Amanda Ransom: Film Analysis

Human Diversity
Amanda Ransom
November12, 2014
Happy Feet Reflection

The movie is about a tribe of Emperor Penguins that possess great singing voices they use to attract mates. Mumble is a very different Penguin that can’t sing, but has a unique talent for tap dancing. The movie emphasizes racial diversity, where the Adelie Amigos are clearly Hispanics, the rappers are African Americans, the Skua birds spoke with Italian accents and the elephant seals spoke with a Scottish or Irish accents. Using his diversity and his different way in finding creative solutions and handling crises, he saves the day. Through the movie we begin to learn that a different ability isn’t a burden, but a gift to be treasured. Diversity is not only about
a difference of race, religion, gender, color, age or nationality; is a lot more than that. It encompasses sexual preferences, socio-economic factors, education, unique abilities and skills, disabilities, even being an extrovert or introvert.
Mumble’s family represents the challenges diversity faces when our biases and prejudices are deeply rooted within us.
From the moment we are born, we learn about ourselves, beliefs, and values through our surroundings. Our experiences give us our subjective points of view, known as biases, which serve as filters to make sense of any new information. Mumble’s father rejected him because he didn’t fit the criteria of what they are used to or perceive as being penguin. As a young penguin Mumble had to assimilate to what was thought as normal for his culture in order to fit in. He was often marginalized during school and around crowds. Mumble is the only Emperor penguin chick in Antarctica who can’t sing. His friend Gloria has a glorious voice, but Mumble can never hope to attract a mate without a ‘heart song’, the personal tune that all Emperor penguins must have. This gender discrimination affected his very way of
life.
Mumble is labeled as the scapegoat by the elders, who think his dancing is responsible for their shortage of fish.
The elders are looked up to for the wisdom from the Great Wind, the religion of the tribe. A dejected Mumble leaves the colony, determined to find out why the fish are disappearing. He has heard a rumor from the large and frightening Boss Skua that aliens inhabit the earth. He is adopted by five fun-loving Argentinian Adelie penguins a fat Rockhopper penguin called Lovelace, who’s slowly being strangled by a plastic tie around his neck, joins their quest. Away from home, Mumble meets a different race of penguins, the Adelie Amigos, who instantly embrace Mumble’s cool dance moves and take him in. Mumble helps his adopted tribe find a way to survive. Using courage and bravery, Mumble begins to teach everyone his unique dance, and they save the day using his distinctive capabilities.
He knows he can dance better than any penguin alive, but as his father Memphis tells him, dancing ‘just ain’t penguin’. This is part of the Foley and Marger Oppression Paradigm where he is treated less than “penguin”. As a young penguin, Mumble is denied the same education as the others due to his inability to sing. During his graduation, his peers send him away to another iceberg so that they did not have to communicate or associate with him. As a result of his dancing, the elders demonstrate their power over the tribe and banish him for being the reason of the fish
famine.
Mumble knows that the fish famine is being caused by something they do not understand. After being banished he begins what we call the contact theory. He sets out to make contact with the “aliens” to see if they could possibly help. He soon learns they are the cause of the famine. He still attempts contact with them and becomes educated about the life of humans as well as the outside world. He makes contact with them by dancing and the send him home. The humans follow Mumble back to his tribe and learn that they are causing a possible death of an entire colony of penguins. The humans stop their fishing and Mumble creates pluralism between the penguins and humans as well as his dancing and the others singing.
Mumble is looked as different and had a disability. When the elders confront him to change his ways and assimilate to the singing culture of the tribe Mumble says, “Don’t ask me to change because I can’t”. This originally got him banished from the tribe, but later on he was able to open the eyes of many and show that his disability is really ability. Happy feet shows that having confidence in your own identity can be rewarding and not a burden.