WALT DISNEY, PSYCHOBIOGRAPHY AND THE “PRACTICALLY PERFECT”

We would like to invite all PGR and 3rd year students to the first Gender and Sexuality Research Cluster seminar given by Reading University doctoral student John Whitney.  John’s talk will be on psychobiography in the works of Walt Disney on Monday 9th October, 4-5pm, Edith Morley 189.


Here is his abstract:
FOREVER THE DARK PRINCE OF HOLLYWOOD: WALT DISNEY, PSYCHOBIOGRAPHY AND THE “PRACTICALLY PERFECT”

Psychobiography is defined as the process of discussing psychological saliency in biographical materials. The methodologies behind this technique will be extracted and used to analyse the relationships found within the life of Walter Elias Disney (his parents and his nurse Hazel George).

Leading from this, argument will be made for the psychobiographical analysis of filmic text, through a focus on his desire for a ‘perfect familial image’ and his desire for strong female influence in his life. I will argue that he processes/finds this within his filmic work: the ‘Practically Perfect’ Mary Poppins.

Details about future seminars can be found at https://readinggenderandsexuality.wordpress.com/

About Cindy

Associate Professor in the Department of English Literature at the University of Reading. Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
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