Walt Disney cartoons lsquo;contain secret messages on the environmentrsquo;
March 28th, 2008, 4:12 pm Hobbies Ideas
Walt Disney films such as Bambi, The Jungle Book and Pocahontas have played
an important role in educating the public about the environment, a new book
by a University of Cambridge academic has claimed.
The stories of animated Disney characters, from Snow White in 1937 to the
clownfish Nemo in 2003, have built a critical awareness of contested
environmental issues, according to David Whitley, a lecturer in English.
While Disney movies are often regarded as little more than escapism, and have
even been criticised as bland populism, many feature messages about
conservation and the relationship between people and the natural world that
have proved to be highly influential, Dr Whitley said.
His book, The Idea of Nature in Disney Animation, argues that the films%26rsquo;
cute animals have systematically encouraged generations of children to ally
themselves with the natural world and protect it.
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