Cheburashka is one of the most famous animation characters in the Soviet period. This paper carries out a discursive analysis of four animation films in which the curious creature, Cheburashka, is the protagonist. This paper explores the pedagogic and ideological socialisation functions that the Cheburashka animation films bring about, analysing the implicit and explicit values passed on to the audiences.
The paper comprises a theoretical introduction and a methodological framework section in which the formal arguments of the analysis are elucidated. The next section examines the four animation movies that make up the saga: Gena the Crocodile (1969), Cheburashka (1971), Shapoklyak (1974) and Cheburashka goes to school (1983). This paper confirms the appearance of ideological principles that start showing in the way the characters handle conflict resolution. This paper finishes with a succinct conclusion and reflection.