Moana Response

There is something so personal about Disney to me. I grew up in Irvine, CA just minutes away from Anaheim where Disneyland exists. I had a season pass growing up and went all the time. I had birthday parties at Disneyland, watched all the movies and TV made by Disney, LOVED the princesses as a little girl, and for goodness sakes I had my PROM there two years in a row! I remember going to Disneyland for my fifth birthday in a hot pink matching track suit with the princesses on the back (Belle, Cinderella, Snow White, and Ariel), determined to get every princess's signature that day. But, as an adult, I have been able to take a step back and realize that as much magic as Disney weaves, it can perpetuate stereotypes that are harmful to absorb as both a young person and an adult.

Me at Disneyland for my fifth birthday!
Reading Christensen reminded me of the issues that I have had with Disney in the past, mainly the absolutely unrealistic "Barbie" standards that princesses hold women to. [Here are my Disney Princess Notes] Christensen writes: "The 'secret education,' as Chilean writer Ariel Dorfman dubs it, delivered by children's books and movies, instructs young people to accept the world as it is portrayed in these social blueprints," and this struck me (176). Though I will not every be able to parse out what social identities and expectations I internalized from Disney, I know that they must be numerous considering the amount of exposure I had to them, and I assume that most of them had to do with body image. Rewatching Disney as an adult has been an interesting experience. With all of the new live action movies coming out, which have been considerably cleaned up to be more 'up with the times,' I have fallen back in love with the storytelling Disney is able to create. That does not mean that I am without my own hesitations. 


I have seen Moana a few times before watching it for this class, and have loved it every time. For weeks after the first time I saw it I listened to the soundtrack on loop, much to my brother's chagrin. What I liked about it initially was how different it was from the traditional princess movie. Moana does not "'win' because of [her] beauty and [her] fashionable attire" or because she gets married to a man (Christensen 182). She wins because she goes on a hero's journey and successfully completes it. But what struck me as I was watching it again with the note catcher Dr. Bogad provided, was just how much help Moana received along the way.

 

Moana accepts help from others ALL THE TIME. In fact, there is simply no way she would have completed the journey, or even found Maui, if not for the help of the ocean. She receives help from her mother when she accepts that Moana is leaving and helps her pack. She receives help from Hei Hei when he eats Te Fiti's heart, and then again when he catches it before it bounces off the boat. She accepts help from her grandmother when her grandmother encourages her to interact with the water, when she takes her to the voyager boats, and when she finds her as a spirit and encourages her to complete the hero's journey. She accepts help from Maui when he takes her away from the Kakamora, when he teaches her how to wayfind, when he shows her how to reach Tamatoa, and twice when he helps her defeat Te Ka. And finally, from the water … like ALL the time!

 

I kept asking myself, how on EARTH did I not realize this the first time around? I was upset that I thought of Moana as this strong, independent woman who is going on this epic quest, when as far as I can tell though she might be the protagonist, she really does not do much to help herself. In fact, she sacrifices essentially nothing in this whole process. If anyone has true sacrifice…it's Maui!

I left the film of course enjoying the rousing song at the end and the closure it provides, but also questioning what Moana really earns? She plays a major role in putting Te Fiti's heart back, but she really relies on the people around her as cushions to help her get through every struggle. This reliance makes me grateful that Disney emphasized the importance of teamwork, but also frustrated that she is not written as an independent woman. If that is what Disney is going to advertise, then that is what I expect them to deliver!

Even though I am much more aware of Disney's faults now, I will keep watching Disney movies and keep enjoying Disneyland, just through a more critical lens. I'll always be a Disney kid at heart!

Comments

  1. Hope WrightJuly 14, 2021 at 12:16 PM

    Claire--I didn't catch onto how much help Moana receives either! I was reading some articles on how Moana deviates greatly from the princess stereotypes perpetuated by Disney for so many decades, but arguably, she receives more intervention in her hero's quest than anyone else. I like how willing you were to step back and view the movie through a critical lens, even though, as you told us, it is a favorite of yours. The photos you shared were also so cute!

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  2. LesleyJuly 20, 2021 at 3:38 PM

    I agree with your critical lens here -- yes she receives help at every turn. And maybe, just maybe, that is her SUPERPOWER. Maybe that is the strength that she models for all of us. You seem to read it as a sign of weakness or that she doesn't earn the rewards in the end. But I think you could also see it a different way... Moana shows us that courage takes practice and no one should have to be brave alone. We all deserve allies and partners in this journey. In fact, as this film shows, when we accept the help and work together EVERYBODY WINS. What do you think??

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