Decoding Disney 101-11 -- Spring 2019

My name is Dylan Kalani Newbro, and I have lived in Hawaii for the past fifteen years of my life. My time on the islands has taught me a lot, but most importantly shown me that I want my life to be an adventure and not limit myself to a group of small island thousands of miles from the nearest coast. I have filled my time before Duke with volleyball, outrigger canoe paddling, swimming, hiking, and sculpting, and while I have thoroughly enjoyed that time I began to experience extreme cabin  (island) fever. At this point, my passion for "reading," technically listening to audiobooks as a result of my dyslexia, came in. Books, and more specifically fantasy books and books based on mythology, have been my escape from the islands, and the driving reason behind my desire to take this course. While everyone loves a good Disney movie, I am much more attracted to this course for its in-depth look into the traditional sources of the Disney adaptions. Everything from Grimms' Fairy Tales to Greek mythology and everything in between is so fascinating to me. This passion, in turn, leads me to what I would like to learn and discuss in class this semester. I want to take an in-depth look into the traditional backgrounds behind Disney movies, learning things like the voodoo influences in The Princess and the Frog, what monsters and gods are referenced in Hercules, and what inspired the mythos of Moana. I am looking forward to this class and at the very least beginning to satiate my desire to understand the various myths and folklore that has inspired modern pop culture.