Research Paper: “The World of Disney” – 20 Fresh and Up-to-Date Topics

The legacy of great men go through many trials and tribulations due to the fact that most writers tend to either exaggerate  good or bad sides of their “characters”, which leaves most autobiographies flawed and this will be the same for Walt Disney. The iconic animated man’s achievements which helped make him a cult hero to some, have also tainted him in the eyes of others and since he is a public figure with the posthumous tag, just about anyone can write about Walt Disney without fear of legal retribution.

Therefore, if you have received an assignment to write a research paper on Walt Disney, you have nothing to fear and as there is plenty of facts  about the creator of Mickey Mouse. But for those struggling to find a direction on how to proceed with writing a research paper on Walt Disney, this article is intended to serve as a guide in organizing your thoughts and putting them on paper in such a way that it makes excellent reading for any audience. In that note, we will provide you with 20 Disney research paper topics as well as a sample essay written to give you an example of a structure. So stay tuned.

20 Captivating Disney Research Paper Topics

1. Analyzing the Alice Comedies, Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit as an Introduction into Walt Disney’s Early Creative Years
2. The Tragic Loss of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and the Future it Spurned
3. How Walt Disney Learnt the Importance of a Contract
4. Exploring Walt Disney’s Creative Journey as a Glimpse into 18^th Century Animation
5. The Animated History of the Academy Awards in Relation to Cartoons
6. The Creation of Disney Studios and Its Mainstream Appeal
7. Recognizing Walt Disney’s Genius through the Oscars
8. The Role of Animation in Driving the Red Scare Movement in the United States
9. Exploring Walt Disney’s Anti-Communist Views in His Animated Works
10. The Story behind the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals
11. Animation as a Tool for Propaganda in the Second World War
12. Understanding the Motives behind Walt Disney’s War Propaganda
13. Using Animation as a Training and Recruiting Medium: The Hollywood Story
14. How the Locomotive Train Inspired the Disneyland of Today
15. Dressing in the Workplace: A Walt Disney Perspective
16. Exploring Walt Disney’s Personal Relationships and Charity Works
17. Tracing Walt Disney’s Footsteps in the Sands of Time
18. Finding Truth in Walt Disney’s Alleged Anti-Semitic Views
19. Analyzing Walt Disney’s Workplace Misogyny and 19^th Century Influences
20. Did Walt Disney Share and Encourage Racist Views?

Wow! Here are 20 hard-hitting topics that are sure to raise both your and your audience’s interest to the icon and the beliefs that drove his deep convictions. These topics are intended to help you truly explore Walt Disney in your own terms and discuss the legacy he left behind in an educated manner. So do not hesitate to be inspired by them when drafting your research paper.

Sample Essay on The Tragic Loss of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and the Future It Spurned

In 1923, a young bright-eyed boy with great creative ideas for the motion picture industry, moved to California as most people looking for fame still do till this day. As a great but unproven talent, the young Walt Disney quickly put himself to work and by 1927, he had come up with his first major breakout animated series titled Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. And not unlike most first time entrepreneurs, artiste and athletes, he was at the stage of his career were any distribution deal placing his ideas in front of the masses would fit his dreams to be a successful cartoonist.

So in 1927, Walt Disney signed a distribution deal with Universal Studios with the help of Charles Mintz. Desperate to receive help in bringing his ideas to life, the young Disney signed the contract without due diligence and as luck would have it, the Oswald series became best sellers. The contract signing was followed by a successful 26 episode stint as stipulated by the distributors and when the time to renew the contract approached, Walt Disney discovered that he had signed away the entire rights of the cartoon series to Universal Studio.

This marked the end of an era, as a semi-successful Walt Disney vowed to produce his own cartoons, seek distribution deals favorable to him and more importantly own all the rights to his future creations. This decision marked the turning point in Disney’s career as it led to the creation of the iconic Mickey Mouse which went on to outdo the Oswald series.

That singular decision led Walt and his brother, Roy Disney, to seek a new studio which they promptly used as a springboard in revitalizing their careers. A decade later, Walt Disney Studios had delved into the creation of animated motion pictures and in 1938, their sophomore effort under the Disney name—Silly Symphonies—landed the Academy Award for the best Animated Short Film. It was the first award Walt Disney received as well as the first time the Academy recognized the importance of animation in telling stories.

This success paved the way for more than ever creative Disney brothers to develop more animated films such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, The Three Little Pigs etc. which were high grossing films during the 30’s. Further laurels were added to Walt Disney’s cap when he received his star on the Hollywood walk of fame alongside his iconic character, Mickey Mouse.

In Walt Disney’s case, a tragic contract dispute spurned the creative genius to higher heights which can be seen in his personal works as well as the animations it continues to inspire till this day.

Here we come to the end of the sample research paper on Walt Disney and the reader can tell that we have included some facts about his life in making this paper accurate. You too can achieve such accuracy by checking out this article containing 10 facts for a research paper on Walt Disney. Article dedicated to writing a research paper on Walt Disney may help you to write well structured coherent essay. It is recommended that you go through these supporting materials for they will aid your writing abilities in the long run.

References:
Prince, S. (1993). : Behind the Oscar: The Secret History of the Academy Awards. Anthony Holden. Film Quarterly, 46(4), pp.63-63.
King, M. (1981). Disneyland and Walt Disney World: Traditional Values in Futuristic Form. The Journal of Popular Culture, 15(1), pp.116-140.
Holmlund, C. (1979). Tots to Tanks: Walt Disney Presents Feminism for the Family. Social Text, (2), p.122.
Neuman, R. (1999). “Now Mickey Mouse Enters Art’s Temple”: Walt Disney at the Intersection of Art and Entertainment. Visual Resources, 14(3), pp.249-261.
Wasko, J. (2008). Review: Michael Barrier, The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney. University of California Press, 2007. Animation, 3(3), pp.306-309.
Davis, A. (2014). Book review: Demystifying Disney: A History of Disney Feature Animation. Animation, 9(3), pp.355-358.
Jackson, K. (2012). Book review: The Mouse Machine: Disney and Technology. Animation, 7(2), pp.211-213.