the writing process of this thesis but throughout university and enabled me to pursue my studies. Finally, I would like to thank my friends for inspiring and motivating me. Table of Contents 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1 2 Theoretical Framework ........................................................................................ 4 2.1 Imagology ...................................................................................................... 5 2.1.1 The Historical Development of Imagology .............................................. 5 2.1.2 The Tenets and Methodology of Imagology ............................................ 8 2.2 Stereotyping ................................................................................................ 10 2.2.1 The Characteristics of Stereotypes ....................................................... 10 2.2.2 The Functions of Stereotypes ............................................................... 11 2.3 Ethnotyping ................................................................................................. 13 2.4 Othering ....................................................................................................... 16 2.5 Indigeneity ................................................................................................... 19 3 Methods ............................................................................................................. 22 3.1 Film Analysis Model of Faulstich ................................................................. 22 3.2 Compositional Analysis ............................................................................... 23 4 Intertextual Analysis ........................................................................................... 27 4.1 The Representation of Native Americans in Western Discourses ............... 27 4.1.1.1 The Representation of Native Americans in Colonial America………………………………………………………………………………28 4.1.1.2 The Representation of Native Americans in Romantic American literature………………………………………………………………….30 4.1.1.3 The Representation of Native Americans in Popular Culture ......... 31 4.1.1.4 The Functions of the Representation of Native Americans for the Creation of American Identity .............................................................. 34 4.2 Representation of Polynesians in Western Discourses ............................... 37 4.2.1 Representation of Polynesians in the 18th Century ............................... 37 4.2.2 Representation of Polynesians in the 19th Century ............................... 38 4.2.3 Representation of Polynesians from the 20th Century to the Present .... 41 4.3 The Comparison of Native American and Polynesian Representations ...... 43 5 Film Analysis ...................................................................................................... 46 5.1 Plot Analysis ................................................................................................ 46 5.1.1 The Plot of Pocahontas ......................................................................... 46 5.1.2 The Plot of Moana ................................................................................. 47 5.2 Character Analysis ...................................................................................... 49 5.2.1 Characters in Pocahontas ..................................................................... 49 5.2.1.1 Pocahontas .................................................................................... 49 5.2.1.2 Chief Powhatan .............................................................................. 52 5.2.1.3 Kocoum .......................................................................................... 53 5.2.1.4 John Smith ..................................................................................... 53 5.2.1.5 Governor Ratcliffe .......................................................................... 54 5.2.2 Characters in Moana ............................................................................. 55 5.2.2.1 Moana ............................................................................................ 55 5.2.2.2 Maui................................................................................................ 58 5.2.2.3 Chief Tui ......................................................................................... 60 5.2.2.4 Gramma Tala ................................................................................. 61 5.3 Compositional Analysis ............................................................................... 62 5.3.1 Compositional Analysis of Pocahontas ................................................. 62 5.3.1.1 Introduction of the Native Americans .............................................. 62 5.3.1.2 Kocoum as ‘Ignoble Savage’ .......................................................... 66 5.3.2 Compositional Analysis of Moana ......................................................... 68 5.3.2.1 Introduction of the Villagers of Motunui .......................................... 68 5.3.2.2 The Kakamora as ‘Ignoble Savages’ .............................................. 74 5.4 Forms and Functions of Ethnotypes of the Indigenous Other in Moana and Pocahontas ........................................................................................ 77 5.4.1 Forms and Functions of Ethnotypes of the Indigenous Other in Pocahontas ........................................................................................................ 77 5.4.1.1 The Indigenous Other in Pocahontas Compared to Previous Traditions of Representation ........................................................................... 78 5.4.1.2 The Representation of the Cultural Encounter between Native Americans and the English ............................................................................. 82 5.4.2 Forms and Functions of Ethnotypes of the Indigenous Other in Moana…………………………………………………………………………………..85 5.4.2.1 The Construction of the Indigenous Other ...................................... 85 5.4.2.2 The Representation of the Environmental Crisis ............................ 89 6 Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 93 7 Bibliography ....................................................................................................... 98 List of Figures ……………………………………………………………………..…108 Appendix………………………………………………………………………………109 1 Introduction The Walt Disney Company has been producing entertainment for over 80 years and is among the most influential media companies reaching millions not only in the USA but globally (Ward 1; Dreier 244). The worldwide box office results of Moana (2016), for instance, amount to a total gross of $643.331.111 (“Moana” Box Office Mojo). Disney’s animations and cartoons do not merely tell delightful stories but shape expectations of how the world should be, regarding aspects ranging from the function of the family and expected gender-roles to ideas about social justice and conceptions of different cultures and ethnicities. Among Disney’s main audiences are children, who are especially susceptible to the values, norms and stereotypes transported by the company’s fairytales (Lippi-Green 104). Remarking on the tremendous impact of animated movies by Disney and other studios on children, Giroux goes so far as to argue that “these films inspire at least as much cultural authority and legitimacy for teaching specific roles, values, and ideals as more traditional sites of learning such as public schools, religious institutions, and the family” (84). Since Disney has such an extensive reach and enormous influence on shaping the worldview of its young audience, it is especially important to critically consider what messages these films convey, which I will proceed to do with regards to the representation of indigenous people. With my study, I follow in the footsteps of previous researchers, who have critically analyzed the messages transported by Disney movies (Ward; Fruzińska). The aspect of gender has been studied extensively (Streiff and Dundes; Limbach). In recent years, also the representation of race, ethnicity and culture has received much attention (Macleod; Lacroix; Di Giovanni) Following the release of Pocahontas (1995), numerous academics have focused on Disney’s representation of Native Americans (Naidu Parekh; Jhappan and Stasiulis). With