Essay Comparing Two Disney Movies

E.E. Cummings once said, “It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are.” All young boys come face to face with the changes involved in growing up. At some point, boyhood stops and manhood begins. Theodore Roosevelt said, “The boy who is going to make a great man must not make up his mind merely to overcome a thousand obstacles, but to win in spite of a thousand repulses and defeats.” The transition from boy to man is not an easy one. Two Disney movies come to mind as the idea of growth to maturity surfaces. The first movie is Mulan. Mulan takes a slightly different spin on the idea of finding maturity and responsibility. Mulan is a girl who is determined to become a brave warrior and to fight for her family’s honor. She must disguise herself as a man, and she hopes that her master teacher will not see through her plan. Mulan shows extreme self-confidence and motivation. She does not have someone forcing her towards “manhood.” Mulan willingly makes the choice to take on this difficult task. …show more content…
Mowgli is a typical young boy, but his circumstances are not ordinary. Mowgli is in the care of a group of gentle, caring jungle animals. Baloo, the bear, shows great concern for Mowgli and fears that if returned to the human world, the humans would make a man out of him. According to Mowgli’s animal caretakers, becoming a man is a horrible fate. Baloo thinks the humans would ruin the wonderful boy that Mowgli has become. The animals like Baloo have a moral order that they see as being superior to that of the humans. These jungle animals may live through instinct and resort to violent protection, but so do the humans. The problem is that the animals’ way is necessary for their survival, but the humans have the ability to choose between good and evil. The jungle animals see the humans choosing evil way too