Moana: An Analysis of a Mythic Heroine's Journey

A young woman named Moana, who lives on the island of Motunui, stars in a new Disney film, Moana. When Moana reaches adulthood, she will inherit the position of village chief from her father. The goddess Te Fiti is revered by the inhabitants of Motunui. As a result of the theft of Te Fiti's heart by Maui, Te Fiti crumbles, giving humanity the ability to create. A thousand years have passed since the events of Moana take place. To find Te Fiti's heart and return it, Moana sets off on a dangerous trip. Maui is found on an island she stumbles onto. A lack of cooperation is evident in him. When Moana and Maui first meet, they don't like each other, but they end up embarking on a journey together in which numerous vicious enemies attack them. After defeating several powerful foes, the two finally return the heart to Te Fiti, and the ocean is restored to its original state (Ramadhanty).

"Mythic man" is a perfect way to describe Moana. According to the video lectures, a mythic person is not always a hero, but he certainly can be. Moana is, without a doubt, a hero. However, the mythological man is said to have a flaw in the video lessons. The video lectures show that Perseus is fatigued after beheading Medusa, even if he has triumphed (Ramadhanty). This displays his might and demonstrates the difficulty of the task he undertook... but he accomplishes this by showing a flaw (his ability to become exhausted). Similar to Moana's portrayal, her flaws are used to demonstrate her strength. Her flaws are exploited to demonstrate how extraordinary her accomplishments are. When she was younger,

It's a simple matter of sailing away from the reef and then being stranded. Even though she has a flaw, she still defeats her opponents. As if that weren't enough, she becomes angry when Maui starts shoving her about and nearly snatches her boat. Because of the depiction of their shortcomings, these examples indicate how Moana links to the "mythic guy" Perseus from "The Clash of the Titans."

The mythic guy syllabus lists several of Moana's characteristics, making her an excellent example of a "mythic guy" in this context. As noted in the "mythic guy "'s" comments, "magic things" are an essential component. It's safe to say that Moana couldn't have done anything without the enchanted ocean's steady watchful eye. Maui's mystical hook came to their rescue numerous times (Walt Disney Animation Studios). Moana's enchanted items are what help her overcome the challenges of her trip, not her. This is analogous to how Perseus couldn't overcome Phineus in Book 5 of The Metamorphoses without the support of his prop: Medusa's severed head that turns people to stone.

Analysis

In the Mythic Guy Syllabus, a quest is an additional element that works well with Moana. Perseus' mission in The Metamorphoses is to defeat Medusa. Reunite Te Fiti with his heart, Moana's mission. The fabled heroes succeed in their quests in both circumstances. There are other ways in which Moana is marginalized or obviated in addition to her mission (Anggraini). Her father rejects her every time she expresses her desire to be beside the ocean. The boss reprimands the girl for her rebellious ways and tells her that she won't be promoted if she doesn't conform. Thus, her true self has been rejected and put out of its misery. "Divine assistance" is also available to Moana. Perseus has the assistance of Athena, Hermes, the witches, and the nymphs in The Metamorphoses. Moana's ancestors' spirits serve as divine advisors to her. As if that wasn't enough, Maui is a god with shape-shifting powers, and Moana's quest would not be complete without him. It's not uncommon for Maui, for example, to possess god-like power and the ability to transform into a variety of animals, including birds, to fly. On their trip, he and Moana face many obstacles, but these powers let him conquer them (Anggraini).

Moana exemplifies what it means to be a "mythic dude" in all of these ways. She has a quest, is obviated, has "divine assistants" and magic devices to aid her to fulfill her quest, which demonstrates her strength while exposing her weaknesses. As a "mythic gentleman," she has many characteristics with Perseus from The Metamorphoses, one of the most well-known examples (Ovid).

Anggraini, Noni. “WOMEN REPRESENTATION in the MOVIE MOANA.” ETTISAL Journal of Communication, vol. 3, no. 1, 5 June 2018, p. 39, 10.21111/ettisal.v3i1.2263.

Ramadhanty, Gita Mutiara. “THE COMPARISON of HEROINE’S JOURNEY in BRAVE MOVIE (2012) and MOANA MOVIE (2016).” CALL, vol. 2, no. 2, 22 Sept. 2020, 10.15575/call.v2i2.9288.

Ovid. Metamorphoses, Books 5. Obtained from https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OxKxQUuVEuGVsdM3ceivJzyC5ypQcid3xShJvl pf0JU/edit

Walt Disney Animation Studios. “Moana Official Trailer.” YouTube, 15 September 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKFuXETZUsI. Accessed 19 July 2019.