When you wish upon a star : the issue of difference in Walt Disney children's animated films

Abstract

Disney is the central storyteller in contemporary society whose animated narratives construct children's understanding of themselves and the world around them. However, Disney does not offer a transparent window on the world as it tends to 'cutify' reality. In this dissertation this is discussed in relation to Disney's representation of difference. This dissertation answers two main research questions. First, it investigates how difference is negotiated in Disney's animated feature films. For this reason two films were selected, Beauty and the Beast and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. These were read through Iris Marion Young's politics of difference. Secondly the educational value of these animated feature films is also discussed. Disney is the new teaching machine for children which as revealed in this dissertation, offers much more than the magic of pixie dust.