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Elements Of Transcendentalism In Moana

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“Without my [fish] hook, I am nothing!” (Moana 2016). Moana is about a young Polynesian woman, who is the daughter of the chief of her tribe. One day, the island’s fishermen are unable to catch any fish and the crops fail. Moana learns that many centuries ago, a demigod named Maui stole the heart of Te Fiti, a goddess, and this is the reason why her island is suffering. The only way to save her island is to find Maui and persuade him to restore the heart of Te Fiti. Moana leaves her island and travels across the sea to find him, an act that is prohibited on her island. Moana contains the elements of transcendentalism, such as the idea of nature being an escape, and inner spiritual connections. Moana contains many themes connected to the idea that nature is an escape from corrupt society. For example, Moana faces many problems on her island, such as the fear she will not make her father proud as the next chief, and the physical problems with the island not producing enough food to sustain its citizens. Therefore, Moana will often escape to the beach to be with her grandmother, who taught her to “dance” with the waves (Moana 2016). Moana uses the ocean as an escape from her problems in her home, and her society which does not accept her love for the ocean. Such a belief that nature can be an escape from problems is very transcendentalist. Next, Moana has to travel across the ocean to achieve her goal of restoring the heart of Te Fiti and saving her island. The ocean actually

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