Instructions
As you watch the movie Moana, think carefully about the characters' motivations, the challenges they face, and the deeper meanings behind the story. Answer the following questions in the spaces provided. Try to use specific details from the film to support your answers.
Part 1: The Call of the Ocean
1. Chief Tui is very protective of his people and forbids anyone from sailing beyond the reef. What specific event from his past caused this fear, and how does it conflict with Moana's own feelings about the sea?
2. Gramma Tala is seen by some as the "village crazy lady," but she plays a crucial role. Describe two important ways she supports and guides Moana before Moana begins her quest.
Part 2: The Wayfinder and the Demigod
3. When Moana first meets Maui, he is arrogant and uninterested in her quest. What is the main reason for his reluctance to help her return the heart of Te Fiti?
4. Maui's animated tattoos tell the stories of his past victories. However, the "Mini-Maui" tattoo often has a different personality. What role does this specific tattoo play? How does it act as Maui's conscience?
Part 3: Trials on the Sea
5. In the Realm of Monsters, Tamatoa the crab sings "Shiny." He claims Maui is no longer great without his magical fishhook. What is the song's underlying message about identity and self-worth? How does Tamatoa's view (valuing flashy, external things) contrast with Moana's?
6. After their first battle with Te Kā fails and Maui's hook is badly damaged, Maui leaves Moana. In this moment of despair, Moana asks the ocean to take the heart back. What appears to her and what is said that convinces her to continue the quest on her own?
Part 4: Finding the Way Home
7. The final confrontation with Te Kā doesn't end in a battle. What crucial realization does Moana have when she sees the spiral on Te Kā's chest? What does she do to "defeat" the monster?
8. At the end of the film, Moana has fulfilled her quest. How has she changed the future for her people on Motunui, and how has she successfully blended her duty as a leader with her personal calling?
Answer Key
1. When Chief Tui was young, he and his best friend sailed beyond the reef on a stormy night. Their boat capsized, and his friend drowned. This personal tragedy made him believe the ocean was too dangerous and that staying on the island was the only way to be safe. This directly conflicts with Moana's innate desire to explore and her feeling that the ocean is a friend.
2. (Any two of the following or similar points)
- She shows Moana the hidden cave containing the spirits of their ancestors and the great voyaging canoes, revealing their true history as wayfinders.
- She keeps the heart of Te Fiti safe and gives it to Moana when the time is right.
- On her deathbed, she tells Moana to go on her quest, giving her the final push she needs to leave the island.
- Her spirit (as a manta ray) guides Moana through moments of doubt on her journey.
3. Maui's main reason for reluctance is fear. Stealing the heart of Te Fiti was the act that caused him to lose his magical fishhook and be stranded on the island for 1,000 years. He believes returning the heart is a suicide mission and is afraid of facing Te Kā again without his hook.
4. Mini-Maui acts as Maui's conscience and moral compass. While Maui's public persona is arrogant and self-serving, the tattoo often encourages him to do the right thing, such as helping Moana, turning the boat around, and teaching her to sail. It points out when he is being selfish and reminds him of the hero he could be.
5. The song's message is that self-worth comes from external appearances and possessions ("shiny" things). Tamatoa believes that without his hook, Maui is nothing. This contrasts with Moana, whose identity and self-worth come from within—from her purpose, her heritage, and her inner strength, not from any magical item or flashy appearance.
6. The spirit of her Gramma Tala appears. She doesn't tell Moana what to do but instead asks her who she is. This prompts Moana to sing "I Am Moana," where she reaffirms her identity, her love for her island, and her connection to her ancestors and the sea. This restores her confidence and she realizes she can complete the quest, with or without Maui.
7. Moana realizes that Te Kā is actually Te Fiti, but corrupted and enraged after her heart was stolen. The spiral symbol on Te Kā's chest is the empty space where the heart should be. Instead of fighting, Moana calmly walks toward Te Kā, parts the water, and restores the heart. This act of understanding and healing, rather than violence, is what saves the day.
8. Moana has restored the voyaging tradition of her people. By proving it is safe to sail again, she leads them off the island to explore new lands. She blends her duty and calling by becoming the new chief who is also a master wayfinder. She leads her people not by keeping them confined, but by guiding them into the future, honoring both her responsibility to them and her personal identity.