HERO, SAVAGE, OR EQUAL? REPRESENTATIONS OF THE MORAL PERSONHOOD OF PACIFIC ISLANDERS IN HOLLYWOOD MOVIES

Authors

David Lipset, University of MinnesotaFollow

Abstract

This essay explores the theme of moral agency in cinematic representations of Pacific Islanders. Drawing on anthropological theories, the essay argues that moral personhood is a socially conferred status. Hollywood films often strip Pacific Islanders of moral agency, portraying them as passive or incapable of ethical discernment, while reserving such agency for Western characters. This cinematic imbalance is framed as a form of cultural dispossession and colonial narrative control. The essay thus critiques the broader implications of how moral accountability and personhood are distributed across cultural lines in film.

Recommended Citation

Lipset, David (2015) "HERO, SAVAGE, OR EQUAL? REPRESENTATIONS OF THE MORAL PERSONHOOD OF PACIFIC ISLANDERS IN HOLLYWOOD MOVIES," Pacific Studies Journal: Vol. 38: No. 1, Article 5.
Available at: https://digitalcollections.byuh.edu/pacific-studies-journal/vol38/iss1/5