Bemoaning Bambi: Visual Communication of Trauma From Witnessing One of Disney’s Saddest Character Deaths

Abstract

Disney’s collection of character deaths has been described by both consumers and academics as traumatic. Among the most often cited traumatic Disney deaths is that of Bambi’s mother. Audiences engage in discussion online about the ways in which the film showcased a traumatic character death that left a lasting impression into adulthood, but the image referenced in these discussions offers more to researchers than mere words. Using a widely circulated audience-produced image of Bambi’s mother’s death, the following paper connects the symbolic elements within the image to larger cultural ideologies and assumptions about death and trauma. In doing so, it demonstrates how audiences communicate through visual medium the trauma of viewing animated death.