Anthropology in relation to Disney’s “A Bug’s Life” Essay

When viewing Disneys A Bugs Life with the sarcastic eye of an anthropologist, it is substantial to truly believe that it is a childrens movie. This movie is an introduction to the involved world of anthropology and its concepts. One finds elements of civilisation in many incompatible lights throughout this film. A Disney masterpiece sh on the whole be proven in this root word to not only intrigue the younger audience, plainly it sh altogether verify the detail that the way humans function is so easily portrayed, redden in the simplest behavioral patterns.As the film opens, the ants argon preparing for the coming of the ravenous ground balls by filling a leaf with food products. For this food collection the ants business deal the food following a straight line whizz after the different(a) until an autumn leaf descends to the ground separating one ant from the line. This causes mound confusion and disorder. The ants learned behavior caused them to lose their self-contro l and allowed them to break the variance of labor. Had the ants not been so set in their assembly line ways, they expertness not take a crap had the problem they did.Flik (the of import character of the movie) holds intelligence standardised none of the other ants in the production. He uses his brain as irrelevant to learned behavior in order to try and assist the colony. His many inventions are advanced, yet still unrefined enough to go wrong. The other ants frown upon his differences showing ethnocentrism at its finest. Within their own socialization, Flik is looked blast upon.One could view Fliks intelligence as a regeneration of the ant colony, but an even better eccentric is that of the grasshoppers psychotic mutation known as Thumper. Thumper is used to frighten the ants even more. His intimidation situationor is used against the ants so they will work harder and prompt to appease the tribal grasshoppers needs.Flik, being beyond that of his oath ants, confronts t he hierarchy of his volume to make a request that he treat to the metropolis in search of warrior bugs to save the colony once and for all from the big, bad, grasshoppers. After receiving approval, he sets off for the city not knowing what to involve or who to encounter. By being able to leave the colony on his own free will, Flik proves he is adaptive and able to think freely for himself.His fellow ants look on in amazement as Flik lets his journey. The other ants cultural restraints did not allow them to even truly process what he was doing. The ants could not see passed the taboo of leaving the island, and therefore, were stuck to the island and unable to mentally iron themselves away.Upon entering the city, it is made immediately obvious the vast amount of sub-cultures that prosper throughout. Flik is taken aback and is not very aware of what exactly is occurring. He is different from the others because he is a country bumpkin. He is from the country and does not know any b etter than his country boy ways. Cultural relativism is shown here, as he is not accepted for his beliefs and actions in the city. Many things separate him from the city culture in yet another example of ethnocentrism against Flik.Even linguistic communication makes Flik distinctive from the other bugs and he is somewhat wary of what he is doing. unluckily his judgment is not all there and he chooses carnival bugs oer warrior bugs to come back and save his people. This confusion shows Fliks urban soreness and how easily it can be for one sub-culture to be mistaken with another. luckily enough for Flik, he was a more advanced ant and not the type of noble savage the rest of his colony might be confused for. He is willing to take the initiative and get to the emerge he wants to go.When Flik returns the unknowing warrior bugs to the colony, he is met with praise and admiration (as are the warrior bugs). The warrior bugs make to realize what they are getting involved in and they gro w frightened. Soon, they begin to come a longsighted and appreciate the colony and their worth to the ants of the colony. This integration of culture is the main reason that the transition the ants would soon develop worked.Another example of sub-culture in this movie is that of the queens youngest daughter and her friends. They form a club that is based upon childhood innocence but is able to do well up for the whole colony. Without the work theydid, the anthill might not have been saved.After gaining the trust and earning the help of the warrior bugs, the ants are able to begin their revolution. This revolution contains much evolution in it. The ants are able to drop their learned behavior in order to come together and build the monster bird that will scare off the grasshoppers and save the day. Working together and breaking tradition, everything does end up work until the rest of the colony discovers the honest identity of the warrior bugs. This leads to trouble again for Fl ik, but all ends up working out.Cultural relativism is seen again at the end of play when the humorous grasshopper Moulder leaves his tribe in order to stay with the stronger and smarter group of circus bugs. He also follows Darwins survival of the fittest concept in desiring to go with the better plan.There are examples of individual variation as well throughout the entire movie. Flik is the best example in that he is the main individual of the colony. His views are separate from anyone else and he strives to make things better for his people. each(prenominal) one of the circus bugs has a strong sense of individuality. It is their differences to their own attractive that brings them together to form their posse. And no matter what situation they are brought into, they are very individual from the larger group they are around.The grasshoppers were a group who practiced and accepted a strong generalize reciprocity from the ants. The ants toiled all day trying to appease the evil on es appetites, and got nothing in return. Hopper (evil leader of the grasshoppers) made void promises about the ants losing their colony if they werent protected by the grasshoppers. But this would all be proven otherwise, when the ants realized their potential and saw that they did outnumber the grasshoppers 10 to 1. Coming to this conclusion is what truly allowed the ants the break their learned behavior and observe themselves.The difference in the cultures of the ants and the grasshoppers is something else of interest for this movie. The grasshoppers are a lazy culture that relies upon anyone but themselves to do work. The ants on the other hand, are hard workers. They not only perform the food gathering each year for them, but they also do enough for the grasshoppers as well. They work hard and long not realizing that they do not have to work for the grasshoppers too. The grasshoppers depend upon the fact that the ants do not know any better and hope it trunk that way. Luckily for the ants, Fliks intelligence is beyond that of the grasshoppers and it leads to revolution.In comparison to that of humans, Flik is a key human rights activist. He is strong about the will of the people and the freedom of his fellow ant. His spiritual strength is beyond that of anyone (even the queen of the colony) and he does end up making up for all of the mistakes he makes along the way.A Bugs Life not only lives up to anthropological expectations, it lives up to childhood entertainment purposes. Its uncanny and smooth cabal is of award merit. Taking the best examples of culture and its components, Disney is able to put that into a simple context that anyone can understand and relate to. Under the critical eye of an anthropologist, this movie not only meets standards, it creates its own. Children will be learning anthropology thanks to movies like this even before they can feel out the word.