LAPUTA – CASTLE IN THE SKY

SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF THE

LEAD CHARACTER, SHEETA
IN THE ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
“LAPUTA – CASTLE IN THE SKY”

This paper will be a semiotic analysis of the lead female character Sheeta (fig1) from “Laputa – Castle in the Sky” (1986). Directed by master animator Hayao Miayzaki, this Japanese animated feature film is not well known or readily available in Australia although it is a classic in Japan. The film was produced in Japanese language, the copy that will be studied for this essay is one dubbed in English for Japan Airlines. In the film “Laputa – Castle in the Sky” (1986), Miayzaki utilizes cinematic codes and conventions, both Japanese and western, Fusing dominant aesthetic models drawn from both live action cinema and other pictorial arts, with an extensive vocabulary of the animated form that adapts the hyper realist designs and narration strategies used in the Disney features (Wells 1997). By identifying key signs, codes and systems of meaning that are present within the text; it will be shown that there are a number of feminist ideological issues which are raised.

“Laputa – Castle in the Sky” (1986) is a complex text and it is evident that there are significant meanings that can be established reflecting feminist ideology. The dominance of a patriarchal authority is established through numerous signs and codes within the text yet it is not embraced, rather it is confronted. The Binary oppositions that define the concerns of feminist ideology such as men are powerful and women are weak, are challenged, and patriarchal stereotypes, gender distinctions and the male gaze are also disputed.

The film “Laputa – Castle in the Sky” (1986) follows the story of a young girl, Sheeta, as she struggles against pursuit from a patriarchal military regime. Sheeta possesses a magic levitation stone that she inherited from her mother. Initially unaware of its power it is revealed that it is the key to the discovery and control of a legendary kingdom that floats in the sky and is far advanced in its science and technology, called Laputa (fig 2). Laputa has a highly advanced weapons system including an army of flying robots. The floating castle fortress Laputa is covered with ancient gardens, a giant tree towers over the kingdom and is a key sign that can be seen as a metaphor for spiritual knowledge (fig 2).

Secret agent Muska (Fig 3) who commands the military is determined to obtain the stone at any cost so as to become king of the floating castle with its advanced weaponry, and then ruler of the world. Sheeta is assisted in her journey by a young boy, Pazu, and a Matriarchal pirate family led by Dola, who is their leader and mother (Fig 5). The film’s climax is when Sheeta with the help of Pazu (fig 3) chooses to destroy Laputa than let it be used by Muska as a tyrannical weapon. The destruction process annihilates the man-made portions of the floating kingdom, which falls into the Ocean, The giant tree remains, liberated from the buildings of man it slowly ascends into the sky (Fig 7). Sheeta, Pazu and the Pirate family are the only survivors and fly off into the sunset laden with treasure.

Although “Laputa – Castle in the Sky” (1986) clearly depicts the issues of gender and exploitation, the use of violence to suppress women’s powers and the control and subordination of women bodies it offers an alternative narrative that supports the concerns of feminism and challenges patriarchal gender roles and outcomes. Wells (1997), states that “Miayzaki establishes his authorial tendencies by refuting the tenets of live action films constructed on masculine terms. His use of feminine discourse is a way of subverting established patriarchal agendas both in the practice of filmmaking and the art of story telling.”

There are numerous signs and codes within the film that inform the audience that the world depicted is in fact patriarchal. Patriarchy is a system of values which establishes and maintains a male authority. It most often refers to the political power and authority of males in a society but can also refer to the power of fathers within families. As Rowbotham (1981, p116) states “Patriarchal authority is based on male control over the woman; over her person”.

In the text Patriarchy is most significantly realized in the depiction of the military and there are numerous signs such as soldiers, guns, canons, armored vehicles, a coastal fortress (Fig 4), and a giant air ship that signifies associations with the military. By further utilizing codes specific within a familiar military culture, such as a dress code for soldiers and camouflage colour code on such things as the coastal fortress (Fig 4), air ship and armed train we are informed that the power base and authority in this land is indeed patriarchal. The exploitation of Sheeta by the patriarchy is represented by the militaries determination to obtain it’s outcomes against her will and at the expense of her life

Muska is a significant patriarchal character in the text and most fully symbolizes patriarchal aspirations as he leads the military in there pursuit of the Sheeta’s stone. Sheeta is constantly confronted by the patriarchal regime that assumes the authority to obtain and control her powerful levitation stone. The stone can be seen as a metaphor for Sheeta’s own personal feminine power. This power along with her ‘true’ name was bequeathed to her by her mother; this is a potent symbol of an alternative matriarchal paradigm where power and heritage is handed from mother to daughter as opposed to, from farther to son.

Sheeta’s relationship to Muska becomes an even more significant metaphor of patriarchy when it is revealed towards the end of the film that he is also a distant relative of Sheeta, bringing the patriarchal model into context of the family making the threat to Sheeta all the more intimate and disturbing.

Muska’s desire to obtain and exploit the power that Sheeta rightfully inherited from her mother exposes a deep concern of feminist ideology. Muska presumes the patriarchal authority to use violence to obtain and control Sheeta’s inherited power and is supported by both the government of the land and its all male military. Muska has no regard for “the girl” yet is eager to exploit the power that she has and would objectify her as his queen so as to exploit her powers to his own destructive ends. An interesting point though is that Muska, the male, does not naturally have access to the power he desires. The power is with the girl. This in itself undermines the patriarchal rhetoric. To obtain the power Muska must subordinate and control Sheeta’s body first and only then may he possess the power he craves.

Binary oppositions that are of concern to feminist ideologies are also present in the text and are those that provide support for the dominance of a patriarchal model. Almost in every binary opposition female corresponds to the weaker, powerless, negative one. For example: Activity/ Passivity, Sun/ Moon, Culture/ Nature, Day/ Night, Father/ Mother, Head/ Emotions, Intelligible/ Sensitive, Logos/ Pathos. It becomes apparent that both the components can not thrive at one time – one has to die or become passive. Invariably the female plays that role (Toril Moi 1985)

In the text these binary oppositions are challenged. In the first section of the text we are introduced to the young girl Sheeta wearing a blue dress, in the code of colour, blue is signified as a boys color. Sheeta signifies her challenge to the patriarchal model by aggressively asserting herself against her patriarch captor Muska, knocking him unconscious with a glass bottle and escaping. By Sheeta not remaining passive to Muska we are confronted with a challenge to patriarchal authority.

Another challenge to the binary oppositions that support patriarchy is the relationship with the powerful matriarch Dola, who is the mother and leader of a pirate family. Dola (Fig 5) signifies this challenge by being physically bigger than the other male pirates, who are her sons, and twice as big as her husband. Dola is loud, strong and aggressive; she is also cunning and fearless. Dola and her pirate family operate in contrast to a patriarchal paradigm and acts to challenge the binary oppositions presented by the patriarchy.

One of the ways that patriarchy operates is through an assumption of pre–determined stereo types and Gender roles, In “Laputa – Castle in the Sky” (1986) these assumptions are challenged.

Patriarchy uses stereotypes to systematically inform and categorize individuals into general hierarchical groupings that support the patriarchal values of maintaining male authority. Gender is the determining of the role and behaviors of an individual by there biological sex and is used to emphasize the distinctions between males and females, placing men into an arena of power and authority and women into positions of subservience and powerlessness. Sex-associated behavior is challenged

The character Sheeta can be seen to challenge these stereotypes and gender roles of patriarchy. A key sign is that Sheeta inherits the levitation stone, her true name and powerful magic spells from her mother, the female lineage of her family. This challenges the patriarchal stereotype that the father is the head of the family, a matriarchal model is signified denoting an existing alternative to the patriarchal paradigm. Another significant sign of the challenge to the patriarchal stereotype is the depiction of the defeat of Muska, by Sheeta. In a patriarchal paradigm girls do not rise up against and defeat there older male relatives.

Dola is another significant character that challenges Patriarchal stereotypes and gender roles. Working against and outside the patriarchal law; Dola is the mother and leader of a pirate family, a wild and heavy set Matriarch that leads her pirate sons into confrontations with the military and in the pursuit of treasure. Dola wears a blue jumpsuit, a colour and outfit generally ascribed to the male while her all male crew wears pink outfits a colour generally ascribed to girls. Dola’s husband further enforces this observation as he is half Dola’s size, softly spoken and is seen primarily in the background.

The concept of the male gaze is disputed and undermined within this text. “in a patriarchal world men are considered the ideal spectators and women are designed to flatter him” (Berger year). Miayzaki presents the female characters in this text as challenging and ultimately usurping male authority. Dola is an almost grotesque character who is substantially bigger than both her husband and her sons. Her dress code is one of utility and her character is in no way designed to flatter men so much as to confront and take from them.

Sheeta’s character development is one of ultimately reclaiming her inherited power back from the patriarchal Muska. In the final confrontation between the two Muska shoots off Sheeta’s pig tails, demanding that she deliver to him the levitation stone. This event signifies Sheeta’s passage to womanhood and though there is a sense of sexual violation here the proper focus of the incident is that this is the moment which insists upon sheeta becoming mature and assuming responsibility, a challenge which she responds to in adversity (Wells 1997). Sheeta destroys Laputa and with it all of the aspirations of the patriarchal regime. The patriarchy is thoroughly defeated with the annihilation of the entire military and Muska. It becomes apparent that this text has not been created to flatter men or support the concept of the male gaze.

In conclusion it has been shown through a semiotic analysis of the lead female character Sheeta that there are a number of feminist ideological issues which are raised in the visual text “Laputa – Castle in the Sky” (1986). Although the concerns of feminist ideology are explored in the text, this being primarily the dominance of a culture of patriarchal authority, we are offered an alterative narrative that challenges the assumptions of patriarchy. The Binary oppositions that define the concerns of feminist ideology have been identified, discussed and challenged; patriarchal stereotypes, gender distinctions and the male gaze have also been investigated and are disputed.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Feminism - Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2002. © 1993-2001 Microsoft Corporation
Monica Sjöö and Barbara Mor (1987), The Great Cosmic Mother – Rediscovering the religion of the earth, Harper Collins Publishers, New York
Michele Barrèt (1980), Woman’s oppression today, Problems in Marxist Feminist Analysis,

REFERENCES
Toril Moi (1985), Sexual/ Textual Politics: Feminist Literary Theory

Paul Wells (1997), Art & Design Vol.12, Art &Animation No.3/4, Hayao Miayzaki: Floating Worlds, Floating Signifiers

Sheila Rowbotham (1973) p116, Penguin Books

John Berger (Year?), penguin (Viking Press)

IMAGES

From: The Hayao Miyazaki Web, Films, “Laputa - The Castle in the Sky”, http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/

Fig.1

Sheeta, the main female character

Fig. 2

Laputa, the floating Castle

Fig 3

Secret agent Muska, Sheeta’s distant patriarchal relative

Fig 4

The Coastal military base with camouflage

Fig 5

Dola, the pirate mother (left) and Pazu

Fig 6

Sheeta (right), with Pazu says the spell that will destroy Laputa. Sheeta has short hair, her pig tails have been shot off by Muska.

Fig 7

Laputa rising into the sky, liberated from the scientific and technological man made structures

Fig 8

Cover of the DVD “Laputa – Castle in the Sky” (1986)