Reflection Of Reality In Disney's Zootopia

Stories are often a reflection of reality. Unlike many animated films marketed towards children, Disney’s Zootopia contains more than its fair share of socio-political commentary. The timing of Zootopia’s release illuminates the American paradox. The U.S. culture celebrates diversity of lifestyle and background within a shared American experience, but at the same time, the country is split with the discourse of hatred. The movie follows an ambitious young Judy Hopps whose goal in life is to become the first female bunny police officer. Placed on parking ticket patrol, Judy teams up with a con artist fox Nick Wilde to solve a missing animal mystery that has been plaguing the city of Zootopia. The divide between predator and prey is something the two protagonists Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde were forced to accept as a part of life early in their childhoods, and the rest of the movie shows the both of them learning to personally overcome their own traumas and prejudices as their partnership and friendship grows. Zootopia deconstructs the idea of “what if animals lived like humans

At a young age, Judy’s parents and peers condescended to her and doubted her ability to survive as an officer in Zootopia. They believe she would be safer doing what is expected of her as a carrot farmer. Despite the pressure from her parents, Judy refuses to give up on her dreams of joining the Zootopia Police Academy, especially since there has never been a bunny cop before. Even though she was the top-tier of her class, her boss doesn’t take her seriously when she arrives on her job. The boss gives her the job as a meter maid which upsets her because she deserves to be taken seriously as a real cop. Judy is seen as weak and tiny compared to her larger coworkers. Judy finds it insulting when her fellow cops called her “cute” because it implied that she is little and incapable of doing