Whales In The 19th Century

Animals certainly have not had it easy when it comes to living alongside humans. Some of our favorite species today were abused and killed for their hides and bones to make work easier, and everyday life more luxurious. To kill another being in order make one’s life simpler seems like a ludicrous act to make, but it was normal in the 19th century. As the need of an animal’s body increased, their number’s became sparse due to the mass killing. People started to realize that without the animals they were rapidly killing off, such as bison and whales, life would be much more difficult. Since then, there has been a great change in the way people treat their important earthlings. While many animals were victims to the American people in the 19th …show more content…
“Whaling” became a major term of the 19th century. Whales were killed and used for almost every part of their body, similar to the bison. The fat, otherwise known as blubber was used to make soaps and oils, while the whale bone was used for everyday items like corsets, umbrellas, and combs. A factory whaling ship killed around 3 million of the innocent beings. A change occurred in the mid 20th century when they became an endangered species. Major protests and environmental organizations such as the “Greenpeace” spoke out against the cruelty, changing culture perceptions from a piece of material for the human’s use to a friendly and smart living thing (Fan, 11/30). We take more pride in our water bound friends now that their importance of existence has been emphasized. In the newly released Disney sequel, “Finding Dory”, animals live like they are human beings with thoughts and English language. Voiced by popular actors like Ellen DeGeneres, the film portrays a lost clown fish with short term memory loss- a relatable disability. The audience follows the lovable creature through the ocean as she looks for her family with disrupted thoughts. Along the way she meets a Beluga whale named Bailey who claims he lost his echolocation ability due to a head injury, just like a human could have. He overcomes his disability, and helps Dory through the pipes of a marine life exhibit to find her lost parents. The friendship bond is similar to two people, and the theme of being a good friend to those in need is made clear, and more easily understandable to young children. This concept is known as anthropomorphism, which is a widely used concept in pop culture especially in kid’s movies. Not all marine creatures have been portrayed nicely in movies such as “Jaws”. Humans invade the killer sharks’ environment, and the beasts take