Vices of Empire in Waiting for the Barbarians, Explained Through Disney Villains

Disney Villains

It’s interesting to note just how much this novel correlates to themes presented in Disney movies; in addition to the themes present in our favorite Disney classics, the vices of empire show as prominent attributes in the villains of these movies. The most notable vices present in the themes and characters in JM Coetzee’s Waiting for the Barbarians revolves around the desire to assert themselves as the most robust—in age and vanity, power and authority, and doing so without regard for others. These characteristics are also seen in the villains throughout several of our most favorite childhood films. Here, we extrapolate these attributes presented to the reader in the novel and compare it to the Disney villains, who also embody these traits.

Pocahontas, 1995

A prominent feature present in both the novel and in the characteristics of several Disney villains is the desire to achieve a sense of eternal youth. This idea goes hand in hand with the concept of vanity, as they both project the idealistic concept of having the ability to hold power. Mother Gothel, the villain in Disney’s Tangled, as well as the Evil Queen, the villain in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, are excellent examples of this: they are willing to go great lengths—even willing to risk their own lives—for the chance to stay youthful and strong. This is because there is an ideal that only the able-bodied are able to inherit power; to be anything less would deem one as replicable to the next able-bodied character who also wished to hold power.

Tangled, 2010

Similarly, the Magistrate manages to recuperate from this endless cycle that exists in his Empire by seeking for youth in his own life, which includes his infatuation for the young barbarian girl. Brought forth on the very first page is the level of greatness that youth is put on a pedestal—the Magistrate’s first thought towards Colonel Joll is not his authoritative aura, nor is it towards the rank of the officer. In contrast, the Magistrate describes the colonel’s sunglasses: “two little discs of glass suspended in front of his eyes in loops of wire” (1). The Magistrate is absorbed by the idea of youth, as it alleviates the permanence of deep-set “wrinkles”and promises a smoother complexion—attributes that the Magistrate simply does not possess. Furthermore, it’s seen how the Magistrate attempts to repress explicitly expressing his jealousy, but the implications in his words are clear: “he has the skin of a younger man”(1). Because the Magistrate is unable to embody what his society deems as physically robust, he is ashamed of his own corporeal figure. It’s depicted when he admits that he is only able to show his “thin lanks...slack genitals, flabby old man’s breasts, the turkey-skin of [his] throat” (31) without feeling self-conscious because of the barbarian girl’s poor eyesight. In this case, sight is a symbol of power: those who are able to see are viewed as more superior to those who are blind, or those who are less able to see.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, 1938

All of this is done in an attempt to stay in power; Disney’s The Lion King and Alice in Wonderland feature the villains Scar and the Queen of Hearts, respectively, to mirror the idea that ensured that all measures be taken to ensure they had no competition to power. This simply stems from the villain’s fear of being overthrown by those with the potential to overpower them. Scar murders his older brother, Mufasa, in order to inherit the throne, and the Queen of Hearts orders for the execution of any individuals who are unable to keep her in the highest position of power.

The Lion King, 1994

Similarly, the Empire does the same in Waiting for the Barbarians. Because Colonel Joll is unfamiliar with the desert people, he fears the rumors that they have the potential to riot against the Empire. In fear of losing his authoritative position, he attempts to mask his fear by asserting dominance and instilling fear in those who attempt to challenge him. He believes that if he is able to convince that the Empire holds all the power, that the other nations will bow down in fear of the Empire. It is not to prove that the Empire is the most robust, but to hold onto the façade that the Empire is as powerful as it claims to be. In order to prove this, Colonel Joll introduces various methods of torture, persuading the desert people to answer a certain way. This fuels the idea of one’s superiority and vanity of one’s own regard in their society in comparison to others. Moreover, it also convinces the oppressed to lay low, in the authoritative figure’s attempt to avoid further conflict and possible rebellion.

Alice in Wonderland, 1951

Although this does not thoroughly encapsulate all of the vices present in the Empire depicted in Waiting for the Barbarians, it is significant to note that these actions are not only done to instill fear and establish authority, but to mask the weakness and instabilities of that domineering force. We are able to connect that man attempts to assert power and dominance without regard to other nations. Because there is constant conflict in these situations, it is only a matter of time before one nation comes out victorious, and the other falls to ruin.

Works Cited

J.M. Coetzee. Waiting for the Barbarians. New York: Penguin, 1982.

“Alice in Wonderland.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 12 Sept. 1951, www.imdb.com/title/tt0043274/?ref_=nv_sr_2.

“Pocahontas.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 23 June 1995, www.imdb.com/title/tt0114148/?ref_=nv_sr_1.

“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 4 Feb. 1938, www.imdb.com/title/tt0029583/?ref_=nv_sr_2.

“Tangled.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 24 Nov. 2010, www.imdb.com/title/tt0398286/?ref_=nv_sr_1.

"The Lion King." IMDb. IMDb.com, 23 June 1994. Web. 29 Nov. 2018.