The characters in Aladdin are all striving for the American Dream. Aladdin, Jasmine, and the Genie are all victims who seek their freedom from social oppression or from being “trapped” by law or outdated custom (Wise 106). This unifying thread throughout the film shows how anyone despite their circumstances change their life and make it what they want it to be playing off of the ideal of the American Dream.
One way that the American Dream is intertwined into Aladdin is through the dual nature of the main character Aladdin. In the original version of Aladdin is called the Thief of Bagdad (1940), the prince appears as a blind beggar and Abu as his dog, the prince makes it very clear his true identity so that viewers can discover his transformation was the result of Jaffar’s magic rather than the prince’s deception. Only at the outset does the prince disguise himself, and that choice too is a result of Jaffar’s trickery, not the prince’s duplicity and further showing that the prince is reacting to other’s actions (Bernstein & Studlan 189). In comparison, Disney’s Aladdin, also has multiple identities but they are created due to his own choices and actions not because of others. Aladdin is identified as a street rat, diamond in the rough, and prince Ali (Bernstein & Studlan 189). Disney is making the point that in pursuing the American Dream, people take on many identities to ensure their social mobility by shedding one identity for another.
However, Aladdin and the Thief of Bagdad are similar because the title character steals from local vendors in to survive. In Disney’s version, Aladdin is a moral character because he only takes enough to survive. Aladdin’s morality goes one step farther because he is willing to give away what he steals to less fortunate children who are also starving due to the same unjust social order. By giving away food in a Robin Hood manner Aladdin is showing his dual nature as “diamond in the rough” because he was stealing for a good cause yet still sticking to his roots as a “street rat” by stealing to begin with (Wise 106).
The idea that Aladdin is a diamond in the rough is something that the film emphasizes so that viewers understand that everyone has the potential to do great
are ideals used to define the American Dream. The American Dream promises immigrants and citizens a chance to pursue a better life, which is portrayed throughout the novel Behold the Dreamers . Behold the Dreamers , by Imbolo Mbue, follows the lives of Jende and Neni Jonga, an immigrant couple from Cameroon, who live in Harlem in hopes of providing a better life for their family. Throughout the Jonga’s journey, Imbolo Mbue proves that the essentials of hard work, education, and strong families are not enough for achieving the American Dream. Jende and Neni came to America in hopes of a brighter future for their family, but come to face with reality and are forced to make an impossible choice.
The American Dream is the chance for a person of any gender, race, sexual orientation, or or anyone of diversity to have an equal opportunity to change their and become happy and successful in their own eyes. Three books that explain the American Dream are The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver, Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou. Each book includes the main character trying to change his or her life by finding what makes them happy. They all leave their hometowns and have a chance to start over.
“One of the generalities most often noted about Americans is that we are a restless, a dissatisfied, a searching people,”(Steinbeck America & Americans) John Steinbeck stated this when discussing the topic of the American dream. He believes that numerous Americans are chasing after a dream that is nearly impossible to reach. John Steinbeck expresses his belief on the American dream through a general negative attitude toward the American dream and the failed dreams of his characters.
There is also conflict between the street merchants and the poor who have no money for food. Aladdin is seen stealing food, while men try to chase him down and punish him. Eventually he escapes with the stolen food and spots some poor hungry children. He gives away the stolen food to the children, which is depicted as admirable. Later when Jasmine gives food to a hungry child, the merchants try to cut off her hand at the cost of stealing. In both these instances, stealing was justified when given to those less fortunate. The film does not focus much longer on this and there is no definite compromise to this power struggle, but sooner or later the merchants and the poor would need to work this out.
The American Dream started off as propaganda in order to make the American people of the early twentieth century work harder to build a successful economy. The idea of the American Dream is that every American citizen has an equal opportunity of making money along with owning a large house, some land, and having a family with kids. In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck illustrates that the American Dream, no matter how simple is impossible to achieve. As everyone has their own interpretation of the American Dream, Steinbeck uses George and Lennie, Crooks, and Curley’s Wife to demonstrate how the American Dream is impossible to achieve and how important the dream was for people so they could carry on with their lives.
(The Arabian Nights). While Disney’s Aladdin is similar to the original story, it is missing the traits of a kind, caring mother and the willingness of the princess to wed who her father wanted her to marry. These are fundamental traits and ideas found in Arab culture that are not seen in the Disney
It is the natural inclination of all men and women to dream. In John Steinbeck’s novel “Of Mice and Men,” the American dream is sought after by many different characters. However, the main theme in the story is how these dreams are unattainable, and how because of the Great Depression, all American dreams were dead. But what is the American dream? A unitary definition does not exist, however, the meaning of living the American dream is something that differs for everyone. For some people, the American dream might be acceptance and equality. On the other hand, for others, it might mean fame and fortune. In the short story called “Of Mice and Men” the American dream seems unreachable for a number of characters, such as George, Lennie,
I chose Aladdin to illustrate symbolic interaction because it is the great example of how people respond to symbols, and how symbols essentially create a social structure, by “guiding our behavior” (Henslin, 2011, p. 99). Symbolic interactionism is “a theoretical perspective in which society is viewed as composed of symbols that people use to establish meaning, develop their views of the world, and communicate with one another” (Henslin, 2011, p. 12). Aladdin is labeled as a tattered because of his looks. Sadly, his character is not a
The animated classical Disney movie Aladdin has became one of the most successful movies since it was released in 1992. This movie may seem to be fairy-tale based and entertaining for children since they are the main target audience of Disney, but with a deeper look into its details this is not the reality of it. The ideas that children are exposed to from watching this movie help create and structure their mindsets as well as reinforcing unrealistic images of the Arabian world. In addition, Aladdin is a great illustrative tool in reflecting the concept of Orientalism, a term coined by Edward Said, which emphasizes on representing the Orient with certain clichés and characteristics that are misleading about the true nature of reality (Said, 1978). With that been said, this review paper will be focusing on the main characters and the way they are
American Dream: Noun, the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American. That is the definition of the American dream according to Dictionary.com, but the American Dream is more than a definition, but a way of life for many. Millions of immigrants come to our country in search of this “American Dream” including my grandparents but more and more are disappointed. So does the American Dream exist? Has it ever existed or has it all been an illusion?
Racism: discrimination which exemplifies stereotypical differences between the ethnic groups to which people belong. While Disney animated films are the ideal family movies, it is undisclosed to many that such racism is being portrayed. Disney’s movie Aladdin (1992), “was a high-profile release, the winner of two Academy Awards, and one of the most successful Disney films ever produced” (Giroux, 104); however, what is often disregarded is the obvious depiction of careless racism towards Arabs seen in the illustrations of the characters, the statuses into which they are placed and the lyrics of the opening song near beginning of the film. Furthermore, with the movie disguising itself as innocent and wholesome, children are exposed to these
Modern day American citizens are categorically indulged in the lifestyle obsession of ‘the American dream,’ being driven by what they see on television, hear on the radio, read in magazines/newspapers, and in other forms of media. Mary McMahon, author of “What is the ‘American Dream?’ defines the American Dream to essentially be “an idea that suggests that anyone in the US can succeed through hard work and has the potential to lead a happy, successful life (McMahon 1).” This belief has the power to infiltrate itself into a person's life, taking control of them and their actions substantially. After some time, a person's hopes and dreams can become scrambled by confusion in their beliefs, these beliefs are then replaced by influences in what they see, hear, or read. The Lion King is an example of this influence in beliefs, being intended for young children to teach them about growing up in a way that
Even the most seemingly harmless of __ can change the way we treat peopl. In Aladdin, Aladdin is a street rat until he finds a magic genie lamp, which can grant him three of his wishes. However, the villain Jafar, who put him up to finding the lamp, has a different idea for its uses. In the end, Aladdin has to save Princess Jasmine and the city of Agrabah with the influential help of the genie from Jafar and his evil forces. In Disney’s Aladdin, the culture in Agrabah is presented through an orientalist lense, suggesting the population in Agrabah needs, wants, and would be better off with the influence of western culture; this representation is in order for Disney to justify the United States cultural colonization.
Dreaming is essential for the human spirit, the reason homo sapiens sapiens wiped out the neanderthals was because we could believe in something bigger than ourselves. Even when our dreams are far from fruition, we as humans still believe in them as it is in our nature. S.E. Hinton’s novel The Outsiders and in John Steinbeck’s book Of Mice and Men have certain characters that possess dreams that they believe in and work towards, whether they’re achievable or not. Many unique personalities such as Crooks the stable buck, Dallas Winston, Curley’s Wife, Darry, and other characters in both books are disenfranchised from a notion henceforth referred to as “The American Dream”. “The American Dream” is a very vague phrase. However, it can be amounted to being a lower-class citizen (frequently an immigrant) and then moving to America. Then (in America) they get a stable job with good income, buy a house, have a family, and live happily ever after. The frequency and large application for the term “The American Dream” is what initially drew a large amount of immigrants in the late 1800’s/early 1900’s because it was viewed as the land of freedom and most importantly, opportunity. “The American Dream” can be, and is a widely used phrase but in this essay shall be used to refer to many characters’ own hopes and dreams for their future. Characters in Of Mice and Men and in The Outsiders are frequently disenfranchised and held back from ‘The American Dream’ by an aspect out of their
In Aladdin’s character defining introductory song, he tells us that he is good at stealing. “They’re quick, but I’m much faster…(Aladdin)” One loaf of bread costs a fish