Representation of the Eastern Hero as an Extra-Cultural "Other" Based on the Theory of Roland Barthes (Case Study of the Animation of Aladdin)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD Candidate in Art Research, Art Faculty, Alzahra University. Tehran, Iran.

2 PhD, Associated Professor, Department of Graphic Design, Art Faculty, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran.

10.22034/ias.2021.307281.1756

Abstract

In the discourse of Eastern studies, what the Western media presents about itself and the other is a structure that has been formed under the influence of the creator's position. In this discourse, the West produces knowledge about the image it represents of the East, thus legitimizing its superiority over the other. This article strives to investigate the origins of the representation of the East in the Western media by examining the animation of Aladdin produced by the Walt Disney Company, in the Eastern discourse. By portraying different nations, the Disney company opened a window of unfamiliar cultures to children, and as a result, children's knowledge of the world and foreign cultures was shaped by the definition presented in the animations of this company. Based on Stewart Hall's theory of representation and using Roland Barthes' semiotic approach, the present research analyzes the selected work in the five codes. Based on this approach, it is sought to investigate how the East is represented in the mentioned animation? The results of these studies indicate that although the work in question has artistic, literary and technical values, it contains the biased view of the creator, which can lead to the formation of the audience's perception of Eastern culture, which is far from the truth.

Research aims:
1. Discovering the explanation of power is explained in the West through media representations with a case study of the Aladdin animation.
2. Examining the role of media representation strategies and discovering the influential implications in creating the construction of the East from the perspective of the West with a case study of the Aladdin animation.

Research questions:
1. How is the East represented as another culture from the point of view of the western creator in the Aladdin animation?
2. How is the relationship between the discourse of the West and the other explained in the Aladdin animation?

Keywords

References

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Islamic Art Studies
Volume 19, Issue 45 - Serial Number 45
February 2021
Pages 113-133

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