Study Task 3 -  Animation Analysis Triangulation

The uses of Enchantment 1976, Bruno Bettelheim

Triangulation:

Fairytales are essentially a symbolic and metaphorical guide for a child's morals, a really beautifully written tale that can incorporate lots of moral divides and predicaments that always test the characters in the story and effect the mind of the child who sides with what they feel represents them morally and emotionally. Overcoming the fear of monsters, monstrous characters and the monster within, because evil lives in all of us, it cannot be denied that is why it exists in tales, but always is deceased in the end or overcome by the good in all of us.

Breaking the magic spell

The role of most tales is to distinguish the good and bad, but what if the roles themselves are affected by a definitive icon that isn't always seen as justifiable in life, but in traditional tales is seen as almost cliché in relation to modern stories.

‘A good fairytale is like art, depending on the quality of the tale and the meaning. Art which is strong enough to enchant the mind and influence the understanding of good and evil in the world.’

-Bruno Bettelheim.

Typically, most tales feature a divide between male and female and their individual statement in the story, typically a male will be the hero and the term 'damsel in distress' is applied to the female being a plot point in the story usually, they usually need saving by a hero. Some cultural fairytales also feature a distinguish between sexes, to emphasize on an environment or setting the scene. Ambitious women in featured fairy tales are portrayed as evil from within and scheming, wielding over other women and men, examples would be the stepmother in Snow White, the stepmother in Cinderella, and the stepmother of Hansel and Gretel who left the children in the forest.

I think traditional tales aim at the male hero because naturally the male is a strong and protective figure, but that doesn't make sense because tales are meant for children of both sex, the damsel in distress will weaken the view of female figures and icons as strong metaphors in life. This concept commonly reflects on the child’s conscious life because it is the belief of the story teller, in good faith to protect their child and inform them of such icons who fight evil, the fact that evil takes many forms yet the sword of justice is wielded by a common figure. This maybe to familiarize the child of the perfect hero or possibly introduce a dominance over others as far as traditional tales would go, stating characters’ immediate importance and influence on a story and such is the reality of traditional tales and folklore.

From the Beast to the Blonde, on fairy tales and their tellers

‘To educate the mind and strengthen the initiative of a child with its social relativity and meaning through symbolic context of aspirations, they are 'endeavors to grasp the social values of transformation'.

-Marina Warner

This is the transformation from childhood into adulthood, and endeavors meaning journeys or education in the distance and experience it takes to develop, achieve, and to stimulate the mind to progress. Social values are that of experiences the child holds dear to his heart and what they represent for the child to accomplish throughout their life. 

A genre largely told by women to their children despite there being such a large amount of evil female counterparts, despite the Brothers Grimm’s tended tone in Snow White, familiar situations in fairy tales can be traced to their growth in a culture ‘There are examples, girls in fairy tales who are brave and witty, such as Gretel, who exhibits common sense and kills the evil witches.’ This relates to the chosen quote, prove strength in the imagination of the child, helping them understand their strengths and weakness comparing their emotional reactions to the fairytale told. Without understanding of the unique roles of these figures in the world around them they are accepted with increased understanding of the social reality of different people, their beliefs and how it is translated through fairy and folktales.

The Theory and History of Folklore

‘What makes the folklore attractive if the representation of reality is not its purpose? The lack of correspondence with reality, fiction as such, offers special delight.’ -Propp

This describes how humorous tales are when reality is turned inside out, this is what fascinated the child and what makes it so interesting, this is a Romantic prose.  Female characters are described as foolish or almost dreamy in attitude and willing to be influenced or taken, this element is shown through most fairy tales and is ultimately the main plot point, which I imagine is a metaphor for a boy in traditional tales to influence him on the protecting of the female character in real life.

The volume begins with sections on the “Nature of Folklore" dealing with theoretical curiosities that the child would undertake in their lifetime, the principles of folklore genres like the relationship between folklore and literature and the reflection of reality in folklore, the type of teachings folklore can describe in reality, I find this prominent for the child to understand his subconscious and expose his mind to symbolic realism ultimately answering to the kind of curiosities and experiences he is searching for.

Russian regard for moral law, Propp believed that literature was composed of discrete identifiable elements and their relation to the story as a whole. The function of character action in this book which must be perceived according to its actor ‘the subject of the action is considered part of the action itself and not its own independent element’ - Propp.

The “who” in fairy/folktales is not important because characters are basically undefined, not describing the character by gender of race and often derive their names from their social relationship or profession. This describes how in fairytales, individuals are simple and largely free from conflict, leaving the judgment to the audience of the tale, the child. This concept described by Propp is the most important element of a fairytale because in reality there is no distinction between characters and the child must understand and use intuition to determine the outcome of social elements in life.

Harvard referencing

The International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Invention

Volume 1 issue 4 2014 page no.246-250 ISSN: 2349-2031

The Portrayal of Women in the Fairy Tales

Author, Dr Silima Nanda

Study Task 3 -  Animation Analysis Essay

Animal Farm (1954)

Demonstrates my ability to analyze ONE ANIMATION, applying what I have learned about the topic from piece one.

·      To introduce some of the philosophical and theoretical approaches to visual communication that we will develop over the next two years.

·      To demonstrate the power of visual communication.

Animal Farm (1954) Animal Farm is a 1954 British adult animated comedy-drama film by Halas and Batchelor, based on the book Animal Farm by George Orwell. It was the first British animated feature to be released. 

Animal farm relates to the chosen quote from the book ‘The uses of enchantment’ because this is an educational full length cartoon on the horrors of tyranny in a developing society growing from depression. Animal Farm is a book based entirely on the concept of conflict and the many forms of it, for example the farm animals which the audience would see as neutral characters rising up against their oppressing farmer are perceived as the victim and truly innocent in their courageous spirit but the animation progresses to show through imagery of conflicts between the animals what form the true villain is and teaching the viewers of the many different faces of evil and corruption in a society. 

We start off the story with a revolution provoked by the mistreatment of the animal workers by Mr. Jones, the drunken farmer because of a bad yearning of crops. After this the animals hold the first meeting when a sage, old boar tells his fellow farm animals of a dream he had of a place where all animals could be equal and in charge of themselves, they decide to revolt against their human oppressor. After the revolution there is conflict between the new leaders, the pigs, about how to run the farm. This particular conflict is solved by Napoleon chasing Snowball out of the farm with a pack of vicious dogs. After Snowball is chased away, all conflict rising from the "working-class" animals is stifled by the character, Squealer and his reassuring words that describe the immaculateness of Napoleon and his rule. Napoleon, goes against all of the commandments of Animal Farm's equality to bring profit and pleasure to himself and the other pigs. While the field animals are being forced to work harder and be fed less, they start to be unable to tell the difference between pigs and humans. 

Throughout this part of the short tale the audience is met with constant moralities of the unwilling farm animals as they seek to better their future under various oppressions, expressing the vulnerable state of being constrained and controlled with propaganda and right winged social reactionary, the character called Squealer expressions which is described as tainted hope for a better future masking over the truth behind the plots of propaganda and false promises. 

Towards the end of the novel, Napoleon is sleeping in Jones' bed, eating from Jones' plate, drinking alcohol, wearing a derby hat, walking on two legs, trading with humans, and sharing a toast with the character Mr. Pilkington. This conflict is never resolved, it is put off through trickery and lies expressed through the imagery used such as the animal’s rights, shown as writing on the barn wall, which are altered for the betterment of the pigs. The final act of propaganda changing the Seventh Commandment to "ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL / BUT SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS" reflects his unchallenged belief that he belongs in complete control of the farm. This can be viewed as metaphoric imagery for the civil rights of any society and how they can be easily altered or changed when we believe in the power above us and accept the guide lines, this is also represented through the pig tyrant being shown as controlling everyone with lines of thread. 

These are the only distinguishable hints of a possible evil, in acts of subtle force and aggression, which the audience accepts only to ensure a stronger success, but realize the schemes behind the betrayal of the society towards the end with more suffering than retribution as the true villain willingly exposes them self before the “working-class” become desperate to survive as they begin to work themselves to death. The audience realized the message of this tale is for morality in the eyes of the beholder and how power can often lead to corruption and oppression.

LECTURE 3, History of the image

The influence of imagery and how it effects the aspirations of the target audience, these techniques are sometimes tainted with nationalist messages.

This image compels the message in relation to Animal Farm about trusting the leading figure and what intentions they have in wait for the society, the poster implies the “hope” of the movement, fighting for “inequity” of the society. Concept for “HOPE” in Obama’s poster was replaced by the sentence “Minister Obama, we HOPE you are on our side.” With the guy Fawkes mask represents

Guy Fawkes mask represents a symbol for fighting corruption, a symbol of their part in activism, it’s a symbol of awareness. The verge of change, and the Guy Fawkes mask represents that hope. Though change its self is viewed as a neutral divide between good and bad, “we HOPE you’re on our side” what will this change determine for our society.

These metaphoric images are also featured throughout history and the main villain, Napoleon the pig is based on Joseph Stalin, like Napoleon uses military force (his nine loyal attack dogs) to intimidate the other animals and consolidate his power. Stalin was a cruel leader during his rule over the USSR who would eliminate anyone who got in his way, much like Stalin, Napoleon used violence in order to maintain his ruling position in Animal Farm. One example of this can be seen in the puppies trained to eliminate anyone who stands in his way.

"Stalin's regime is not only as bad as Jones's, but worse and more cynical", and Napoleon "not only as bad as JONES but vastly worse" George Orwell.

Based on the problems resulting from Russian Revolution, Mr. Jones and Czar Nicholas II both could not control their citizens.  Mr. Jones would let his animals starve and Czar Nicholas II did not help the Russian when they wanted more voice/power and better working conditions.  In the end, the animals/people revolted and the weak leaders could only do so little. Mr. Jones put milk in the animal mash and Czar Nicholas II hired the students as spies to make money.