Movie Analysis and Unit Connections

Directions: Each response below should be a full paragraph (5-7 sentences). For questions,
#2 & #3 ONLY discuss 2 main characters only and yes, each character’s response should
be a paragraph.

Movie 1 Title: Princess and the Frog

1. How does this movie somewhat connect to the Harlem Renaissance period?

I don’t know exactly what period it takes place in but it doesn’t seem like our modern times. It

seems like a time similar to the Harlem Rennisine where black people were still looked down

upon and had to make their happiness. Multiple times in the movie Tiana is laughed at and

mocked when she mentions opening her own business. I think this is how it was for a lot of black

people before the Harlem Renaissance especially in the south. But moving north and this

movement helped pave the way for many black people to do creative and wonderful things.

2. Each MAIN character had an “American Dream”, explain and describe each.

Tiana’s American dream is to continue her father’s legacy. Ever since she was little she

and her father have talked about opening a restaurant with their home cooking. After her father

passed that’s what she worked for, and everything she did was motivated by her want for

opening this restaurant. I think that her drive was her downfall at a certain point, but she wanted

to do this so she would’ve done anything to get it. That’s Tiana’s American dream.

Naveen’s dream is never stated out loud. I believe is dream is to be loved by someone

genuine. Although it may seem like his dream is just to have money but I think he wants to be

able to share all that wealth with someone he loves. Throughout the movie we see all these
women throw themselves at him because he is a prince but Tiana is the only girl who got to

know who he was and deep down that’s what he wanted. In the end, I think his dream came true.

3. How did each main character have to use persuasion to convince someone of something?

Tiana used persuasion to convince navene that he doesn’t need money to be happy. While

they were frogs she constantly called Navene on his entitlement and shallowness and helped him

learn that materialistic things don’t make him happy.

Navene persuades Tiana to kiss him when he is a frog. When he first meets her, he

convinces her that a kiss from a princess will reverse his curse and become human again. his

persuasion works because Tiana actually does it but it doesn’t work out as well as they thought it

would.

Movie 2 Title: Self Made: Inspired by the life of Madam CJ Walker

4. How does this movie somewhat connect to the Harlem Renaissance period?

this show doesn’t take place during the Harlem renaissance but reconstruction. reconstruction

was a period where many black people grew and migrated to other areas after the ending of

slavery. So it is similar to the H.R. in that way. This was also a time of growth and experience

for a lot of black people because many of the first black millionaires were produced during this

era. Madam C.J Walker is one of them.

5. Each MAIN character had an “American Dream”, explain and describe each.

Sarahs American dream is selling her hair products. Not just that she wanted black women to

feel confident and comfortable being and looking like themselves. She was constantly put down

for her looks and looked down on for her class and profession so she changed that. she started
making and selling products for women with hair like hers so they could do it themselves. She

also opened a solon to help her dream come true.

6. How did each main character have to use persuasion to convince someone of something?

Sarah convinced black women all around her to buy her products. She did this by appealing to

them and connecting to them personally. Her telling her story of pain and suffering and how her

products saved her life persuaded other women to buy them. she became a hit in no time because

black women felt like they could relate to her. After all, she was real.