This webpage outlines a "beast index" that alphabetizes all the animals featured in medieval bestiaries of the Middle Ages. For each individual animal, the webpage provides general attributes of the animal, the allegory or moral associated with the animal, and additional sources that showcase the animal in the context of various bestiaries. There are also illustrations drawn specifically from medieval bestiaries that depict the animals in action and allow us to visually interpret their moral meaning.
Some of the beast definitions that are significant to my interpretation of Zootopia and that I plan to explore in depth include the fox, the rabbit, the wolf, the sheep, and the weasel.
Marie de France's Fables feature talking animals that provide an anthropocentric perspective of moral and ethical ideals, communicated as didactic tales. Each fable offers a short narrative and uses animal representations to enter into a particular discussion of moral critique. These discussions include topics such as violence and brutality, feudal society and class structure, along with flattery and deceit.
The following fables involve animal characters that are seen in Zootopia and discuss some of the same issues brought up in the film (e.g. police brutality, class disparity, trickery): Fable 10, The Fox and the Eagle; Fable 13, The Crow and the Fox; Fable 36, The Sick Lion and the Fox; Fable 50, The Wolf and the Sheep; Fable 59, The Wolf and the Crow; Fable 60, The Cock and the Fox; Fable 4, The Dog and the Ewe; Fable 97, The Hare and the Deer.
*I own a hard copy of Fables that I will be able to access any time.
This source is an interview with the voice cast and creative team (directors and producer) behind Zootopia. They discuss the research and filming process of the film along with the development of the characters and the narrative. For example they explain how the film's setting in different districts (e.g. cold weather animals in the Tundra Town and hot weather animals in Sahara Square) and downtown Zootopia where the animals congregate is based off the watering holes in Africa where animals come together each day. They also discuss the animation technology and scientific observation that allowed them to create extremely realistic and detailed animal characters.
In this scholarly article, Jennifer Sandlin and Nathan Snaza discuss Zootopia in the context of police violence, white supremacy, the police state, and the Black Lives Matter movement. They begin with a critique of Disney's history of presenting racist depictions and celebrating Western colonialism through humor and colorful animation. In the conversation of Zootopia, Sandlin and Snaza examine the film's "muddled" allegories which concern the roles of police in society along with the coding of race relations. For example, they use the film's central message surrounding predator versus prey to evaluate the extent to which the film involves itself with racism and savage depictions of African Americans. Another notable discussion in this article is the critique of the film's engagement with science (genetic determination) and politics.
In this scholarly article, William Teddy provides background on various gender stereotypes and how the issue of gender roles is prevalent in our society. Teddy uses the appearances, occupations, and personalities of the male and female characters in Zootopia as evidence to argue that the film reinforces traditional gender stereotypes that women are insignificant in comparison to men. However, Teddy then deconstructs this initial observation, using the characters of Judy Hopps and Mayor Bellwether to exemplify how women are actually strong, powerful, and capable of leadership, regardless of the role of men. The article concludes with a statement that the film does not necessarily provide a solidified bias towards the superiority of either men or women, and that the oppositions of men and women are actually interdependent in that they rely on each other to exist with power.