A Utopian interpretation of child labor motifs in Hayao Miyazaki's animation

Abstract

This study is a critique of the work of renowned Japanese animation director Hayao Miyazaki, specifically the recurring motif of child labor in his works. First, the recurring images of labor in his works are conceptualized as motifs in the narrative sense. In particular, it is noted that motifs are typically constructed through the repetition of key acts, which combine with each other to form and reinforce themes, and serve as the central core of a plot, the principle that forms the constitutive events. In other words, the labor motif is a principle of narrative organization. Analytic frame is suggested by drawing on Aristotle's theory of character and the theory of agency, the ability of an entity to cause an event. Applying this frame to Hayao's early works, Kiki the Witch Courier and Spirited Away, child labor motif in terms of the self-creative agency in agency theory and the plot-intensive motif of motif theory are analyzed. Through this analysis, it is clear that the labor motif is not only the attraction of the characters in Hayao's works, but also the core and driving principle of the narrative. Finally, as the philosophical origin of the labor motif, Hayao's view of labor is interpreted by using utopian views of labor, such as Fourier's, which are often found in early socialist discussions, as a framework for interpretation.