Thesis: How did Walt Disneys cartoons incorporate propaganda for WWII and what was the effect on Americans? I was intrigued by the cartoons that Professor Decherney showed us in class and after speaking to him decided to examine them more closely for this project. Conclusion: After reading these sources, I have developed an opinion that answers my thesis. I believe that we do have preconceived notions that are instilled in us by our parents and teachers as we grow up. It seems as though propaganda films are used to confirm ideas that we already have. One reason that I think that these movies were so effective is because when people saw these films they were with their friends and family. Since they viewed the films with people they trusted, it was easier to believe and agree with the ideas being presented since the people they were with were going along with it also. This goes along with the idea that a comedy seems funnier when you watch it with other people. Additionally, many Americans saw Disneys cartoons, so I would argue that his propaganda was effective in shaping American public opinion.

This book gives a timeline of the Disney Studio beginning in 1901, a historical context of how Walt Disney created his company, and an explanation of how the Disney Company was able to rise. It compares the Disney Company to other studios and explains how Disney became involved in making films for the government. It mentions that “Disney cartoons took on wartime themes” in 1942 and that there were “a number of films, produced for the government which were to meant to entertain and educate,” such as Food Will Win the War and Out of the Frying Pan into the Firing Line. Also, it discusses the impact The New Spirit had on Americans. “Donald Duck was chosen to star in the film, and a vast percentage of Americans testified that it encouraged them to pay their taxes promptly.” This helped the American government because the film was made “to try to persuade Americans to pay their income taxes on time as the money was so necessary for the war effort.”
    This source addresses both parts of my thesis. First, it provides a historical context for the Disney Company from its beginning to the present and discusses how Disney cartoons were made. Yet, it is also valuable to the second part of my thesis because it provides an actual example of a Disney propaganda cartoon affecting the way Americans acted.

This book analyzes Walt Disney’s character and gives a long and detailed history of the Disney Company. It investigates the birth of Mickey Mouse and the majority of Disney’s films. There is a section dedicated to discussing Disney’s influence during the Second World War. It starts saying that “Disney received a call from the Navy, offering him a contract to produced a series of films,” and goes on to talk about several of Disney’s war films like Der Fuhrer’s Face.
    Schickel’s book gives a detailed account of the Disney Company. Looking at the way Walt Disney’s Company functioned is essential because it allows one to see how and why Disney cartoons were created. Though Richard Shale, the author of another source in this bibliography, provides analysis of Disney’s cartoons in his book, this source also examines some of Disney’s films. This is important because it is necessary to gain multiple viewpoints on each aspect of my thesis.