Dora The Explorer: an Animated Series Review

Dora Outline

Introduction

• Introduction to Dora the Explorer as a fictional character teaching young audiences
• Reference to Walton's criteria for the importance of fiction

Dora's Lessons and Emotional Processing

• Description of Dora addressing the audience and teaching lessons, particularly about stealing
• Connection between teaching morals and emotional processing
• Consistency of the message throughout episodes

Interaction with the Audience

• Dora's direct interaction with the audience and its impact
• Placing viewers in similar situations and providing real-life experiences
• Connection to Walton's idea of engaging in a game of make-believe and educational stimulation

Conclusion

• Recap of how Dora the Explorer meets Walton's criteria for the importance of fiction in teaching and emotional processing

Dora Essay Example

Dora the explorer is a fictional character that goes on adventures whose purpose is targeted towards teaching a young audience new things. From counting, to the values of friendship and sharing, Dora teaches the characters audience fundamentals or a type of code to live by that are specific to different episodes. Walton explains that fiction can help one process their emotions as well as fears (pg. 705, para. 6-7). Looking through the fantasy world that Dora presents, not only does the character verbally address speak to the audience to get or make them feel a part of the story that could prepare them for similar situations in real life, but the character also gives suggestive advice that will be in tune to the show young audience. By exploring these methods used by Dora the explorer, it becomes clear how exactly Walton’s criteria for why fiction is important is easily represented through the character Dora.

In every episode from Dora the explorer, Dora encounters a fox that attempts to steal her belongings. Dora looks directly at the audience and addresses them to repeat after her in order to make the fox go after away; still maintaining eye contact with the viewers, Dora explains why stealing is wrong and this happens every single episode. By attempting to teach the audience the lesson that stealing is wrong, this in term resonates with Walton’s criteria of fiction helping one process emotions. The standard of stealing being wrong can change, further, or repress one’s feelings and Walton even says that one “learns to accept them, purge himself of them, or whatever exactly it is that he does” (pg. 705, para. 6). It is also the fact that this standard of stealing being wrong is taught in all of the episodes, even further conditioning or influencing the audience to think or believe a certain way.

When Dora directly address the audience and tells them that they should not steal other people’s belongings, the character is also interacting with audience and making them feel or appear to be a part of the fictional world. By doing this, Dora is able to put the viewers in the same situation that she is in and as a byproduct, give the viewer the experience to handle a similar situation in real life. Walton explains that it is as if we are playing a game every time we read or hear a story, and each time, we take part and participate in a game of make-believe (pg. 707, para. 3). Walton also stresses the importance of educational stimulation and relates it into to a form of therapy, better known as Gestalt therapy (pg. 705, para. 8). The relation Walton uses does not define Gestalt therapy, but simply is used to explain the fascination that people have with exploring fiction and what is given from it. Again, it is the byproduct of giving someone the necessary experience to handle a certain situation that Dora gives to the audience.