• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.34
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• pp.219-235
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• 2014

The term 'noble savage' is a literary stock character that expresses the concept of an idealized person who has not been corrupted by civilization, and therefore symbolizes humanity's innate goodness. Fictional noble savage characters that are raised by wild animals such as Rudiard Kipling's Mowgli or Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan were created over 100 years ago but are still repeatedly reproduced as movies and TV series. Since films that depict noble savages tend to criticize civilization, popularity of these film could be due to the hidden anxiety of masses towards civilization and technology. Characters in commercial films about noble savages tend to be leveled, sharpened, and assimilated as Allport and Postman argued in The Psychology of Rumor. It is probably because films, as mass medium, need to be understood easily to the public. Characters in animations with cartoon style images are more likely to be leveled, sharpened, and assimilated even further than live-actions. Films show social stereotype of the time through assimilation process. Comparing different versions of film based on the same novel about noble savage how those social stereotypes such as gender roles and idea of evil change.