In "Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us" (2017), Linda Christensen poses a series of questions to her students about how to "read" popular cartoons and animated films, such as Disney's Moana (2016). The question I will focus on for this reading of Moana is: What would young children learn about women's roles in society if they watched this film and believed it?
Context: I've seen Moana at least twice, perhaps more, and I'm very familiar with the soundtrack as it is a family favorite. I watched the movie for this reading with my two daughters, ages 6 and 8. We've recently returned from a vacation in Walt Disney World and this was not our first time there. My girls have been steeped in Disney; it's all around them, their grandparents have funded their three trips to Disney World (two with my parents and the most recent with my husband's parents), and admittedly my husband and I have not done much to stop the obsession, only adding to it by subscribing to Disney+ during the pandemic. Knowing that my classmates might be reading this is making me feel sheepish as I type, but it's the truth about my family. At first, my husband and I resisted, but like Lesley, seeing the utter joy on our kiddos' faces the first time we went to WDW when they were almost 2 and almost 4 changed our minds. For that trip, the girls wore Cinderella and Belle dresses on their first day at the Magic Kingdom, fully immersing themselves in Princess culture.
Also: I have not read any criticism (at least none I can remember) about Moana, so these are my unadulterated ideas. And here is a link to my notes!
I read Moana as less of a traditional "Princess" film and more of a retelling of the Hero's Journey. Moana here, like Luke Skywalker or Sir Lancelot or Odysseus and many others before her, follows the classic cycle. She is Called to Adventure by the ocean ("It calls me!" she sings), she gets Supernatural Aid in the form of Grandma Tala, the wayfinders of the past, Maui, and the ocean itself. She crosses the Threshold (the reef), and she has many challenges (Kakamora, Tamatoa, storms, Te Ka, learning to sail) and temptations (the urge to turn back / give up), and she also has Mentors (Maui and Grandma Tala) and Helpers (oddly, Hei Hei, the ocean). She hits the bottom of the abyss when she feels she cannot defeat Te Ka, and Maui flies away, and she wonders if she should give up. She then atones, takes charge, ventures boldy and bravely into Te Ka's lair, with the Revelation that she doesn't need Maui and can restore the heart to Te Fiti on her own. The Atonement comes less from Moana and more from Maui, who returns just at the right time to give Moana a moment to think and recognize that Te Ka is actually Te Fiti (the Revelation). She restores the heart to Te Ka / Te Fiti, and is rewarded with a Gift from the Goddess - the restoration of nature and of course of Maui's hook - and she makes her triumphant Return back to her island.
So, what should we think of women in this film, given the Hero's Journey context?
I read Moana as the hero, much in the way that Luke Skywalker or Odysseus are. Like the men before her, Moana is plagued with self-doubt, challenges, and distractions. The greed of others (Maui) and the conservatism of others (her father) gets in the way of her success, but her determination and the conviction that she is "chosen" propels her forward. And like these other heroes, she's utterly idealized.
From Moana, my children will learn, I think that the ideal woman is extremely strong and agile and intelligent but also exceptionally beautiful and hairless (she literally has no hair on her legs or in her armpits) and young. She sacrifices her own desires (to sail and explore as she pleases) for the betterment of her community. Like the girls in the book Strong is the New Pretty, Moana is an idealized, contemporary version of femininity - and one to which no real girl could ever measure up. No girl will ever have the combination of sexual desirability, athleticism, beauty, and self-sacrifice that Moana has. But, no man will be like Luke Skywalker, either. She is an ideal, and this IS a movie, after all. But I worry that the message is: you can only be a "hero" if your body and intuition fit a narrow model. Would Moana beat the Kakamora if she were in a wheelchair? What if she had ADHD? What if her armpits were hairy? What if she were super skinny and not very muscular? What if she struggled with rowing the boat and needed more help?
The other women in the film are an improvement on Disney women of the past. On the plus side, Moana's mother and Grandma Tala appreciate Moana's gifts and are encouraging - even Moana's mother helps her pack for her secret voyage out of the island. Grandma Tala is an archetypical witch / wizard type who has supernatural powers and can communicate with the natural world. She too is beautiful, although she is older and heavier, and she likes to dance to her own rhythm, and is self-confident. She is Moana's true mentor and guide. However, neither Moana's mother nor Grandma Tala openly challenge Moana's father (Grandma says that she doesn't have to listen, but she doesn't tell him to be quiet, either), reinforcing the idea that a woman's best defense is to pretend to be deferent, and then do what she'd like on the side so she doesn't bruise a man's ego.
I find the character of Te Ka / Te Fiti to be an interesting depiction of a woman's anger. There's much misunderstanding involved with Te Ka; Maui thinks she's a conventional monster who must be cut with his hook, but even before she notices the spiral Moana squints closely at Te Ka, seeing something intuitively in her face. Moana is able to "see" and "know" Te Ka through her intuition, literally singing "I know who you are," and only she is able to recognize the pain and anguish that Te Ka experiences in order to connect with her, restore her heart, and transform her back to Te Fiti.
My 8 year old daughter commented that Moana is an improvement on the Princess theme. She noted that Moana is not a Princess - in a self-referential moment in the movie, when Maui suggests that "You're a Princess - you have an animal sidekick," Moana denies it and focuses on wayfinding. My daughter said, "Yeah, she's not a princess! She actually saves the entire world from turning to ash, and she learns a thing or two along the way," and for the first time I realized that Moana actually gets to learn a marketable trade: wayfinding! This is a skill that would typically be reserved for men, and it's a skill that Moana can teach to others - and after saving the world, she goes to work (as seen in the photo above) instead of marrying a prince and living happily ever after.
I do think this film gives us a wider range of women's roles and personalities than the typical Disney fare, but I worry about the beauty and body aspects of the depiction of the women here. I worry that an angry woman who has been wronged will be seen as demonic (Te Ka) until she can be tamed (Te Fiti). I worry that the message is that men can be like Moana's father or Maui - egotistical, domineering, flawed, and at worst, a man-child - while the work of saving the Earth - which we are ALL literally called to do right now, will fall to women. In my Eco-Narrative, it's women who save the world, through intuition and mysticism and connection, and these characteristics are, at best, undervalued, and at worst, not valued at all in our capitalistic, male-dominated society.
So my girls may learn that we need more Moanas, but how will we find them in a world dominated by overbearing fathers and trickster man-children?
Hey Erika, really enjoyed reading this, I liked the descriptions you were able to make with all the characters and I agree with your daughters, we need more Moana's in the world!
ReplyDeleteErika, I did not pay much attention to Moanas hairless body. The movie does change many traditional aspects of women characters but they still have some things to work on. Te Ka was portrayed very demonic, but did liked how it was another rational, courageous, young woman who tamed Te Fiti and not a man.
ReplyDeleteErika! I loved reading this, truly! You brought up so many points, and I love that your daughter (at age 8) was able to critically comment on the movie as well. I also find your analysis of Te Ka and Te Fiti as representations of women's anger fascinating. As someone who has seen this movie many times, I never saw them this way but definitely do now. Thank you for this reflection it was great!!
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