Finding Nemo Analysis

Twenty-two years have passed since Pixar released its first film Toy Story. Ever since, the Californian animation company has conquered everybody’s heart thanks to its beautifully made original films. It does not matter if the protagonist is a toy, a fish or a person, Pixar has the incredible ability of portraying universal human feeling in simple, but yet effective ways. In a first period, Pixar was solely retelling old myths in a new perspective. However, today, since it has gained global approval and validation, Pixar has acquired the power to create new myths. As Barthes explains myths are narrative tools that help people make sense of the reality that surround them. Throughout history, individuals have used myths to pass on knowledge and educate the future generations. Moreover, myths do not stay unaltered, rather they are subjected to continuous changes (Levi-Strauss). This specific aspect allows these narratives to adapt to different cultural and social contexts. In fact, to be useful, myths must also be relevant. Therefore, in

The story revolves around the clown fish Marlin and his son Nemo. At the beginning of the film, Marlin and his wife Coral are attacked by a barracuda. In the attempt to save their eggs, Coral is killed and only one egg out of 400 is spared. The one surviving egg is indeed Nemo. Six years later, on his first day of school, Nemo swims too close to the sea surface and is taken by a scuba diver. Eventually, he ends up in the fish tank of a dentist’s studio in Sydney, Australia. Meanwhile, to rescue his son, Marlin starts an incredible journey into the open sea. In his rescue mission Marlin is helped by Dory, a peculiar reef fish who suffers of short memory loss. In contradiction to what comes natural to assume, the real protagonist of the story is Marlin, not Nemo. In fact, it is the father who experience a physical and a metaphorical journey into