The aim of this seminar paper is to show what the concept of postcolonialism has to do with the animated

movie Aladdin and to display the postcolonial interpretation of the movie from the perspective of
Westerners. Also, I will be writing about the various ways the Muslim community has been subjected to
different distorted images and overgeneralization which are evident even nowadays in the Western media
and wherever we look.

Nevertheless, even though "Aladdin" was a commercially successful animated movie which was
nominated for the Oscar five times, it received substantial criticism upon release for omitting important
characters and storylines from the original One Thousand and One Nights. Also, it received many
negative reviews and scandal due to the way it portrays Arab and Muslim cultures, the way orientalism is
present throughout the movie and the way the foreign policy of the United States is presented in the
Middle East.

Aladdin is Disney's spin on the old folk tale from "A Thousand and One Nights", and it is set in the
fictional kingdom called "Agrabah". The kind and compassionate sultan becomes interested in finding a
suitable husband for his beautiful daughter, Jasmine; however, the stubborn princess does not want her
life to be in someone else's hands. Later on in the story, it turns out that the sultan is under hypnosis by
the evil and rapacious vizier Jafar (who plots to marry Jasmine and become the heir to the throne
alongside his foul-mouth parrot Iago). Nevertheless, Jasmine meets and falls in love with a heroic street
urchin, who in the end defeats the evil Jafar and becomes sultan himself. Aladdin and Jasmine live
happily ever after and all is well.

First and foremost, the problematic representation of Arabs and Muslims in the Western Arts have always
been open for discussion. The conceptualization of the Westerners when it comes to Arabs and Muslims
started ever since the two opposing sides came into contact with each other. One of the very first contacts
can be traced back to the Middle Ages, more precisely to the Crusade Wars and the Arab expansion in
Europe. Later on, the Gulf War, the bombarding of Oklahoma and the Arab expansion in Europe further
contributed to the promotion of the same stereotypes, most importantly, in the media.

POSTCOLONIALISM AND ORIENTALISM

According to famous critic and theorist Bill Ashcroft, the core of the postcolonial theory lies in the
uncentred pluralist point of view of experience, namely, the intermingling of the central and the marginal
(Ashcroft 11). In other words, Ashcroft refers to "the privileging norm" (the ones who are the denial of
the value of the peripheral)as the "centre". Also, according to Ashcroft, it is due to the imperial expansion
that the destabilized, pluralist viewpoint does not exist in terms of acceptance of the central values. For
instance, in this seminar paper, I will be specifically dealing with the popular Disney cartoon titled
"Aladdin", which bares many racist and postcolonial traits. One cannot analyse Aladdin without taking
the elements of Arab culture into consideration. Also, the connection of the two vastly different sets of
values which directly reflect the postcolonial viewing of the movie will be discussed.

Some of the most influential writings of Edward Said and Frantz Fanon have made a great impact on this
issue of postcolonialism. The works of these two authors have proved to be extremely important for
laying the base for postcolonialism. Fanon in particular deals with the rising issue of racism and his work
echoes independence and equality. In his writing, the reader can notice a great deal of attention put
towards the psychological features of postcolonialism. On the other hand, Edward Said concentrates on
the cultural aspects of colonialism. In Said's book titled Orientalism (published in 1978), the author
discusses the very essence of the term "orientalism" as being defined as the West's condescending
viewpoint of the cultures of the East. These cultures involve individuals originating and living in Asia,
North Africa and the Middle East. As reported by Said, orientalism is tightly tied to the imperialist
societies which are responsible for creating it; thus orientalist work is extremely political in nature and
servile to power(The New Fontana Dictionary of Modern Thought, Third Edition (1999) p. 617).

However, Said does not provide readers with a concise definition of what is meant under the term
"orientalism". Nevertheless, the following paragraph from the published work sums up the essence of
orientalism.

"Orientalism as a Western-style for dominating, restructuring, and having authority over the Orient. I
have found useful here to employ Michel Foucault's notion of a discourse(...) to identify Orientalism. I
contend that without examining Orientalism as a discourse one cannot possibly understand the
enormously systematic discipline by which European culture was able to manage- and even produce- the
Orient politically, sociologically, militarily, ideologically, scientifically, and imaginatively during the
post-Englightenment period. (Orientalism 3)

Also, Said brings light on the relationship between Orientalism and the role of literature, as mentioned in
the following paragraph:

"Not only is the Orient accommodated to the moral exigencies of Western Christianity; it is also
circumscribed by a series of attitudes and judgements that send the Western mind, not first to Oriental
sources for correction and verification, but rather to other Orientalist works. The Orientalist stage, as I
have been calling it, becomes a system of moral and epistemological rigour. As a discipline representing
institutionalized Western knowledge of the Orient, Orientalism thus omes to exert a three-way force, on
the Orient, on the Orientalist, and the Western "consumer" of Orientalism. (Orientalism 67) According to
critic Samuel P. Huntington, in his work dealing with ethnocentrism in the science fields claims that "the
West won the world not by the superiority of its ideas or values or religion but rather by its superiority in
applying organized violence. Westerners often forget this fact, non-Westerners never do. (qtd. in
Whitlock 26).

The main goal of the works of Edward Said and Frantz Fanon is to free the colonised individuals from the
very core and assist them to think by themselves without outer influence. Of course, this search for
independence is promoted by Islam, one of the most popular religion in the world which battled
throughout history against being colonised by Christianity and the West. Another author who brought
light on the postcolonial theory in terms of being exclusively western is Wail Hassan in his work titled
"Postcolonial Theory and Modern Arabic Literature: Horizons of Application". According to Hassan,
"postcolonial theory has developed out of four European traditions of thought: Marxism, psychoanalysis,
poststructuralism, and feminism" (Hassan, 2002. p. 47). Nevertheless, since it is originally a theory of
European origin, postcolonial theory is at high risk of coming in contact with neo-colonialism, as well as
colonial discourse and Eurocentrism.
PORTRAYAL OF ARABS AND MUSLIMS IN THE WEST

The way the Arabs and Muslim cultures are portrayed in the Western world, whether it is in the arts or
everyday life has a direct link between the past and present perception. Major events in history such as the
Gulf War, the bombing of Oklahoma and the destruction of the Twin Towers enormously contributed to
the vast distorted views, fabricated stories and stereotypes that the West usually links to Muslim
communities. However, the many stereotypes which revolve around the Arab and Muslim communities
are not recent; in fact, these can be traced back as far as the Middle Ages, specifically the period when the
Crusade Wars took place. Although these events remain in the past, the West continuously harbours the
notion of Arabs and Muslims as the "Other". According to Said, "The term Islam as it is used today seems
to mean one simple thing but is part fiction, part ideological label, part minimal designation of a religion
called Islam. Today Islam is peculiarly traumatic news in the West. During the past few years, especially
since events in Iran caught European and American attention so strongly, the media have therefore
covered Islam: they have portrayed it, characterized it, analyzed it, given instant courses on it, and
consequently, they have made it known. But this coverage is misleadingly full, and a great deal in this
energetic coverage is based on far from objective material. In many instances, Islam has licensed not only
patent inaccuracy, but also expressions of unrestrained ethnocentrism, cultural, and even racial hatred,
deep yet paradoxically free-floating hostility" (Agha 2). In television and all over the media, the tendency
to portray Arabs and Muslims as either "primitive", "barbaric", "erotic" and "crude" has been present in
the West. Other offensive terms such as "terrorist" or "fundamentalist" have also been frequent wherever
one looks. Also, the religion of Islam is frequently thought of being linked with absolute hatred, the holy
war and fanaticism. The oppression of women is another topic which is present in Western media and
which will be discussed later on in this paper.

Another topic of ridicule in the Western media concerns the traditional oriental clothing, such as scarfs
and veils. For example, the Islamic veil which women traditionally wear is a sign of chastity, whereas it is
portrayed as a means of covering up a hideous face. Besides, bearded Muslim men are falsely regarded as
being terrorists or capable of brutal acts. An Arabs' turban or cloth is also a frequent target of ridicule in
the West because many nickname the individuals wearing them either as "ragheads" or another insulting
term. Above all, Arabs and other cultures from the "oriental" countries have been viewed as the alien
Other in literature and the movie industry, the complete opposite of the traditional white protagonist.

One of the most prominent examples that racism is still alive in the Hollywood world is arguably the best
Disney film ever made, titled Aladdin. Aladdin, a winner of two Academy Awards is aimed at young
viewers is notorious for its many elements which cross the borderline of racism and sexism. Aladdin can
be interpreted in a postcolonial sense if the American values and the elements of the Arab culture are
analysed as one. What the viewer is presented with is an interpretation of Arabic culture and world from
the viewpoint of the Westerners, in this case, Disney. The notion of orientalism and Said's work are vital
for explaining this phenomenon present in Aladdin. The popular Disney animated movie represents these
cultures of the Orient from the standpoint of Americans. In this case, the West is considered at the centre,
and the viewer is left with not an original portrayal of the Orient, but a distorted image through the eyes
of the West. This paper will be dealing with an animated movie, which even though is created with the
assistance of a computer program can still be considered as a reflection of reality. According to Alan
Nadel, the characters in the movie "Aladdin" portray double personalities and they are behind at least one
guise (189). However, even the whole Disney movie can be interpreted as a guise; for example, audiences
can witness the culture of Westerners behind the frame of the Middle Eastern characters. Most
importantly, the movie "Aladdin" can be seen as a movie about the power of the West over the Arabic
world. Thus, the viewer is left with the false illustration of Arabic culture and context. One simply needs
to listen to the filmmaker's audio commentary in Aladdin, which mentions that the character of Aladdin
was constructed on Tom Cruise, a famous American actor. Also, the origins of Jasmine's character design
were revealed as well in the commentary. According to animator Mark Henn, Jasmine's facial design was
inspired by the animator's daughter, whilst the body was of generic American models. Whereas, the
character of Genie displays multiple personalities of notorious actors, media personalities and showmen
of American descent.

THE PRESENCE OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE US AND MIDDLE EASTERN

COUNTRIES IN THE MOVIE

The complex relationship between the States and the countries of the Middle East are skillfully depicted
in the animated movie. Firstly, the fluctuation of power is brought to question concerning the Sultan and
the main villain of "Aladdin", Jafar. The two characters are examples of how no one has full
independency to rule over the fictitious country. Jafar is of lower-ranking, whilst most of the Sultan's
choices later on in the movie are controlled by hypnosis. Instability of power is also present in the
relationship between the two main characters, Aladdin and Jasmine. Due to restrictive laws and different
social statuses, Aladdin and Jasmine are unable to get married. Also, the character of the genie can be
seen as confined, whereas in this case, the genie is a slave of whoever owns the lamp (Nadel, 190).
According to Nadel, the immense power of the genie can be compared to atomic power. "The oil beneath
Arabia gave such wealth to the Middle East that the acquisition of Western technology to produce nuclear
weapons seemed to be frightening" (Nadel, 192). This fact can be brought in parallel with real-life events
concerning the end of the Gulf War (in March 1991), and the increasing doubt dealing with the capacity
of Iraq's nuclear bomb (187). Most importantly, the Western media portrays the stereotypical conception
of Arabs and Muslims and presents it to the public. As a result, the world in which the characters of
Aladdin exist is a stereotypical Middle Eastern place; also, the wide array of different races which belong
to Islam, such as Persians, Asians and Arabs are classified simply as "Arabs".Hence, the public is
presented with a movie full of stereotypes and racist comments, and the multicultural and multiethnic
characteristics are left out.

THE USE OF COLORS AND CHARACTERIZATION

The movie industry offers a popular means of storytelling to the audiences. One of the most popular
aspect which needs to be taken into consideration during the production process is the colour
composition, whether it has to do with the scenes or the characters. According to The Film Theory (H.
Zettl. "Sight Sound Motion: Applied Media Aesthetics." Wadsworth Publishing, 3rd edition, 1999. ),
colour perception and lighting are important contributors to the mood tones the director wants to bring
forward in any scene in addition to dialogues, storyline, actors, and so on. Most importantly, different
colours such as red and blue are thought of as having different associations, hence the colours on the
screen can trigger different psychological responses in the viewers. According to Frank and Gilovich
(1988), black is associated with evil and death, hence it may lead to aggressive behaviour. (Frank, M.G.
& Gilovich, T. (1988) The dark side of self and social perception: Black uniforms and aggression in
professional sports. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 74-85)

Based on research conducted by authors Whitfield and Wiltshire which deals with Color psychology, it is
highly likely that personal preference, experiences, upbringing and cultural differences influence the
effect certain colours have on viewers. However, how does the choice of colours affect the perception of
the personality of characters in animated movies? Most people grew up watching "Aladdin". The
characters in animated movies help inform children in understanding the concept of "hero" and "villain"
more accurately. As reported by Annalee R. Ward in the Mouse Morality: A Rhetoric of Disney
Animated Film, "Disney villains are usually coded by colour or shadow [... .] or by excess" (40). In
"Aladdin" the distinction between good and evil characters is shown by the use of colours.

When observing the character design, it is evident that the colours red, blue and purple are very frequent.
For example, Aladdin's west is purple, which has been the symbol of the aristocracy for decades (this
might be considered foreshadowing). Whereas, the colours blue and red are even more prominent. Blue
and red are two colour choices which have a significant American aspect. Hence, this is another way the
"Americanization" of the movie can be interpreted. Furthermore, In the movie industry, blue is contrasted
with red to highlight the heroic and villainous characters. Aladdin, Jasmine and the sultan can be
interpreted as "blue" characters, bearing the personality traits such as heroism, kindness and honesty. The
sultan wears a turban with a blue feather and he also has on a blue ring. His daughter Jasmine is dressed
in a traditional belly dancer type of wardrobe, also blue. On the other hand, characters such as Jafar and
Iago are in red; The colour of his chamber in the palace is red; also, he seems to turn everything red when
using hypnosis. Another interesting prop which hints to the increasing evil in Jafar is his snake staff. With
the assistance of this powerful staff, Jafar can use hypnosis, conjuration, transformation and telekinesis.
The connection between the colour red and the serpent can be traced back to ancient Jude-Christian
culture because red is originally associated with hell, whereas the serpent appears in Genesis. Most
importantly, the characters who are considered good and heroic in "Aladdin" bear western features, whilst
the evil ones seem middle-eastern.

RACIST ELEMENTS

Aladdin, the Disney's story of a poor street urchin who falls in love with a princess and who with the help
of a genie defeats the evil Jafar shows extreme cases of racism and false stereotypes towards the Arabs
and Muslim nations. Even though Aladdin is considered one of the most beloved Disney animated movies
and it was generally well-received by filmgoers, it generated a lot of negative criticism. For instance,
author Jack G. Shaheen in his work titled Reel Bad Arabs:How Hollywood Vilifies a People, criticized
the animated movie for displaying Arabs and Muslims as barbaric (Shaheen, 2009,p.57)Also, Shaheen
criticizes the design of the facial features of the main villain Jafar and his sidekicks: "The animators
attribute large, bulbous noses and sinister eyes to palace guards and merchants"(Shaheen, 2009, p. 57) On
the other side, the "good characters" such as Aladdin, Jasmine and the sultan are attributed with much
lighter complexion and western facial features, making them more relatable to American audiences
(Shaheen, 2009,p.57-60) When the viewers are introduced to the protagonist Aladdin for the first time, he
is witnessed in native dress. However, the viewer is left baffled as to what land he is native. The story is
set in the fictional Agrabah, which is hinted in the movies' opening lyric (titled Another Arabian Night) to
be real-life Arabia. Agrabah, stereotypical Arabia is reminiscent of a made-up desert kingdom
showcasing intricate cupolas, whilst the marketplace and the surrounding areas are desolate and stricken
by poverty. The viewers are confronted with racism from the very beginning of the movie, as soon as the
opening song begins sung by a storyteller crossing the desert on a camel. The original lyrics by Howard
Ashman were "I come from a land, from a faraway place, where the caravan camels roam, where they cut
off your ear if they don't like your face. It's barbaric, but hey, it's home." After the controversy, the fourth
and fifth lines were altered to "where it's flat and immense and the heat is intense." Nevertheless, the sixth
line remained unaltered. The president of Disney's distribution, Dick Cook, explained that the word
"barbaric" refers to the climate and the land; not to the people who live there. (David J. Fox, "Disney
WillAlter Song in ‘Aladdin,"' Los Angeles Times 10 July 1993: F1.For an overview of the controversy:
Boston Globe 12 Jan 1993: 71,73; Los Angeles Times 21 Dec. 1992: F3; 17 May 1993: F3; 10 July 1993
F1; New York Times 11 July 1993: 1. 16. 4; 14 July 1993: A18; Washington Post 22 Dec. 1992: C7; 10
Jan. 1993: G1) The famous song titled "A Whole New World" which Aladdin sings for princess Jasmine
when he takes her on the ride on his magic carpet reminds one of the West vs. East mentality. According
to Al-Taee author of "Reel Bad Arabs, Really Bad Lyrics: Villainous Arabs in Disney's Aladdin", both
Aladdin and Jasmine are rebelling against their culture and customs, yearning for a more "western" way
of life. (Al-Taee, 2010, p. 257, p. 267) Also, the lyrics to the song feature the statement such as "hop a
carpet and fly", which display the fascination of the American nations with the so-called "Other". Besides,
the physical appearance of the characters conveys a racist tone. In the words of Yizsef Salem, known as
the former spokesperson for the South Bay Islamic Association, "All of the bad guys have beards and
large, bulbous noses, sinister eyes and heavy accents, and they're wielding swords constantly. Aladdin
doesn't have a big nose; he has a small nose. He doesn't have a beard or a turban. He doesn't have an
accent. What makes him nice is they've given him this American character... I have a daughter who says
she's ashamed to call herself an Arab, and it's because of things like this". (Yousef Salem cited in Richard
Scheinin, "Angry over Aladdin", Washington Post, January 10, 1993, G5)

As Salem implies, the racism in the famous Disney movie appears in the form of racially distinct
language and heavy accents. The animated movie displays the evil Arabs as hideous characters with very
thick and foreign accents. Whereas, the good characters such as Aladdin, Jasmine and the sultan speak in
a typically American way. The physical features of certain characters in "Aladdin" are truly
overemphasized, which is a significant mark of the Other. For example, the only beardless male character
in the animated movie is the protagonist, Aladdin. His facial features are western, and his skin is lighter
than the skin of the other characters. Also, he does not wear a stereotypical turban. Another interesting
fact about the protagonist is that he was originally modelled according to American actor Tom Cruise. On
the other hand, the other characters in the animated movie are hideous, with big noses and crooked teeth.
Also, the other male characters have distinct facial hair, which is known for symbolising immense power
and sexuality. (14) Aladdin, Jasmine, the sultan and Genie have distinct American accents, whereas the
other characters and Jafar seem Anglo-Arab. E. Addison mentions that "the sultan represents benign, or
friendly Arab power. Soft and senile, such rulers are easily manipulated by their less amicable Arab allies,
represented by the megalomaniacal Jafar. The unsuspecting benign power only recognizes the malign
when he is informed by Aladdin, the prototype of the American "good guy" (Addison, E. 1993. Saving
Other Women from Other Men: Disney's Aladdin. Camera Obscura January/May 1993 11(1 31): 4-25)
During the course of the animated movie, the dashing protagonist rescues Jasmine and her father from
Jafar's malicious plan, and in the end Aladdin becomes prince and marries his beautiful exotic love
interest. In the very end of the animated movie, Jasmine utters "I choose you-Aladdin" to which he
bluntly replies "call me Al". Moreover, not only is Aladdin different than the other male characters in the
movie in the physical sense, but he is transformed into a regular American man called "Al". Another
character whose name is significantly important is princess Jasmine. In the original Persian tale, the
princess was named Badroulbadour, yet it was changed in the animated movie under the pretence that
western viewers will have an easier time remembering the less foreign, more easily pronounceable name
("Alaeddin and the enchanted lamp", 1901; Clements and Musker, 1992, Aladdin)

WOMEN AND SEXISM

Since quite a long time, Muslim women have been facing issues in the media. Firstly, they are not
represented as often in the media because they are women, and secondly due to religious beliefs. Hence,
due to the lack of recognition in the media, Muslim women are reduced to stereotypical images and
misconceptions. In popular, western media, Muslim women are typically shown as being completely
voiceless, passive and compliant. Whereas, Muslim males are usually characterized as dominant, violent
and slave masters who have full control over females. According to an article published by Gema Martin
Munoz in 2002 "The media representation of women in Muslim countries, apart from its coverage of
unacceptable acts of discrimination, mainly serves to perpetuate a set of cultural expectations that
denigrate a vast and diverse cultural world." Most importantly, Muslim women are far from the
stereotype; instead of the typical image which is promoted in the western media of being completely
oppressed, Muslim women are extremely diverse in culture, the scope of faith, appearance and so on.

In "Aladdin", the viewers are introduced to the beautiful young princess Jasmine, the daughter of the kind
sultan who eventually becomes the protagonists' love interest and in the end, wife. Nevertheless, one
might wonder, next to Ariel the Little Mermaid, Pocahontas and Cinderella, what is the definition of a
Disney princess? According to the 2004 publication of What is a Princess? by Jennifer Weinberg, "a
princess is kind...smart...caring"; "a princess likes to dress up", and "is brave and ready for fun"; "a
princess is a dreamer," is polite," and "loves to sing and dance." Finally, a "princess always lives happily
ever after!" Nevertheless, Jasmine is quite different than the other princesses viewers remember from
Disney movies. Firstly, she is not the protagonist of the animated movie, and secondly, she is a princess
from the very beginning. Also, her physical appearance is vastly different than the other Disney
princesses, as she displays exotic beauty and is dressed in belly-dancer fashion. The hijab is an extremely
important piece of clothing among Muslims. It refers to the customs of "veiling" and "seclusion", more
importantly, the Qur'anic exhortation to modesty (which is present among both sexes). However, in the
movie, the hijab as a traditional social code is presented ridiculously; instead of presenting modesty, the
female characters in the movie use it as a clear erotic prop. For instance, there are no significant female
roles in the movie besides princess Jasmine. The other females that the viewer might come across are the
belly dancers during Genie's parade and women on the street. In one scene, the viewer witnesses an
unveiled mother with curvy daughters who are wearing seemingly transparent and tiny veils. it seems as
the hijab in Aladdin becomes unnecessary, as the females in the movie are shown as wearing weals whilst
their bodies are almost fully exposed. In the article titled "Saving Other Women from Other Men:
Disney's Aladdin" Erin Addison analyses the movie's stereotypical images of men and women. Most
importantly, Addison argues that Western culture may be a lot more preferable for women, than
traditional Muslim practices. Furthermore, Addison claims that " Jasmine's tangled personae epitomize
the confused Euramerican interpretation of hijab as imprisonment by Muslim men". In the movie, the
hijab is rendered pointless and it is used as a sexual prop, whereas Muslim women may choose to wear it
for a multiple of reasons. For instance, many Muslim women consider the symbol of modesty, the hijab
liberating, because it allows them to be appreciated for their mind and personality rather than solely
physical appearance.

Jasmine is portrayed as utterly lonely and isolated from the outside world. Also, she does not have any
other friends besides her pets. Hijab may also refer to seclusion and isolation in Muslim culture.
According to The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, seclusion refers to various practices designed to protect
women from men in traditional Muslim societies, including confining women to the company of other
women or close male relatives in their home or in a separate female living quarters, veiling, self-effacing
mannerisms, and the separation of men and women in public places."("Seclusion." The Oxford Dictionary
of Islam. Ed. John L. Esposito. Oxford Islamic Studies Online. 25-Jul-2019.
<http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e2128>. )

In these terms, Jasmine can be considered secluded from public view; in the princess's case, hijab refers to
solitary confinement. In the words of Algerian commentator Malek Alloula: "if the women are
inaccessible to sight (that is, veiled), it is because they are imprisoned. This dramatized equivalence
between the veiling and the imprisonment is necessary for the construction of the imaginary scenario that
results in the dissolution of the actual society, the one that causes the frustration." The way princess
Jasmine is portrayed in the animated movie encourages the viewers to sympathize with her and wish to
"save" her from the seemingly crude Islamic Law. The fictitious land of Agrabah is implied to be a truly
hostile place for women. For instance, princess Jasmine nearly gets her hand cut off by a merchant in the
marketplace as a means of punishment for taking an apple to feed a hungry orphaned child. (Clements and
Musker, 1992, Aladdin) If Aladdin symbolically represents the American hero, then one can draw a
parallel between Aladdin trying to offer the princess a "whole new world" and America wanting to "save"
Muslim women from the patriarchal Islamic culture. According to Addison, "the genie that transforms
America from street rat to prince, from rough to polished, is material wealth. In short, newly rich America
swoops to the rescue of a silly royal regime, and succeeds in saving it from a crazily menacing, power-
hungry Arab maniac." Furthermore, the position of Muslim women in society is highlighted when
Jasmine is referred to as an object of social exchange. Hence, one may consider the character of princess
Jasmine as the Orientalists' ideal female made for Americans. Throughout the movie, the viewers are
familiar with Jasmine's feisty attitude and rebellious personality; According to one may even consider that
the princess is too assertive for Arab men, who are left confused or annoyed by her. Furthermore, argues
that the power in the Disney Arab world is transferred with the ownership of Jasmine: Aladdin, America
becomes the ruler of Agrabah, Arabia by saving the Arab woman from marriage to an Arab man, and by
changing the laws that stipulate that she marry within her culture and class. Jafar, symbolically
represented as the "bad" Arab, even comments "You're speechless, I see; a fine quality in a wife". Above
all, only when Arabs (who are divided into good and bad Arabs) fully recognize the Euroamerican world,
will they be saved. In the end, Princess Jasmine, once freed from Islam, can follow the American
coupling systems.