Through the looking glass : a sociolinguistic analysis of Disney and Disney-Pixar

Animated films can reflect national fears and stereotypes (Lippi-Green, 1997; Bosinelli et al, 2005; Fouts, 2006). In particular, the way characters are portrayed within animated film can potentially reveal harmful misrepresentations of reality through stereotypical accent and visual representation (Bosinelli et al, 2005). Being aware of inherent ideologies and the harmful effects of stereotypical misrepresentation is an important component for the critical analysis and consumption of popular animated film. Disney films, in particular, have been the focus of several linguistic studies involving stereotypical representation of animated characters (Lippi-Green, 1997; Pandey, 1999; Pandey, 2001; Giovanni, 2003; Bosinelli et al., 2005; Fouts, 2006; Sehar B. Azad, 2009; Sonnesyn, 2011). Nevertheless, linguistic analysis has yet to be conducted on the newer Disney animated films longitudinally in contrast and in comparison to Disney-Pixar animated films. In light of this, the below research questions are investigated within the current analysis: 1. How has otherness (ethnic, racial, social, and regional) been systematically portrayed through linguistic elements (accented speech, lexical usage, syntactic form) in Disney-Pixar and Disney full-length animated feature films produced between 1995 and 2010? 2. Longitudinally, how are characters with marked linguistic elements in Disney full-length animated feature films portrayed? 3. How do depictions of characters with marked linguistic elements compare and contrast between Disney-Pixar and Disney animated films?Department of EnglishThe mirror of popular animated film : an introduction -- Setting the framework : a general review of the literature -- Methodological review of literature and current methodology -- A look at Disney over time -- Disney vs. Disney-Pixar : a double take -- Foreign accent representation in the current film samples -- Conclusion.Thesis (M.A.