Why Write About Disney?

This blog is the product of a semester of the Decoding Disney section of the Writing 101 course at Duke University. In this blog, we will be analyzing some of Disney's (and other producers') most famous movies (and books) from a critical perspective. We will start with the analysis of Disney's predecessors: Charles Perrault, Brothers Grimm, and Hans Christian Anderson. During the middle of the semester, we will start to examine the classic movies of the Disney Golden Age such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Little Mermaid, and The Princess and the Frog. At the end of the semester, we will look at more recent Disney/Pixar films, such as Frozen I and Frozen II, and Cars. Analysis, in this case, is not meant to somehow "ruin" everyone’s favorite childhood memories. In contrast, a more perceptive look at iconic works of pop culture can and should bring about a greater appreciation of those works, as well as the culture that they were born out of.

Indeed, many of Disney’s products were inspired by fairy tales taken from all parts of the world, and feature archetypical characters and story structures that are found across space and time. Disney’s stories are not merely commercial products made to entertain, but rather both reflect and perpetuate larger cultural forces that shape our perceptions; in short, they are vessels for age-old motifs that permeate our social fabric.

Therefore, this blog really isn’t simply about Disney, but rather its scope encompasses the entirety of our cultural experience. By inspecting our past visions with critical eyes, we may rediscover valuable perspectives once overlooked; perspectives that may allow us to reexamine our current lives and lead them better. So let us turn once again towards the stories of old, and venture bravely into the lands far, far away...