ap lang slideshow essay

Flower and Thumper (Bambi).

2009-01-14T15:52:00.000-08:00

When Bambi's mother is shot while he is just a young deer, Bambi is forced to grow up on his own. Bambi makes many fellow animal friends while living in the forest, who help him learn the skills he needs in order to survive. Thumper, a young bunny, and Flower, the friendly skunk, show Bambi that even without the help of his mother, he can survive alone with his own wits and talents. Bambi then understands that he is in fact strong enough, like is father, to lead the other deers to safety when the hunters arrive one day. While these characters show Bambi how to be independent, they also show him that he is never alone. These characters teach Bambi both lessons of being independent and a leader, and lessons of friendship. These characters, although not recognized or deemed as important as main character Bambi, prove to be important characters by being influences in Bambi's new-found personality. Much like many of the other "side" characters, these animated beings are also a huge aspect to the hero's successes, and are also wonderful friends and companions. With qualities such as this, it is impossible to consider any of the Disney side characters as being entirely "flat," when these characters essentially have within them the abilities to control all aspects of the classic Disney movies.

Meeko and Percy (Pocahontas).

2009-01-14T15:48:00.001-08:00

"You think you own whatever land you land on, the earth is just a dead thing you can claim. But I know every rock and tree and creature has a life, has a spirit, has a name." When Pocahontas, a young native American girl, sings these words in her song "Colors of the Wind," we see how much the earth and all its belongings mean to her and to her culture. However, when the English arrive in an attempt to industrialize the land she lives on, Pocahontas is forced to convince Englishman John Smith that the earth is not for finding gold or building cities, but for cherishing its natural beauty and its creatures. Because of the presence of Pocahontas's friends Meeko the raccoon, and Percy the hummingbird, we are taught the values of loving nature and befriending our earth. These characters simply add to the message of the movie about respecting the earth and all that comes along with it. These characters which are both very physically cute also provide little kids with another source of enjoyment within the movie, since the plot (the English coming to America to search for gold and beginning idustrialization) may be a little too confusing for very young children.

Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, and Cogsworth (Beauty and the Beast).

2009-01-14T15:45:00.001-08:00

When Belle, a small town beauty, ends up at the castle of the Beast, she not only gets to know him, but gets to know his kitchen utensils as well. In a very welcoming and warming song, "Be Our Guest," Belle is kindly welcomed into the home of the beast by various plates, glasses, forks and knives. Among these inanimate objects are Lumiere, a fancy French candlestick, Mrs. Potts, a loving mother of a little teacup, and Cogsworth, a proper and elegant clock. These characters, without the presence of their master, the Beast, sing songs and dance. Being around the Beast, however, the characters lose the dominant presence they have through song and dance and they tend to sit back and stay silent. These characters prove that they are not "flat" characters by the simple fact that they feel fear of their master, and they present that fear to the audience. Through their fear, these inhuman characters appear to be human, and develop human-like qualities. These characters, who speak eloquently and act elegantly and properly also provide the story with a culturally pleasing effect. The French accents and European elegance fit in perfectly to the story about young and beautiful Belle arriving at the castle of the French Prince. Through the accurate accents and detailed drawings of the characters making them appear to be fancy, the audience gains a cultural and historical aspect to the movie that would otherwise be lacking. Seeing these objects allows eyes to imagine what life may have been like for a young, wealthy French Prince.

The Seven Dwarfs (Snow White).

2009-01-14T15:43:00.001-08:00

The Seven adorable dwarfs of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs are able to control emotional aspects of the movie just by speaking. Dopey, Sleepy, Happy, Grumpy, Sneezy, Bashful, and Doc can convey the emotions that their characters represent. For instance, when Sleepy talks, it is possible to become overwhelmed with fatigue. Hearing Grumpy talk, you begin to feel agitated, and when Happy talks, you will often find yourself smiling. The Seven Dwarfs, although not entirely needed in order for the story to have a strong plot, have the ability to control a viewers emotion at any given point during the movie. These characters, who each look and speak in a manner that is very fitting to their names, all have the aspects needed (such as the facial expression and tone of voice) to force certain emotions out of an audience. Essentially, these characters are used to control the emotions of the audience during times of the movie when the plot alone may not be able to do so.

Tinkerbell (Peter Pan).

2009-01-14T15:41:00.000-08:00

Tinkerbell, the most feisty and spunky character of Peter Pan, is also the most popular among young children (girls in particularly). Every halloween, many girls dress up in fairy wings and green dresses to represent Tinkerbell. Tinkerbell, more popular than Wendy (the main female character of Peter Pan), is a classic representation of a fantastic disney "side" character that has the ability to draw in more viewers than many of the main characters. Tinkerbell, a beautiful and tiny fairy, has a strong love for the main character, Peter Pan. However, when Peter meets Wendy and her two brothers and brings them along on an epic journey to Never Land, Peter falls for Wendy and her affectionate nature. Tinkerbell will not allow this, and creates many hilarious scenes in the movie where she intentionally interfers in the relationship of Peter and Wendy. From flirting shamelessly with Peter to taking drastic measures such as tying up Wendy, Tinkerbell's mischevious and jealous attitude draws in attention and creates conflict in the movie that may otherwise not be there. Although seemingly troublesome and obnoxious, however, Tinkerbell ends up pulling her weight when the saves Peter, Wendy, and Wendy's brothers from pirates they encounter on their sojourn toward Never Land. Tinkerbell, although small and trouble-making, not only provides an audience with comical cat-fights and childish behavior, but also supports the hero in times of need, pulling some of the responsible weight.

Timon and Pumbaa (The Lion King).

2009-01-14T15:38:00.000-08:00

The Lion King, a heart-wrenching and tragic tale of a young lion cub adapting to adulthood, features two crazy characters named Timon and Pumbaa. After seeing how a young lion cub, Simba, loses his father due to his evil uncle, Scar, Simba is driven away from the kingdom. While in exile in the jungle, Simba befriends the goofy and fun-loving pair, Timon and Pumbaa. Through the song "Hakuna Matata," and their fun and catchy lyrics such as "It means no worries for the rest of your days, it's a problem free philosophy," Timon and Pumbaa provide serious comic relief in a movie that revolves around death and familial betrayal. Without Timon and Pumbaa, The Lion King wouldn't be a classically funny and charming animated musical, but an overly intense and upsetting movie that might turn young children off. Through these two complex and interesting characters, the whole attitude of the movie has the ability to change from painfully sad to a joyous sing-along with the right proportions of seriousness.

MooShoo (Mulan).

2009-01-14T15:31:00.000-08:00

Mulan, a newer Disney movie, tells the tale of a young girl that chops her hair off to join the Chinese military in place of her ill father during a war against the Huns. Mulan, known for her flaky, clumsy and irresponsible personality, is granted help from her loving and watchful ancestors on her journey to war. When the head-honcho of the ancestors awakens, he summons MooShoo, a tiny red dragon, whose purpose is to ring the gong and awaken another dragon in order to accompany Mulan to war. However, when MooShoo breaks the statue of the other dragon and cannot wake him, he himself joins Mulan, along with Mulan's lucky cricket, off in pursuit of defeat over the Huns. Mooshoo, clumsy and not so intelligent, often gets Mulan into trouble with her commanding officer, Ling, by doing things such as spilling bags of rice, or cheating on simple tasks sucks as catching fish from the river. Mooshoo also gets Mulan into a great deal of trouble when he accidentally shoots off a rocket and gives away the location of their army. When Mulan becomes injured in the battle that follows from MooShoo's mistake, her identity as a woman is discovered. Mulan is luckily spared her life but is left on her own, and MooShoo, a faithful companion, is by her side. Although causing a great deal of trouble (which is always comical and well-hearted), MooShoo always proves to be a good friend to Mulan. Although not a hero, MooShoo is always by Mulan's side, allowing her to reach her goals. Another aspect of MooShoo that makes him such an appealing character is the way in which he speaks. His use of language and tone of voice are fun and entertaining. His language is much like the way that kids today speak (he states stuff like "dang girl"), which makes him relatable. Also, his tone of voice which is very loud and excited, draws in viewers and makes him one of the most appealing characters of the movie.

Scuttles, Sebastion, and Flounder (The Little Mermaid).

2009-01-14T14:20:00.000-08:00

In the Little Mermaid, Ariel is accompanied by her lovely and loyal sea friends: Scuttles, a scatter-brained seagull, Flounder, a puffy yellow and blue stripped fish, and Sebastian, a tiny, uptight, red crab. These characters accompany Ariel on her adventures to find inventions and creations made by man. Ariel's kind friends join her when she meets Eric, the Prince with whom she falls in love. They accompany her to see Ursula, the Sea Witch, who changes Ariel into a temporary human in order to win Eric's heart. These characters also stick by Ariel's side while she attempts to make Eric fall in love with her without being able to use her voice, which she traded in order to gain a pair of legs. Scuttles who lives on land, helps Ariel identify the man-made objects which she comes across, and helps her learn how to use them (although he is almost always wrong). Flounder, the timid fish, is Ariel's best friend, and therefore follows her along on her dangerous tasks to find human inventions (such as forks and pipes) and explore old shipwrecks. Lastly, Sebastian the crab, hired by Ariel's father, attempts to knock some sense into the headstrong Mermaid when she admits her love for a human prince. Each of these side characters has their own special place in Ariel's life and their own responsibility to her. At each point during the movie, these characters always fulfill their responsibilities and duties to Ariel, and do them well. In addition to being loyal companions, these characters also create some of the major conflicts seen in the movie. For instance, Flounder incidentally reveals that Ariel occasionally visits the surface of the ocean, and Sebastian accidentally reveals Ariel's love for a human Prince. Without these issues, the plot would be boring and lack the imperative aspect of all plots, which is conflict.

Fairy Godmother (Cinderella).

2008-12-18T11:57:00.000-08:00

In Cinderella, the fairy godmother appears only for a brief moment. However, the effect that she has upon the story and us, the viewers, is a large one. Without the help of the fairy godmother and her character in this story, the story would not have been able to take place. This magical character essentially controls the whole story, and her witty character is one that draws in many viewers. Without the help of the fairy godmother, Cinderella's transformation from lowly step sister to princess would not have been possible, and she would not have met her prince. While changing Cinderella into a princess does cause its fair amount of trials and tribulations, everything ends happily ever after when Cinderella gets Prince Charming. She also serves as an aspect in this movie that many Disney movies posses- magic. With a wave of her wand, the fairy godmother is able to make all of Cinderellas greatest wishes and desires come true by turning her ratty clothes into a beautiful ball gown, her pumpkin into a carriage, and her beat up shoes into glass slippers. The fairy godmother draws in little girls from all over the world and compels them to watch Cinderella and dream that everything they wish can come true.

Genie (Aladdin).

2008-12-18T11:05:00.000-08:00

The side characters in various Disney movies, such as the genie in Aladdin, prove to be the most complex and interesting characters of the movie. Without these side characters, the simple plots of various Disney movies that many of us know and love might be a little bit too simple. Without these lovable characters helping out our heroes and heroines, and often sometimes creating more havoc, the movies might lack imperative aspects that make up every good story, such as problems and solutions, and they would probably lack much of the humor that so many of them posses. These "side" characters are often the most lovable and least "flat" characters of the movies. For instance, the Genie in Aladdin not only is capable of controlling the plot because of the power that his character possesses, but he also turns Aladdin into a better person by teaching him simple "morals" that many Disney movies attempt to fit into their movies. When Aladdin promises that he will use only two of the three wishes he gets from rubbing the magic lamp, and promises to use his final wish to free the Genie, Aladdin learns the value of a promise. Although it seems impossible for Aladdin to have his happy ending and marry Jasmine without using the final wish on himself, when he uses it on the Genie, everything seems to fall perfectly into place. This teaches us the value of making and promise, and teaches us that in order to receive, you must give in return.