~ “The best is he who of himself doth know;/Good too is he who listens to the wise;/But he who neither knows himself nor heeds/The words of others, is a useless man.” (Socrates) ~
Even at an early age, people are encouraged to make the right choices that will define who they become. I think children are most easily influenced by animation through videos. My favourite movies growing up were always the Disney films. Disney animators have created characters that are who we want to be more like, because they are good looking, humorous, and can always find a way to overcome their challenges. Now that I’m older, I recognize things more important than what the characters are, but what makes them who they are. There are certain ”life lessons” embedded in the films, such as follow your heart, and never give up. However, the lesson that seems of greatest importance, and can be found in every Disney movie, falls under the very topic we are discussing in English class- Identity.
The movie Beauty and the Beast hits a little deeper on the identity subject than most, and I think this is because one of the characters isn’t the typical “handsome prince”.
In the clip, Belle says “There’s something sweet, and almost kind. But he was mean, and he was coarse, and unrefined. And now he’s dear, and so unsure.” She describes the beast’s personality when she first meets him compared to what he is like later on. How a person is viewed by others is a major part of identity, because it is how you would be described to people who don’t know who you are. It is the simple words, like ‘nice’ or ‘grumpy’, that describe your personality and are a reflection on your identity. Also in this clip, it is shown how other people influence the person you become. The beast, who hasn’t ever learned how to interact with people or show emotion, is undergoing a change. He is developing feelings for Belle and knows she will never love him if he doesn’t show her “something there that wasn’t there before”. Many people either hide their bad attributes or create a new identity in order to impress people around them and be accepted.
The movie Mulan is definitely appropriate for the subject identity because the main character, Mulan, is put under various circumstances that force her to discover who she is.
In the above clip, Mulan is put under strenuous training to prepare for war. She changes her appearance, so that she is thought to be a man, in order to test what she can handle and protect her family, as well as China. I believe your personal experiences influence your identity and shape your personality. Mulan displays this well, because she is finding something within herself that is unexpected. Under the pressure from the other fighters, she is forced to become stronger, resourceful, and determined. Evolving as a result of her physical surroundings and companions, combined with her desire to prove herself, Mulan, to me, seems to be creating her identity from fresh.
Again this clip was from the movie Mulan. This is my favourite clip on identity, because it shows the softer, more desperate need to discover yourself. This part of the movie shows the multiple sides of people; the person you are and the person you want to be. Mulan uses the metaphor reflection, and a mask she can’t take off, to represent her other person. There is the side of Mulan that has to become what her family expects of her, and the other side she hasn’t been able to find or explore. She always puts on an act to meet her parent’s hopes, and it has come to the point where she doesn’t even recognize herself anymore. She knows she must break through that barrier to be true to herself. I especially liked the part where she erases half of her makeup, showing the two parts of who she is. Then she erases the other half because she can’t have the two unite and show.
Some of the most hard-hitting messages in movies, especially in animations, come from the lyrics in songs. Uncovering and understanding these messages make them real. These catchy tunes from the clips above are targeted towards a younger audience, however older people can still hear these same ideas relaid in their everyday music. I like downloading songs with purpose in their lyrics; sometimes life is best described through music. Songs have vulnerability to them, the artists expressing their thoughts openly to the world. In a way, this is an influence in itself, just by learning from the messages in music.
The different parts of identity shown in the video clips are more sugar-coated characteristics people have. There are more negative parts to humans as well, and they are influenced by some of the things mentioned in the clips. Things like family, friends, enemies, environments, situations, societal status, and the activities you’re a part of, all influence the person you are. The different labels you gain from these influences, such as ‘bitter’ or ‘friendly’, become the person others see and the person you want to develop into.
By: Tyler on April 22, 2008 
