Disney: Soul over Matter

With Mickey, Walt fought for the assertion of personality, of human content, in something designated for pure entertainment. Heart had to be hand in hand with joy. Disney created Mickey as a “distinct individual”, establishing, through his creature, the ascendancy of personality over contingency, like soul over matter. For, always kept “in character”, Mickey could be recognized by audiences, in Disney’s words, “as a personage, motivated by character, instead of situations”.