Disney has employed animation in the movie, Aladdin, to portray the struggles that people go through. From the movie, it is evident that different people have different goals that they pursue in their life. His use of animation and the accompanying music is palpable beyond words in bringing out that nothing in life comes easily and that everyone has to overcome the challenges that he/she may come across in pursuit of his/her dreams (Darryl 10).
Disney clearly illustrates that wealth and treasures are not a guarantee to freedom and happiness in life. Freedom from problems and misery comes with relentless efforts in overcoming the problems that people face.
Fighting for what we need in life
Fighting for what we need in life begins with a clear understanding of what we want to achieve at the end of it all. In the movie, Aladdin and Jasmine know what they want to achieve in their lives. Aladdin, while watching the palace of the Sultan of their land, tells Abu that a day will come when things will change: they will be rich living in the palace where they will not have any problems at all.
According to Moon, lack of proper understanding of one’s problems leads to failure of his/her efforts (52).On the other hand; Jasmine needed freedom from the laws of the land as well as from the palace.
She wants to marry a man not by loyalty to the law but for love. Having this in mind, all their activities in the play are in pursuit of their hearts desires (Marzolph 22). It is the reason why they are willing to take risks provided they achieve what they want.
In pursuing ones goals, he/she needs to be bold and courageous to achieve success. Jasmine leaves the palace against her father’s wish and goes to the outside world despite her little knowledge of it.
She believes that it is outside the palace where she can get the love of her life and she did not hesitate in taking the risk. Aladdin goes through several problems in getting what he needs. For instance, he goes to steal bread from the palace simply because he wanted food. This gets him into trouble with the palace guards but he is able to flee from them by disguising himself.
The search for the golden lamb also portrays Aladdin’s courage in fighting for what he wants (Phares 24). He also remained bold focused especially when he enters the cave lest he would not get Jasmine’s hand in marriage. He endures all the suffering while in the cave after Jafar forces him back the cave.
Just like Jasmine and Aladdin, people need to put aside all potential barriers to success in achieving their dreams such as fear, greed and negative external influence on their efforts (Plotz 304). Honesty is also essential in fighting for what we need.
People ought to be themselves in their pursuit for their dreams. Trying to be someone else only brings more trouble (Lewis 16). In the play, Aladdin through the help of the genie transforms to proud prince Ali. Hiding his identity from Jasmine causes him more trouble.
Jafar uses this to fight against him making him to lose much time in devising a way to get back at Jafar. Pretending to be someone else delays and even ruins ones efforts in succeeding in life. Disney employs this shot to teach his audience the expense of denying ones identity.
Conclusion
Disney’s use of animation in the movie is not only entertaining but also very educative. We learn that one has to be bold, courageous and honest in pursuit of his/her dreams. One should also understand what he/she really wants in life to be able to strategize his/her moves. Employing these in our lives will grant us success just as in the case of Aladdin and Jasmine.
Works Cited
Darryl, Dickson. The Colombia Guide to Contemporary African American Fiction. New York: Columbia University Press, 2005. Print.
Lewis, Hacket. The European Dream of Enlightment and Progress. Age of Enlightment 2.6 (1992):10-22. Print
Marzolph, Utrich. The Arabian Nights Reader. Michigan: Wayne University Press, 2006.
Moon, Krystyn. Yellow Face. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 2005. Print.
Phares, Heather. Aladdin soundtrack review. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2008.
Plotz, Judith. Romanticism and the Vocation of Childhood. Hampshire: Palgrare Macmillan, 2004. Print.