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Chalaya — Feature Time! Disney's Pocahontas
Published: 2016-04-27 01:10:03 +0000 UTC; Views: 2444; Favourites: 9; Downloads: 0
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Alright! I finally have time to feature the next princess in line. Another black haired beauty: Pocahontas! I do like Pocahontas despite the mixed feelings surrounding her film and the way she herself was portrayed. I think some of the liberties taken were good choices considering the heavy subject matter. I have no problems with the way Pocahontas was portrayed other than I think they made her a bit too perfect. Unlike Jasmine, who is very dimensional in her character traits, Pocahontas is...not so much. In my opinion, she seems to be redundant in the aspects of her character. She's willful, kind, spirited, playful, intelligent, independent, athletic, curious and resourceful which are all great things but we've seen them ALL in past heroines multiple times. I will say that one thing unique about Pocahontas is that she seems to be more mentally mature than most of the other heroines we've seen so far other than Belle. She's more level headed and less emotionally charged or at least she seems to have more self-control and command over her emotions than the others which is a very good quality to have. That's not to say she doesn't feel things deeply or isn't passionate about what she believes. She's just more mature in her approach to it. So if nothing else, she definitely has that quality about her and I can appreciate that a lot. But as I said, one nitpick I have about her is that all her wonderful qualities seem to stand front and center while she seems to have very few flaws to speak of. Perhaps impulsiveness? But that can go either way so I don't think it counts for much since her impulsive side served her well in the film. If I'm missing something let me know though! I love discussions! And don't get me wrong, I do enjoy her character very much.
Anyway, without further delay, here is Pocahontas everyone! Ok, so I hope you enjoyed this amazing collection of Pocahontas art! Lots of flying hair in this feature which you know I love. Stay tuned because Esmeralda is next! Wow, three stunning black haired ladies in a row. I'm so excited to do Esmeralda. Not only is she a great character, but she has my favorite hair/eye combo of all time...Black and green. Whoo!!
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Comments: 66
You're most welcome! Every piece featured here was amazing and I'm glad you enjoyed it. Keep up the amazing work!
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They sure were.
Thank you. I will most definitely try.
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POCAHONTAS!! Thank you so much for featuring my work !
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This is a marvelous feature!
Pocahontas was one of my favorites! The rich score, the lushly colored palettes of shades and hues evoking the majesty of nature, and the overall visual motifs were awe-inspiring to me as a child.
Although the story itself is largely problematic, the score and animation were second to none.
Thank you for these marvelous features! This brought a deluge of a childhood nostalgia.
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I'm so glad you like them! I'm super excited to do these features, especially since I love Disney so much! I totally agree with you about the animation and the marvelous colors of the film. I'm happy to know people are enjoying these features as much as I love doing them.
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thank you so much for featuring my watercolor piece!
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Thanks for the feature! There's some really fantastic pieces here! Can't wait to check out these other artists
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You're most welcome! I'm so glad you enjoyed the feature. That's why I do them!
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Thank you for the feature! I love Pocahontas so, so much. I love your intro and feelings on this wonderful character <3
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You're most welcome! I love Pocahontas as well. I'm glad you like the feature!
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Thank you for featuring my art. It's is a good description and great viewing of Pocahontas artwork!
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It's my pleasure! I'm so glad you enjoyed the feature. I love doing them!
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Thank you so much for the feature!
Pocahontas is one of my all time favorite characters since I was little kid and your collection is absolutely wonderful
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You're most welcome! I'm so glad you enjoyed these beautiful pieces as much as I do!
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I just finished an Esmeralda piece a couple of days ago! ^___^ I hope you check it out Cassie! You inspired me to create it.
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That makes me so happy!! This is totally the reason I love doing features! They appreciate great art and inspire others to create! I looooove your Esmeralda! She is totally going in my feature when I do it, as are your other new Disney pieces! I'm going to comment on them soon as well!
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Omg Cassie thank you for your kind words! You always put the sunshine in my day! 
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Pocahontas is such a source of controversy for Disney and much of it is worth discussing, particularly due to the effect it has on Native American and First Nations peoples. Nevertheless, I do feel the film has its merits. Chief among them are its animation and music. However, I think Pocahontas stands as one of the most unique heroines in the Disney umbrella.
The reason I say this is that she says a lot about the modern woman, as well as our connection (or lack thereof) to nature as a society.
Her first solo song, "Just Around The Riverbend," touches on the themes of the reprise of "Belle" and further elaborates on the concepts. We're thus presented with a free spirited woman who is at war with staying true to who she feels she is and who her society wants her to be. She knows that the right thing to do is to marry the guy who looks good on paper, but marriage disinterests her. This came at a crucial time in history, at the onset of the so-called Girl Power era. Her conflicted mind mimicked that of the modern woman - "do I follow my dreams or do I settle down?"
Her second solo "Colors of the Wind" serves as a biting criticism of the way in which humans mistreat nature. For me, this adds a dimension to Pocahontas that no other Disney Princess has. Yes, they all love animals - but none are as respectful or as in tune with the natural world as Pocahontas. She was, in essence, an environmental activist. Humans have a lot to learn from her.
I'll always have a soft spot for this character, even though it is tempered by the negative connotations associated with her visual portrayal and historical precedent.
All of that said... Thank you so much for the feature! I'm grateful to be in such great company. There were, once again, so much art here for me to favourite.
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Of course you are most welcome! You know, I always go to your favorites after I do a feature to see which ones you collect. What's interesting is that the ones you fave are always some of my absolute favorites!
I can see your point about her. All the things you said are very true. It's just that, for me I guess I just find her hard to relate to. Everything about her is perfect to the point of it being slightly annoying to me. That's not to say that I don't think she's a great character, because she is. She definitely cares for nature to a deeper degree than any of the others that have gone before, or after her for that matter. I just find her lack of flaw to be a bit grating. Nobody is THAT perfect. Unless I'm missing something under the surface, which I can do from time to time. It has been years since I've seen the film. And really, I do like her. There are just others that I find more interesting.
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Pocahontas' flaw is that she's reckless. We see that she's not one to follow rules and her actions lead to some pretty grave consequences. She's more likely to take risks and put herself in danger than any previous Disney Princess. If I'm not mistaken, the very first time we're introduced to her she jumps off a giant cliff. That's pretty darn dangerous.
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Yeah, I get the reckless thing. But that has been done so many times that I feel like it's a cop-out flaw. I don't think I agree that some of the others are less likely to put themselves in danger. I mean, look at all the girls before her who were reckless in one way or another. Let's start with recklessness's poster child, Ariel. Need I say more? Then there's Alice. She followed some strange talking rabbit into a hole. Tinkerbell, who tried to do business with a villain and also saved Peter Pan by putting herself direct contact with the explosive meant to kill him. Jasmine. Ran away from home after years of being sheltered. Even Belle who took off after her father into unknown territory without telling anyone where she was going or asking for help and then ran away from the beast into wolf infested woods. Even Aurora and Cinderella did things that could be considered somewhat reckless. It's like the universal "Disney Heroine Flaw". Meanwhile there are so many flaws and hangups out there that can make these characters more dynamic. Now again, this is merely a nitpick. Pocahontas is a great character and personally, I have no idea how other flaws could be worked in but I'm sure there's a way. That's the job of the writers, haha!
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I would certainly compare her to Ariel. She risks her own life and that of John Smith by continuing to meet with him in secret. It's because of this that Kokoum ends up being shot by Thomas. All of this sets off a chain reaction that very nearly starts a war. The stakes are the absolute highest in Pocahontas than in any other Disney film before it.
Of course, she's also fairly pigheaded. The audience lets her get away with it due to her actually being right. We notice she's completely dismissive of John Smith and his ideals (quite rightfly so). She treats most other people in her life the same way. She makes fun of Kokoum, never reels Miko in, and ignores just about every piece of advice she's given. Well, unless that advice comes from Grandmother Willow.
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I would say that the stakes are pretty high in "The Little Mermaid" as well. Ariel almost caused the downfall of her father's reign, thus putting not only her civilization but the entire ocean at risk of Ursula's tyranny. I will say at least Pocahontas was capable of fixing her own mess while Ariel helplessly watched from the sidelines while her loved ones did all the work.
That's true. I hadn't thought of that. So yeah, that can definitely be a major flaw in someone, depending on the situation. However, I do have to say that most of the advice she ignored was advice that wasn't healthy or right, just as you said. Only Grandmother Willow gave her decent guidance. So I'd say that rather than being pigheaded, it was more that she is capable of discerning good advice from bad? I mean, she knows herself and she knows what she believes in and sometimes going against the grain is necessary to make changes for the better. As you said, most of the time she was right in her way of thinking. The real test would be to see if she herself wanted to do something that wasn't wise, and have her most respected mentor tell her to do otherwise. Would she listen? If Grandmother Willow told her not to meet John Smith, would Pocahontas take her advice? If not, then yes I think she could be called pigheaded for sure, but that situation was never addressed in the film because Grandmother Willow never disagreed with Pocahontas even in those iffy situations.
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I actually saw a local production of The Little Mermaid recently, which was based off of the Broadway version Disney produced a while back. It was interesting because it clearly attempts to resolve a lot of the issues with Ariel. I'm bringing this up because she's the one that saves the day in the musical. Of course, the funny thing about it is that Eric seems almost... unnecessary in the musical. His songs aren't very good and he lacks any real personality, while Ariel herself seems far more interested in human life in general than falling in love. Further research revealed that there have been further revisions to the musical's book and score, shifting themes in the story to emphasize Ariel and King Triton's relationship (which is already pretty pronounced in the Broadway version) and making Ariel's narrative more about her love for the world above than for Eric.
Pocahontas pushes against tradition and stability in the film. To modern viewers, we view that as a good thing particularly during the age of Girl Power in the '90s. More conservative or traditional viewers may take issue with that. Marriage to her appears to be stifling and she shows little interest in really helping out her community. After all, while everyone else is out harvesting she's gallivanting throughout the forest. Nowadays we see this kind of individualism as a good thing. I think that's something interesting to consider as well. After all, the advice she ignores is all advice that would be and sometimes is considered good.
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That seems interesting, but for me it doesn't change my view of Ariel in the film. It's like we talked about before. I have a difficult time meshing different adaptations of one character into a complete whole. The Broadway version of Ariel might portray her one way, but she is still the way she is in the original film. Like we discussed with Tinkerbell and the different ways she is portrayed. The new films may steer her in one direction but one still can't ignore her other incarnation in the original text and film. To me, the original movie Ariel is one version of the character and the Broadway version would be a completely different version. I can't meld them together in my mind.
I don't necessarily view her tendency to push against tradition and stability as a good thing, although you're right about it. That is a flaw of hers that I overlooked. I think some movies tend to box off things as either all bad or all good. Sure, trying to make someone marry for reasons other than love is a bad thing, but there are some traditions that are very good. There is nothing wrong with tradition as long as it's not hurting others and as long as people understand the reasons for a tradition. Like the tradition of community in the film, when as you said, everyone is out working together for the good of the whole group. There is nothing wrong with individualism as long as it doesn't come with a selfishness and tendency to ignore responsibilities. I think tradition is given a bad rep. People either stick to it for dear life or reject it completely, all because it's merely considered "traditional". I think that like anything else, traditions should be examined closely and on an individual basis before it's determined if they're good or bad.
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Most definitely. The filmic Ariel is one character, the one in the plays is another. I just think it's interesting to note how creators tackle the character after the fact and how much they're willing to acknowledge the shortcomings of her character.
The interesting thing about Pocahontas is that it's a movie that never really preaches what is right or wrong when it comes to the traditions of the titular character's people. We definitely know that the Europeans are way off base and are certainly wrong in just about everything they do, but the indigenous characters are far more complex. We can thus further examine Pocahontas through that lens. If her culture and people aren't stifling, is she selfish and does she ignore the responsibilities she has for her community? Or are they understanding of her free-spirited attitude? I don't know. It's interesting to consider. Though complicated because we're talking about a fictionalized version of an extremely controversial figure that is a source of pain for many Native Americans and First Nations people.
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Yes that part is interesting. I never saw the play so I can't really have a valid opinion about them, but I'm sure it's neat to see her character in a different light.
Yes, I can definitely understand what you're saying there. However, I can't help but think that the film was pushing the idea that her spirited nature is the "right" way, for herself at least. I get the vibe that the filmmakers were trying to deliver the message that Pocahontas should follow her own heart and not the traditions of her people. With the exception of the secret meetings with Smith, nowhere else in the film does it hint that she is being irresponsible or that she's shirking her culture of people in anyway. Her own father even alludes to this when she's not present at the return of the warriors. You'd think he would be disappointed that his daughter wasn't there when he returned from a dangerous battle but his remark was something about "you know Pocahontas, she goes where the wind carries her" or something another. Plus no one else tries overly hard to correct her either. Her friend merely hints at the fact that she's tired of keeping secrets for Pocahontas and being involved in her shenanigans, but that's about the extent of it. I think that says that her people are pretty understanding of her free spirited nature and it's like they don't even expect her to take part in the work and help out. To me, everything about the film says follow your dreams and pay no heed to the traditions or responsibilities that you have to your community. At least that's what I got out of it. Not to say that your analysis isn't correct because your points are certainly there. They are just buried deep beneath the surface. After all, the film was designed for children, and they are rarely able to look beyond what's right in front of them. The message at the surface what will stand out to them and the creators know this.
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It's kind of like the antithesis The Little Mermaid in that respect. That film shows us an unhealthy relationship between father and daughter, where the former is overprotective and the other rebellious. He's unsupportive in just about every way, but she's also as unreasonable as you can get. It's almost the reverse in Pocahontas.
Interestingly, you see the film suggests the theme of following one's dreams... but what is Pocahontas' dream? After all, it's a film that doesn't give us a happily ever after. Pocahontas and the man she fell in love with part at the end. They don't ride off into the sunset. What does that suggest?
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That's what it sounds like, for sure. It would be interesting to see the plays for that reason if nothing else.
True. But initially it's never said that her real dreams are to fall in love and be with someone. She didn't even know John Smith when it's implied that falling in love isn't her main focus. It just so happened that she did fall in love, but with whom? A mysterious stranger from a distant land that she was forbidden to see from the start. I think it's hinting that her real desires aren't to fall in love and settle down but to be free and do as she pleases. She scoffs at marriage to a member of her own community because of what it implies for her future (settling down, hard work, motherhood, ect). Those things don't interest her. In her eyes, John Smith represents adventure and excitement whereas the more practical and probably smarter alternative is unappealing to her. So I think it wasn't the end of her dreams when she wasn't able to pursue her relationship with John Smith. Of course she was sad but it wasn't her everything. I think that's exactly what the film is saying. It's alright if you don't end up with your idea of prince charming. There's more to life than romance and falling in love so when they parted you get the since that even though Pocahontas is sad to see him go, she's going to be ok. She's going to live her life, which I think is actually a healthy message to send. It's sad to part ways with a first love, but everything will work out.
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I still think it's ambiguous in the end what it is she wants. Perhaps the point was the idea that she should have free will and freedom to do as she pleases, rather than living her life according to what has already been set out for her. Then again, I think most of the Disney Princesses have very vague "dreams." For most of them, it was freedom from their restrictive circumstances. What enabled them to escape from their bondage before was love, but Pocahontas is the first instance where that's not the solution. Like you said, is just kind of happened.
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I agree with you about that. We really don't know EXACTLY what she wants. Who knows if she really even knows (if her movie character were a real person, that is). Many people are unsure about what they want out of life. I just think she definitely knows that her main focus in life is not to find a man, fall in love and settle down or else she probably would have married Kocoum to begin with. That's just what I got out of the film. Aside from the other obvious messages I think one of the ideas is that when people fall in love they don't always end up together and that's okay. I didn't end up with my first love. I'd say most people don't but a lot of the Disney films give the impression that the first person you fall in love with is the one you're somehow destined to be with and that's simply not true. It doesn't mean that your life is over. It just means you have to pick up the pieces and move on.
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I'd never thought too much about the ending of Pocahontas and what that means. I like the sense that you're giving me, in that life goes on even if a great love departs from your life.
Pocahontas was the only film within the Disney Princess pantheon that ended so ambiguously. It also wouldn't be until Brave that we'd get no sense that there was a man in the picture at the close of the movie. Even Mulan, a film often touted as Disney's crown feminist jewel, leaves the door open for the idea that one of Mulan's "rewards" is the potential for she and Li Shang to be together. Disney's marketing department sure goes into overdrive to make sure we assume that. Oddly enough, Pocahontas and John Smith still get shipped off together as a couple in merchandising.
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Well, I think that the ending of Pocahontas gives a good perspective to those watching that sometimes romantic relationships just don't work out. Of course I don't understand how she and John Smith get shipped together. The sequel sealed the doom of their relationship. He went off adventuring and she married John Rolfe. But whatever, continuity doesn't seem to be a big priority with Disney. (facepalm) I liked Mulan a lot but I don't understand the whole feminist problem with falling in love and ending up with someone. So what if she and Li Shang get married? Again, her goal wasn't to fall in love, it just happened or that's what the film is hinting at anyway. I thought that the idea that women have to wait around to be rescued by the man is what feminists have a problem with, not two characters merely falling in love. I think that we pretty much get the idea that Mulan can hold her own by the end of the movie so what's the big deal about her and Shang? Mind you, it matters not to me I'm just wondering if you can explain it to me.
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I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with Mulan and Li Shang getting married, nor do feminists take issue with the general idea of characters falling in love. I can't speak for any other feminists, but only myself when I say that I felt like Mulan and Li Shang's romantic subplot was wholly unnecessary. Did it add anything to the plot? Did it contribute anything towards Mulan's character? Her actions? Her bravery? No.
The film doesn't do a whole lot to actually develop a relationship between the two nor does it bother to create any real chemistry between them. It spends more time building Mulan's friendship with Mushu and her companions in the military.
Identity is a huge theme in Mulan. She starts her journey firmly rooted in the cultural norms of femininity in China and the film then takes her through the reality of masculinity in China. She plays at both, yet neither fit. By the end of the film, I believe that Mulan teaches us that humans are more complex than the male and female boxes we're put in as children. The ambiguity of Mulan's fate either undermines or emphasizes this. Since we don't know what she does after her reunion with her father, that is until the sequel, we are to assume she's given the free will to be who she wants to be. But perhaps the film also makes the case for her to be pulled right back into the domestic sphere, an area she pushed so hard against at the start of the film. Is there anything wrong with the domestic sphere? No, of course not. But when Disney has a history of saying that a woman's "happily ever after" is getting hitched, that's when we run into problems.
Thankfully, Pocahontas was the turning point for that. Subsequent films gave us such rich, powerful representations of femininity. We got to see that women could be both independently successful and be happily in love (Tiana) and we also saw that not all women's stories revolve around men (Brave).
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Oh okay, that makes more sense. Thanks for clearing it up. As far as that urge in well, really any films to create romantic subplots I agree with you fully that it just isn't always necessary and sometimes is really annoying. I hate it to be honest. It's like people will take a story that has absolutely nothing to do with romance and then proceed to shoehorn it in there whether or not it really has a place in the story. I don't know if you're much into Star Wars but I just recently saw the newest one and fans are already trying their best to "pair up" characters when the whole plot is anything but romance driven. I don't know if the filmmakers are planning on doing it but if they do, I'm gonna be super annoyed. Oh it makes me crazy! Of course, I'm not a romantic and others are and that's fine but I wish Hollywood would leave SOMETHING for us non-romantics out there. Anyway, tangent aside, I'm right there with you. Romance is okay when it's beneficial to the plot but when it's not it's just in the way of an otherwise good story.
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You know what I find interesting?
The first major version of my Femmes Fatales novel that I sent around was heavy on the relationship drama. When I decided to rewrite the novel, many of those elements were eschewed. Partly because one of the characters was excised (Mary) and because I wanted to push some of the drama forward to be used in future novels. I instead wanted the plot to be focused primarily on the characters, their interactions with one another and the action.
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I'd love that! I'd snatch up your books in a second with that being the case. Don't get me wrong, I don't think there's anything wrong with the whole relationship drama thing. Some people love it and that's fine. But it would be nice to have at least some entertainment that didn't involve it. I know it's a part of life and all but characters falling in love with each other isn't the only thing that can make an audience enjoy the story. There are, as you said, the other kinds of interactions between characters and of course, the action. I tend to enjoy those kinds of things more than romance and such. That's one reason I really enjoyed Brave. No romance at all. The movie was based off of Merida's relationship with her mother with no romantic side stories at all. I loved it! But there are so few movies, shows and books like that. Romance is shoehorned into almost everything.
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