'A Hero Dichotomy In Disney's Wreck It Ralph'

A Western set in the arcade world, the Disney film Wreck It Ralph has elements of both a disguised and revisionist western in its use of the traditional official hero vs outlaw hero dichotomy, as seen in the characters Fix It Felix Jr. and Wreck It Ralph, but also in its unconventional preference for the homestead and community rather than the horizon. Wreck It Ralph’s use of the official/outlaw hero dynamic is clearly laid out in the beginning of the movie, in which we see Felix being awarded with a medal by the Nicelanders after another successful day of work. They then all go into their homes, but not without one lady jumping at the sight of Ralph and quickly rushing in. Then, the scene follows a lone Ralph to where he goes for the night, which is “an actual dump, where the garbage goes, and a bunch of bricks and smashed building parts,” (Wreck). Felix is shown as the official hero; a community man who is part of the …show more content…
He ends up in another homestead, the racing game Sugar Rush, in which he befriends a little girl named Vanellope Von Schweetz. She is a glitch in the game, although it is later revealed that King Candy, indirectly killed by Ralph in the end, actually pestered with the code of the game in order to take Princess Vanellope’s throne. Meanwhile, Ralph’s original game is deemed “out of order” because Ralph is gone, and thus at risk of being plugged out, which would cause all the Nicelanders to become homeless. Felix, worried for his community, goes on a search for Ralph to try to convince him to come back. Our outlaw hero is thus met with a dilemma of choice, stuck between his “moral center” – saving the game from being unplugged – and his “interest center” – wanting to gain a medal (Ray). He ultimately ends up doing the right thing, as outlaw heroes tend to do, and goes back to be the “bad guy” in order to save the game