Comparing Princess Mononoke And Pocahontas: Relationships With Nature

Princess Mononoke and Pocahontas: Relationships With Nature

Princess Mononoke and Pocahontas provide a great foundation for the study of human/feminine-nature relationships. Even though they were made in different countries and produced by different companies, they both have a common theme of nature and this makes them a good choice for examining different perspectives on nature and humans. This essay will study the relationships that the characters have with female/human nature, explain how they relate to the spirits found in nature, and show how destroying nature leads to destruction. One of the biggest differences in the female/human nature relationships in these two films is in their attitude. Both movies have dealings regarding the
This hints that the variance between man and nature embodied by the characters is one that is beyond repair. In Princess Mononoke the narrator suggests “In ancient times, the land lay covered in forests, where, from ages long past, dwelt the spirits of the gods. Back then, man and beast lived in harmony, but as time went by, most of the great forests were destroyed” (Princess Mononoke (1997)). In its disparity to man and mankind, their disrespect for nature, stands Lady Eboshi, who has "constructed Tatara as a utopian refuge" for lepers and outcasts (Napier179). The apparent allusion about Irontown is of an industrialized town that is booming and since the iron ball that killed the boar god was made there, this symbolizes both death to nature and progress. In Princess Mononoke, the film takes a stronger position in making this point, while Pocahontas just suggests it with the building of the fort and digging for gold. These films suggest industrialization in some form, and that progress is an enemy to the environment. Pocahontas explains to Smith that "Indians are able to paint with all the colors of the wind," which is a suggestion that American Indians are more in harmony with their environment and able to use it imaginatively (Pocahontas (1995)). In closing, both films show characters interacting with each other to show that the destruction of nature leads to devastation of humankind, how spirits guide and are found in nature and how nature is important to the world around us. These films take such differing points of view whereas Princess Mononoke is dark and violent and Pocahontas is cute and fun. They both have the same message for viewers, that nature is an important part of our world and we need to have respect for it.