The idea of nature in Disney animation: from 'Snow White' to 'WALL.E'

Updated second edition of his 'The idea of nature in Disney animation' (2008) in which David Whitley examines Disney and Disney-Pixar animated films beginning with 'Snow White' in which the natural world is central to the story. Whitley argues, not only that the inherent sentimentality of films such as 'Bambi', 'The Jungle Book', 'Pocahontas', 'Beauty and the Beast' and 'Finding Nemo' does not detract from audiences' appreciation of environmental issues, but that the films actually express the ambiguities surrounding such issues. The author analyses various films in terms of the way nature is depicted and suggests that a new interpretation of Disney is required. Contents: Part 1 - Fairy Tale Adaptations 1 Domesticating Nature: 'Snow White' and fairy tale adaptation; 2 Healing the rift: human and animal nature in 'The Little Mermaid' and 'Beauty and the Beast.' Part 2 - The North American Wilderness 3 'Bambi' and the idea of conservation; 4 Wilderness and power: conflicts and contested values from 'Pocahontas' to 'Brother Bear.' Part 3 - Tropical Environments 5 'The Jungle Book': nature and the politics of identity; 6 Tropical discourse: unstable ecologies in 'Tarzan', 'The Lion King' and 'Finding Nemo.' Part 4 - New Developments 7 'WALL.E': nostalgia and the apocalypse of trash.'