DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, AND ARCHIVAL SILENCES: THE QUEST FOR REPRESENTATION IN THE JUNGLE BOOK THROUGH THE LENS OF THE WALT DISNEY ARCHIVES

Throughout its nearly 100-year history, The Walt Disney Company has not only become a global corporation and household name, but also synonymous with entertainment itself. The company is a hub for stories that audiences associate with their childhoods, as well as content that caters to varying demographics across generations. Especially with a foundation that was strengthened during (and despite) the years of the Great Depression, it is evident that the studio was aware of the social context in which they were releasing their films, with stories that appealed to the sentiments of the time. The Disney library of films is a collection of stories known to emphasize inclusion and belonging, despite all odds. However, the regard with which public memory has attributed Disney to all things “good” has, over the years (and in recent history), been challenged as the social landscape regarding authentic inclusion continues to be in the spotlight. In this paper, I will address criticisms regarding the diversity of characters in two of Disney’s feature film adaptations of The Jungle Book (1967 and 2016)