Disney’s Historically Inaccurate Pocahontas Essay Example

the film.

On the other hand, “Disney’s ‘Politically Correct’ Pocahontas” article by Kilpatrick, also showed similar claims like that of the first article. First and foremost, I very much agree with the two articles which I have read. It is very obvious that the authors of both articles were able to give their readers valid points of position with regards to their claim that Disney’s Pocahontas is not accurate. The primary inaccuracy of the film is the fact that it obviously distorted history. One of the obvious inaccuracies of the film is the age of Pocahontas.

In the Film, Pocahontas is a ‘voluptuous young woman when she met John Smith…’ (Kilpatrick 42). However, in true account, ‘she would have been about 10 or 11 at the time’ (Crazy Horse 47). This fact alone proves that there could really be more that one inaccuracy that could have happened. Obviously, the things that a 10-year old girl could experience are quite different from the experiences that a 20-year woman could encounter. All these were obviously done in the name of ‘entertainment’.

Of course, people will not patronize a film which depicts romance between a 10-year old Pocahontas and a 30-something John Smith so they really have to modify it in terms of the age. It saddens me that the film showed inaccuracy with regards to history. The film is obviously intended for children since it is a Disney production. It’s not entirely wrong to consider the children’s range of comprehension. But to alter the history altogether for the sake of entertainment is another story. Isn’t it sad that the children are exposed to wrong accounts of history?

As stated in one

of the articles, ‘The visual is emotionally more compelling than the written word… this film will exist as ‘fact’ in the minds of generations of American children’. (Kilpatrick 42). I think it will be more acceptable to modify a certain piece if it is just fictional. But Pocahontas is not. She is a real person who lived in the past so you cannot just portray her as someone who is completely different from the person she really is. Another issue raised was the ‘stereotypical image of Native American woman’ issue.

According to Kilpatrick, “Indian women have been seen sacrificing themselves and their tribal communities for their white loves” (44). Pocahontas is known primarily because she saved the life of a white man and is even considered a hero of Euro-Americans, as the ‘good Indian’. The film depicts Pocahontas, as a Native American woman, who might easily go gaga over the first white man she sees. But historically speaking, Pocahontas is not that type of woman. In fact, she was just an innocent 10-year old girl during that time. But the ending of the story is the most inaccurate of all and is given the most injustice, if I may say.

Disney’s version of the finale for the movie is sad, moving, but basically hopeful that although Captain John Smith and Pocahontas must part, their spirits will be “forever joined on a path that never ends. ” (Movieweb 21). According to Crazy Horse, the true Pocahontas story has a sad ending. At the age of 17—taking in account of course that the real Pocahontas was 10 years old when her “story” began—was “treacherously taken prisoner by the English

while she was on a social visit, and was held hostage at Jamestown for over a year. (Crazy Horse 16).

Apparently, Disney wouldn’t have even considered showing the real ending, for the sake of their audience, but at the expense of the Powhatan Nation. Disney’s Pocahontas based from the historical encounter between the colonist of Jamestown and the natives of the Powhatan tribe, has given inaccurate historical accounts. “When you take on a Disney animated feature, you know that you’re going to be affecting entire generations of human minds” (Kilpatrick 45). I very much agree with Kilpatrick.

A “Big congratulations” to Walt Disney! However, I am still quite sad because many people were exposed to a wrong account of history. Many children, for that matter, will live with this “fact” unless they read history themselves. Again, Walt Disney Productions succeeded in “affecting an entire generation of human minds”, but unfortunately, with the wrong influence because of wrong information. Disney does not only prove that they don’t put historical facts first in their list of things to consider. It shows how they would readily alter history for the sake of a few million dollars and the supposed happiness of the audience.