Pocahontas Research Paper

Walt Disney’s film Pocahontas is not historically accurate, but there is value in creating cartoon interpretations of American history. As a child, cartoons are mostly important for your development, both physically and mentally. Fairy tales help children understand the complexity of life. These visions use various symbols to teach morals and cognitive skills. Walt’s film was based off the legends and folktales surrounding Pocahontas, it was not meant to be historical but to promote racial tolerance.

The True Story of Pocahontas, written by Dr. Linwood “Little Bear” Custalow and Angela L. Daniel “Silver Star”, is a nonfiction novel that tells the tale of Pocahontas and the encounters of her tribe with John Smith and other English colonists who come over from Europe in the early 1600’s. Chapter three depicts how Pocahontas was used as a peace symbol by her tribe when entering the fort of the English, and how she became a peace symbol overall to the Powhatan people. This chapter tells about how the Powhatan people played a very influential part in the lives of the English colonists, especially during their first winter. The Powhatan people were very welcoming, and seeing how unprepared the colonists were for the harsh winters; they greatly

It is said that there are many different versions to a story. There is one persons story, then there is an other person’s story, and then, there is the truth. “Our memories change each time they are recalled. What we recall is only a facsimile of things gone by.” Dobrin, Arthur. "Your Memory Isn't What You Think It Is." (online magazine). Psychology Today. July 16, 2013. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/am-i-right/201307/your-memory-isnt-what-you-think-it-is. Every time a story is told, it changes. From Disney movies to books, to what we tell our friends and colleagues. Sometimes the different sides to the story challenge the

Many people believe the 1995 film, Pocahontas, to be the true story of a young Powhatan woman. However, the story lacks facts. Pocahontas isn’t even her real name. Matoaka, the real Pocahontas, faced mush more misery than the movie showed. Mataoka’s life in America, life in England, a comparison between the movie and real life, and how fictional portrayals of real people effect society today will show you that Disney’s inaccuracies could change history.

Pocahontas was faced with an impossible choice. Betray her father and tribe or betray her English friends, especially one who was very dear to her, Captain John Smith. Her decision was an important one that would help shape the New World. Overcoming hatred between families, love at first sight, and doing anything to protect each other describes Pocahontas and John Smiths' unique and special relationship. Their story is one of a complicated relationship that began when John Smith and his expedition embarked on America.

Remember that Disney movie of an American Indian tribe member with the long, flowy hair? If so, that might have been Pocahontas. Pocahontas was the beautiful daughter of the Powhatan leader, who the English named Virginia. Her story was truly amazing. I chose this topic because of the curiosity of who this beautiful lady really was, and what journeys in life she had overcome. This topic was brought up in Social Studies class as we were doing centers. One of the centers was only about her, and I have been curious ever since.

The main argument that Townsend presents is the fact that others portray Pocahontas as just a simply women in her time, but the truth is that she is one of the most courageous of her people. In summary, Townsend informs the audience that Pocahontas inspired many people in the nineteenth century including romantic poets and patriotic myth-makers.(xi) The problem that Townsend introduces is that the storytellers add the facts to satisfy their own needs and their audience. She talks about how

[1] Disney’s Pocahontas has understandably received a lot of flak about the historically inaccurate story that is told about the legendary Pocahontas and Captain John Smith. There is a good reason for that. The movie does little that can be construed as historically accurate, yet Disney claims that was never their intent. Disney, in their previous movies, has been attacked for being racist and unsympathetic to racial minorities. Their answer was a movie whose sole purpose, as stated by Disney, was to promote racial tolerance. The question is, then can a movie promote racial tolerance when the issue is built on false history, history that if told accurately would depict the exact opposite?

[3] One of the most significant discrepancies in the movie for the feminists was the Barbie-like figure given to Pocahontas. Not only is her chest size capable of toppling her over, but the remainder of her physical dimensions are also completely impractical. The supervising animator of the film, Glen Keane, worked hard hours in the studio envisioning “an animated beauty-formula for a sexy, muscular model. The Pocahontas of the 90’s makes Cinderella pale in comparison” (Rosenzweig 1). Feminists argue that Pocahontas should have been depicted as she really appeared in the seventeenth century. Since her death in 1617, a vast number of different images of her figure have been created (see the "potpourri"). Yet Disney’s representation is definitely the least accurate of them all. Pocahontas certainly did not seductively slither across the Virginia forest in a tight buckskin miniskirt, and a

“There is no evidence that Pocahontas met smith or any other English person before the end of 1607, when the captains exploratory party was captured, he was brought to her father's village , and she supposedly rescued him from death .” (307). People, like myself, who have only watched the movie would be amazed by this sentence. It is helping you learn what actually happened in our American history. There are many sentences that dumbfounded me just like this one did and this is just one of the many facts that I didn't know about. I now have been educated about our past and what actually went on during this time in our

Pocahontas was the most well-known woman in the first years of permanent British settlement on the Virginia Coast. There is a myth that she saved John Smith from murder by her tribe, but it is now thought that the tribe was trying to adopt Smith into the tribe, and the ritual was not life threatening. It is however, widely known that she was Chief Powhatan’s favorite daughter. Her high status allowed Pocahontas to serve as an intermediary between her people and the English settlers. She served as an interpreter and explained the different cultures of both sides. Without her, both her tribe and the English settlers would not have been able to talk to or trade with one another. At some point, the relationship between the settlers and the tribe

Millions of children around the world have grown up watching Disney movies, they’re an iconic and huge part of many childhoods. When we’re young we watch these movies for enjoyment, not stopping to point out the flaws in them. However, when you compare the movie Pocahontas to primary sources, it seems just as historically accurate as Frozen. Besides the personification of animals and trees, Pocahontas has a lot of issues pertaining to it’s storyline.

Back in 1995, as a 20 year old woman, I was, absolutely, still in love with everything Disney. I was still very much enamored with the romance and fairy tale aspects of all their stories and movies. So when the Walt Disney Company released the animated feature “Pocahontas” in the summer of my 20th year, I had to see it. At the time, I thought I had hit the jackpot with this movie. “An American legend comes to life” is the tagline to get viewers interested in this movie. [1] A heroin, whom was a beautiful Indian and a love story, who could ask for more from a Disney movie, I thought to myself. Now, being ignorant of the true facts about the Indian woman Pocahontas and even about Indian culture and history itself, I took this story more

Throughout the 300th anniversary on the settlement of Jamestown, many writer, artists, and playwrights capitalized on the revitalized interest of Pocahontas. Plays such as A Princess of Virginia: A Drama by Kate Tucker Goode and juvenile novel adaptations such as Edward S. Ellis’ Pocahontas: A Princess of the Woods perpetuated the growing myth of a pure hearted Indian maiden who welcomed christianity and saved John Smith’s life. As the popularity of Pocahontas’ story grew, so did the realisation that it could create profit.

Pocahontas. Americans know her as the beautiful, Indian woman who fell in love with the white settler John Smith and then threw her body upon the poor white captive to protect him from being brutally executed by her own savage tribe. The magical world of Walt Disney came out with their own movie version several years ago portraying Pocahontas as a tan, sexy Barbie doll figure and John Smith as a blond-haired, blue-eyed muscular Ken doll. Although Disney attempts to instill racial tolerance, inter-racial friendship, and nonviolent resolutions in Pocahontas, they contribute to the inaccurate Indian woman stereotype that has evolved from such stories. While it can be argued that Disney has