Pacific Islands

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Recommended: Stereotypical Native American roles in media and literature

The depictions of the people of the Pacific Islands by those of the surrounding world have been shaped greatly by perceptions carried back to native countries by early European explorers. The stereotypes and stigmas that have been attached to the complex and various cultures of the Pacific Islands has lead to a great deal of identity crisis within the islands.
The American film, South Pacific (1958), directed by Joshua Logan, clearly exemplifies the simplification of a culture in accordance to the social misconceptions of the blanket culture of the Pacific Islands. This film depicts the experiences of soldiers in the South Pacific, as the title suggests, in an idealized Hollywood manner. Aside from the quintessential blossoming romance storyline, the film is rife with cultural misrepresentations and a depiction of the American perception of the Pacific Islands. The representation of the indigenous people is wildly stylized and includes the usual stereotypical clothing, actions, and intellectual capacity. The cinematography grapples with the idea of the elusive paradise on the island of Bali Ha’i. These two major components of the film capture the absolute misunderstanding of a complex people to fit the expectations and entertainment of the people of the United States.
Within the film, various characters play into the tropes of the Pacific Islands, particularly the character, Bloody Mary and her daughter, Liat. Bloody Mary, though seemingly simple, plays a complicated role in this film. She serves as both the comic relief and the wise fool, serving as an operator of business of island merchandise. In the opening song of the film, “Bloody Mary,” the soldiers sing a mocking tribute to the island woman. They sing, “Blood...

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...s. “South Pacific Lyrics.” Last modified December 12, 2013. http://www.metrolyrics.com/bloody-mary-lyrics-south-pacific.html.
Nero, Karen L. “Time of Famine, Time of Transformation: Hell in the Pacific, Palau.” In The Pacific Theater: Island Representations of World War II, edited by Geoffrey M. White and Lamont Lindstrom, (pages). Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1989.
Reed, John. “Review.” Review of The GI War against Japan, American Soldiers in Asia and the Pacific during World War II, by Peter Schrijver. The Journal of Military History, 2003.
Sledge, Eugene B. With the Old Breed. New York: Random House, 2007.
South Pacific. Directed by Joshua Logan. 1958. Kaui: South Pacific Enterprise, DVD.
University of Canterbury. “Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies.” Last modified December 12, 2013. http://www.pacs.canterbury.ac.nz/people/nero.shtml.

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