Pocahontas (Disney)
Encyclopedia
Pocahontas is one of the main characters of Disney
's 1995, thirty-third animated feature, Pocahontas
, and its direct-to-video
sequel
, Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World
. She, as well as the events she goes through, are very loosely based on the actual historical figure Matoaka
, who is more popularly known by the nickname Pocahontas.
Though Pocahontas does not come from or marry into any monarchy
like other Disney princesses such as Snow White
, Cinderella
and Princess Aurora
, she is still included as an official Disney Princess because she is the daughter
of a Native American chief
. This makes Pocahontas the first American
Disney Princess. Pocahontas is also the first (and only) Disney Princess to have two love interests. However, most media, including the Disney Princess franchise, keep John Smith and Pocahontas as an official couple, completely ignoring John Rolfe
.
She is voiced by and modeled after Native American actress Irene Bedard
and her singing vocals were performed by Broadway
singer Judy Kuhn
in both films. Kuhn also reprises the role of Pocahontas in the Disney Princesses' single and music video, "If You Can Dream
" and the original Disney Princess songs "These Moments We Share", "Silver and Gold" and "Christmas Is Coming!".
Pocahontas is displayed as a noble, free-spirited and highly spiritual young woman. She expresses wisdom beyond her years and offers kindness and guidance to those around her. She loves adventure and nature. In the film, she appears to have shamanic powers since she was able to commune with nature
, talk to spirits, empathize with animals, and understand unknown languages.
In the sequel, Pocahontas seems to have grown after thinking that John Smith had died. She keeps her independent spirit and playfulness, but is much more mature and self assured than she was in the first film. During her stay in England, she nearly loses herself in the hustle and bustle of this new world and is turned into someone she is not. However, in the end, she bravely intends to sacrifice herself for her people's safety and returns to her homeland, finding herself, and love, once again.
, Pocahontas is given her deceased mother's wedding necklace, and she wears it throughout the bulk of the film.) However, Pocahontas does not feel that this is the right path for her. She is the first one to spot the ship carrying the Europeans, mistaking the ship's sails for clouds. Pocahontas later encounters one of the settlers, John Smith. As the story unfolds, it is revealed that her mother has died, and that she lives with her father.
Over time, the two get to know each other, asking all sorts of questions about each other's people, lives, and different worlds. However, the conversation goes sour when John Smith unintentionally reveals his prejudices towards Native Americans. Pocahontas explains to him the beauty and importance of nature and respecting the earth through the song, Colors of the Wind
. This causes John to see the ill of his thoughts and change his ways, and the two fall in love with each other.
When Kocoum stumbles upon Pocahontas and John Smith kissing, Kocoum becomes enraged and attacks him. Before Pocahontas can break them up, Thomas, who had been sent to find John, shoots and kills Kocoum. John Smith takes the blame, is taken prisoner by the Powhatan men, and sentenced to die at sunrise.
Pocahontas realizes that she must stop the execution that will lead to war between the Native Americans and the settlers. She runs to where it will take place, calling out to the forces of nature to help her reach them in time. Pocahontas reaches John Smith just in time to throw herself over him and save him from being killed by her father, Chief Powhatan who then comes to his senses and releases John Smith. When the enraged Governor Ratcliffe shoots at the chief, John Smith pushes Powhatan out of the way, and takes the bullet.
Soon after, a wounded John Smith asks her to come with him to England
, but she explains that her place is in Virginia, with her people. To comfort him, she tells him that no matter what happens, I'll always be with you, forever. They kiss, and the men carry him onto the ship. As it is leaving, Pocahontas runs as fast as she can to a cliff overlooking the ocean. John waves goodbye in the Powhatan fashion, and Pocahontas waves back in the Powhatan fashion, like she showed him to earlier when the two first met, as the ship sails away.
It is important to note that Jean Jacques Rousseau's notion of the "noble savage" was an important inspiration for this fictionalized story of the important historical persona that is Pocahontas. For as can be seen in other information given below, the story presented in the animated film is not an accurate telling of her life. Rather, it is an examination of the above notion.
, Pocahontas goes to London as a diplomat to stop a potential attack upon her people being ordered by King James in a plot by Ratcliffe. There, she is accompanied by John Rolfe and slowly develops a romance with him. In the end, she is reunited with John Smith, but explains to him that they are "no longer following the same path that they went on years ago", and parts ways with him. Successfully exposing Ratcliffe, who is then arrested by order of the King, Pocahontas and John Rolfe get on a ship going back to Virginia together, and kiss as the ship sails off into the sunset.
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
's 1995, thirty-third animated feature, Pocahontas
Pocahontas (1995 film)
Pocahontas is the 33rd animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. It was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and was originally released to selected theaters on June 16, 1995 by Walt Disney Pictures...
, and its direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
, Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World is a 1998 straight-to-video sequel to the 1995 Disney film Pocahontas. The film is inspired by true events in the life of Pocahontas which took place several years after her encounter with John Smith and the founders of Jamestown...
. She, as well as the events she goes through, are very loosely based on the actual historical figure Matoaka
Pocahontas
Pocahontas was a Virginia Indian notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of Chief Powhatan, the head of a network of tributary tribal nations in Tidewater Virginia...
, who is more popularly known by the nickname Pocahontas.
Though Pocahontas does not come from or marry into any monarchy
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
like other Disney princesses such as Snow White
Snow White (Disney)
Snow White is a fictional character and the main protagonist from Walt Disney's first animated feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,...
, Cinderella
Cinderella (Disney character)
Cinderella is a fictional character and is the main protagonist from Disney's twelfth animated film Cinderella and its two sequels. In the original film she is voiced by the late Ilene Woods...
and Princess Aurora
Aurora (Disney)
Princess Aurora is a fictional character and the title character from Disney's 1959 animated film Sleeping Beauty , as well as an official Disney Princess.The Disney version of the character was based on the French version of the tale by Charles Perrault, written in 1634 in Histoires ou Contes du...
, she is still included as an official Disney Princess because she is the daughter
Daughter
A daughter is a female offspring; a girl, woman, or female animal in relation to her parents. The male equivalent is a son. Analogously the name is used on several areas to show relations between groups or elements.-Etymology:...
of a Native American chief
Sachem
A sachem[p] or sagamore is a paramount chief among the Algonquians or other northeast American tribes. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms from different Eastern Algonquian languages...
. This makes Pocahontas the first American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Disney Princess. Pocahontas is also the first (and only) Disney Princess to have two love interests. However, most media, including the Disney Princess franchise, keep John Smith and Pocahontas as an official couple, completely ignoring John Rolfe
John Rolfe
John Rolfe was one of the early English settlers of North America. He is credited with the first successful cultivation of tobacco as an export crop in the Colony of Virginia and is known as the husband of Pocahontas, daughter of the chief of the Powhatan Confederacy.In 1961, the Jamestown...
.
She is voiced by and modeled after Native American actress Irene Bedard
Irene Bedard
Irene Bedard is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Native American characters in a variety of films. Bedard was born in Anchorage, Alaska...
and her singing vocals were performed by Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
singer Judy Kuhn
Judy Kuhn
-Life and career:Kuhn was born in New York City and grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. She attended Georgetown Day School in Washington, D.C.She entered Oberlin College in 1976. Although she was very interested in singing and theater, she began Oberlin in the College, not the Conservatory. After taking...
in both films. Kuhn also reprises the role of Pocahontas in the Disney Princesses' single and music video, "If You Can Dream
If You Can Dream
If You Can Dream is the first song that was originally written and recorded specifically for the Disney Princess franchise. It was written, produced, and arranged by Robbie Buchanan and Jay Landers...
" and the original Disney Princess songs "These Moments We Share", "Silver and Gold" and "Christmas Is Coming!".
Personality
Pocahontas' name means "Little Mischief" or the "naughty one" She is based on the real historical figure, and was born into a highly sophisticated Native American culture that had some knowledge of Europeans.Pocahontas is displayed as a noble, free-spirited and highly spiritual young woman. She expresses wisdom beyond her years and offers kindness and guidance to those around her. She loves adventure and nature. In the film, she appears to have shamanic powers since she was able to commune with nature
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
, talk to spirits, empathize with animals, and understand unknown languages.
In the sequel, Pocahontas seems to have grown after thinking that John Smith had died. She keeps her independent spirit and playfulness, but is much more mature and self assured than she was in the first film. During her stay in England, she nearly loses herself in the hustle and bustle of this new world and is turned into someone she is not. However, in the end, she bravely intends to sacrifice herself for her people's safety and returns to her homeland, finding herself, and love, once again.
Pocahontas
In the beginning of the film, Pocahontas learns that Kocoum, one of her dad's bravest warriors, has asked to marry her. (In place of a wedding ringWedding ring
A wedding ring or wedding band is a metal ring indicating the wearer is married. Depending on the local culture, it is worn on the base of the right or the left ring finger. The custom of wearing such a ring has spread widely beyond its origin in Europe...
, Pocahontas is given her deceased mother's wedding necklace, and she wears it throughout the bulk of the film.) However, Pocahontas does not feel that this is the right path for her. She is the first one to spot the ship carrying the Europeans, mistaking the ship's sails for clouds. Pocahontas later encounters one of the settlers, John Smith. As the story unfolds, it is revealed that her mother has died, and that she lives with her father.
Over time, the two get to know each other, asking all sorts of questions about each other's people, lives, and different worlds. However, the conversation goes sour when John Smith unintentionally reveals his prejudices towards Native Americans. Pocahontas explains to him the beauty and importance of nature and respecting the earth through the song, Colors of the Wind
Colors of the Wind
"Colors of the Wind" by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, was the 1995 Oscar-winner for Best Original Song from the Disney animated feature film, Pocahontas. It also won the Golden Globe in the same category as well as the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Movie...
. This causes John to see the ill of his thoughts and change his ways, and the two fall in love with each other.
When Kocoum stumbles upon Pocahontas and John Smith kissing, Kocoum becomes enraged and attacks him. Before Pocahontas can break them up, Thomas, who had been sent to find John, shoots and kills Kocoum. John Smith takes the blame, is taken prisoner by the Powhatan men, and sentenced to die at sunrise.
Pocahontas realizes that she must stop the execution that will lead to war between the Native Americans and the settlers. She runs to where it will take place, calling out to the forces of nature to help her reach them in time. Pocahontas reaches John Smith just in time to throw herself over him and save him from being killed by her father, Chief Powhatan who then comes to his senses and releases John Smith. When the enraged Governor Ratcliffe shoots at the chief, John Smith pushes Powhatan out of the way, and takes the bullet.
Soon after, a wounded John Smith asks her to come with him to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, but she explains that her place is in Virginia, with her people. To comfort him, she tells him that no matter what happens, I'll always be with you, forever. They kiss, and the men carry him onto the ship. As it is leaving, Pocahontas runs as fast as she can to a cliff overlooking the ocean. John waves goodbye in the Powhatan fashion, and Pocahontas waves back in the Powhatan fashion, like she showed him to earlier when the two first met, as the ship sails away.
It is important to note that Jean Jacques Rousseau's notion of the "noble savage" was an important inspiration for this fictionalized story of the important historical persona that is Pocahontas. For as can be seen in other information given below, the story presented in the animated film is not an accurate telling of her life. Rather, it is an examination of the above notion.
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World
In Pocahontas II: Journey to a New WorldPocahontas II: Journey to a New World
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World is a 1998 straight-to-video sequel to the 1995 Disney film Pocahontas. The film is inspired by true events in the life of Pocahontas which took place several years after her encounter with John Smith and the founders of Jamestown...
, Pocahontas goes to London as a diplomat to stop a potential attack upon her people being ordered by King James in a plot by Ratcliffe. There, she is accompanied by John Rolfe and slowly develops a romance with him. In the end, she is reunited with John Smith, but explains to him that they are "no longer following the same path that they went on years ago", and parts ways with him. Successfully exposing Ratcliffe, who is then arrested by order of the King, Pocahontas and John Rolfe get on a ship going back to Virginia together, and kiss as the ship sails off into the sunset.
Other appearances
- She is featured in Disney's Hollywood StudiosDisney's Hollywood StudiosDisney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Spanning 135 acres in size, its theme is show business, drawing inspiration from the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s...
nighttime fireworks stage show Fantasmic!Fantasmic!Fantasmic! is a Disney nighttime show at Disneyland in the Disneyland Resort, Disney's Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World and Tokyo DisneySea in Tokyo Disney Resort. The show features fireworks, live actors, water effects, fire, music, several boats, decorated rafts and projections onto large...
and World of Color at Disney's California Adventure Park. - She makes cameo appearances in numerous episodes of the Disney's House of MouseDisney's House of MouseDisney's House of Mouse is an American animated television series, produced by Walt Disney Television, that originally aired from 2001 to 2003-Premise:...
television series. - She appears daily at the Walt Disney Parks and ResortsWalt Disney Parks and ResortsWalt Disney Parks and Resorts is the segment of The Walt Disney Company that conceives, builds, and manages the company's theme parks and holiday resorts, as well as a variety of additional family-oriented leisure enterprises...
for meet and greets. She is the most common Pocahontas character, next to Meeko. - She and John Smith appear in the Disney Cruise LineDisney Cruise LineDisney Cruise Line is an American cruise line company owned and operated by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, a division of The Walt Disney Company and is headquartered in Celebration, Florida. The business is run by President Karl Holz. Disney Cruise Line operates the Disney Cruise Line Terminal,...
stage show The Golden MickeysThe Golden MickeysThe Golden Mickeys is a musical revue-style stage show presented in the style of an awards ceremony with characters from Disney films being nominated for awards including heroism, symphony, villains, friendship, and romance. The show originated on the Disney Cruise Line as a replacement for Morty...
. She is also known to come out for meet-and-greets on the ships. - Pocahontas, Meeko and Flit make cameo appearances in the Hong Kong DisneylandHong Kong DisneylandHong Kong Disneyland is located on reclaimed land in Penny's Bay, Lantau Island. It is the first theme park located inside the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and is owned and managed by the Hong Kong International Theme Parks. The park opened to visitors on 12 September 2005...
version of It's a Small World. - She had her own show entitled "Pocahontas and her Forest Friends" at Disney's Animal KingdomDisney's Animal KingdomDisney's Animal Kingdom is an animal theme park located at the Walt Disney World Resort. The fourth park built at the resort, it opened on April 22, 1998, and it is the largest single Disney theme park in the world, covering more than . It is also the first Disney theme park to be themed entirely...
, which ran from 1998 to 2008. - It is also possible that Pocahontas will appear in the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, as director Tetsuya Nomura has confirmed that all Disney worlds featured in the game will be brand new. Pocahontas and Tiana are the only two Disney princesses that have not yet made any appearances in the Kingdom HeartsKingdom Heartsis an action role-playing game developed and published by Square in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The first game in the Kingdom Hearts series, it is the result of a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company. The game combines characters and settings from Disney...
series.
External links
- Pocahontas at Disney Archives