Littlefoot's Mother

Noname · **on:** October 29, 2008, 10:08:47 PM

Well, at long last, a thread on her is opened. She dies like 20 minutes into the first film, and is only mentioned a handful of times in the later films and is shown briefly in a flashback.

We can surmise that she is kind, motherly, protective of her only child, and that she is not strong enough or tough enough to fight a Tyrannosaurus and live. Either way, she fought out of protectiveness, courage, and probably instinct to keep her son from being eaten.

She would probably still be alive if Bron had not left to find food for the family or whatever he left for...

Littlefoot90 · **Reply #1 on:** October 30, 2008, 04:50:49 AM

yes, I still found these scenes good . I found the first cute and I found the second sad

Malte279 · **Reply #2 on:** October 30, 2008, 04:52:59 AM

We can also say that she was brought up (by her parents who are judging from their attitude in LBT 10 the grandparents of Littlefoot we have seen in all of the movies) in the old racist ways and that (though we don't know about her personal stand on it) she didn't question it nor bothered at a real explanation when Littlefoot questioned it. This does not by itself make her a "bad character" but she seems to have been somewhere in between Cera's father's racism and Ducky's parents apparent lack of such. It is that later point which made me wonder if the racism was a specific longneck / threehorn thing.

NewOrder · **Reply #3 on:** October 30, 2008, 09:15:24 AM

I don't think we can talk about racism, it's just the way of life. We have cases of symbiotic behavior between different species, and cases of bondage like humans with their pets, however, for the most part each species just hangs out with their kind, we can't transfer human emotions and ideals to animals even if we are talking about a cartoon. I doubt Don Bluth intended to make Littlefoot's mother's arguments sound racist, it's just part of the natural order of things.

Malte279 · **Reply #4 on:** October 30, 2008, 12:00:28 PM

I do think that racism was very deliberately picked as a topic of the land before time rather than one to be just accepted by the audience as a "natural order of things" with Littlefoot and the others being just plain unnatural.
In spite of the much larger physical difference between dinosaurs of different species compared to humans of a different skin color (one of the most frequent basis for racism among humans) the comparison of the situation between humans and animals does not work out in this context. Not only is the often harmful attitude of humans towards animals not usually to be described with the term "racism" but also humans and animals are unable to communicate with each other on a sensible level (they can certainly share emotions and certain commands may be trained to a pet, but it is absolutely no same eye-level type of communication). The leafeating dinosaurs of LBT however can talk to each other just the way humans of different complexion could.
They are capable of thinking in abstract and reason based terms and therefore question the reason for any case of segregation between species (something we cannot say about animals), and the racism exists in spite of the fact that the different kinds of dinosaurs are fully aware of the ability of the other kinds to communicate and think on their level (no matter how much a given kind might claim being the smartest).
For all this I really think the racism in LBT was meant to be a story element and the overcoming of the racism by the main characters made up for one of the important morals of the movie.
The comparison of the situation to that between humans and animals doesn't work out as plausibly as a comparison between inter human racism, in my opinion.

Kor · **Reply #5 on:** October 30, 2008, 12:50:52 PM

It does seem that some areas were more prone to these specism feelings then other areas, and within those areas some families were not prone to it.

Noname · **Reply #6 on:** October 30, 2008, 01:04:15 PM

I don't think that Littlefoot's mother was a "speciest", but that she was one of those people who was content to love only those who loved her; in other words, she didn't hate other species, but she had no specific care about them either. I suppose that that is indifference, although she DID rescue Cera as well as Littlefoot from falling down the cliff, although it is probable that she would have to save both anyway as a part of the action of saving her son (she just happened to grab them both.)

Cancerian Tiger · **Reply #7 on:** November 20, 2008, 11:59:26 AM

I beg to differ. I truly believed she saved Cera out of the kindness of her heart. I mean, if you're a human of one race and saw a child of another race you're prejudice against in peril, would ya save him or her? Or let the child die simply 'cuz the race factor blinds ya to the value of a life? On another note, even if she did not question the racist attitudes of different species, she did not react to Littlefoot playing with Cera to the extreme that Mr. Threehorn did. She certainly did not seem to mind until Mr. Threehorn acted like a raging idiot. Sure, he's protective of Cera, which I believe he has every valid reason to. After all, she's all he has left of his original family. However, Littlefoot was just a BABY for heaven's sake! There was no need for such a reaction 'cuz Cera was not in emminent danger. My point is, I don't believe Littlefoot's mother is as racist as she may seem to be. Just 'cuz she does not really express her view on racism explicitly does not mean she's a racist. Sometimes, out of fear, folks do not speak up against a widely supported view even though they oppose it. Look at the Nazi regime's Holocaust movement as an example. From what I understand, many Germans and other Europeans opposed the mission to exterminate the Jewish race but were too intimidated to rise up, for they would've been killed just the same. Same with the Emancipation Proclamation and the Ku Klux Klan. Caucasians were afraid to support the African-Americans openly, for they would've ended up lynched themselves. Now, in regard to the LBT culture, it is possible the dinos were afraid of being shunned from their herds, not necessarily murdered. There is safety in numbers, and to be alone out there with the elements, predators and a child to protect is an awfully treacherous predicament to be in. She did the best she could, and just 'cuz she SACRIFICED her life does not make her weak, but rather a heroine in the sense that she died so others (Littlefoot and Cera) could live. That, to me, is true strength. Someone who, no matter what their physical strength is, risks their hide to save others is what defines a strong person. She's a hero, not a weak coward, and for that one of several reasons is a well-liked character by me.

Kor · **Reply #8 on:** November 20, 2008, 03:42:12 PM

Likely she would have reacted like Littlefoot's grandparents in the Great Valley do and put those sorts of things aside. Bron didn't seem to have any of those at all. Though he was not retconned till the 10th moive.

RFZT · **Reply #9 on:** January 24, 2009, 11:28:07 PM

I don't think his mom was as racist as accepting of the dinosaur segregation. When she was talking to Littlefoot about how the different species didn't do anything together, I didn't find it as blatant racism. I thought she said in in a matter-of-fact way.

As for how much I like her...I love her! The only one I like more is Grandpa. We literally saw less than half an hour of Littlefoot's mom, but she won a place in my heart. She was so sweet, faithful and motherly. And like I have said so many times already, her death was the first movie scene I ever cried at. I find that pretty remarkable for a three-year-old.

crazedwriter · **Reply #10 on:** January 25, 2009, 05:40:16 PM

I adore Littlefoot's mother. She is everything a parent should be: Kind, compassionate, loving, fearless, wise...And I'm sure Littlefoot had told his mom (off camera of course

) she's the prettiest mom around.

Racist? I don't think so. Notice how she doesn't lay into Littlefoot for playing with Cera, unlike Topsy who's daily filling his daughter's head with his bigotry. BTW it appears LBT deals with species superiority. Didn't ceratopsians develop after the big sauropods? And since they were more specialized (horns, frills, etc), Topsy gets this "I'm better than you" attitude. I won't get into Topsy's bigotry now as that's a whole other topic.

Anyway, she quietly explained why Littlefoot couldn't play with Cera. "We never do anything together." And he asks why. The reply? "It's always been that way."
I got the same explanation after my folks moved to a white neighborhood and we went to the majority white school, and some of the kids wouldn't even speak to us. It's always been that way until something big comes along and challenges the old ways. Like earthquakes and Sharpteeth.

Malte279 · **Reply #11 on:** January 25, 2009, 05:59:05 PM

She is not really racist and in the moment of danger saves Cera along with Littlefoot, but she is certainly not the type who would by herself try to change the world for the better by not just nodding of the status quo. When Littlefoot asks her about this segregation she does not really question it (it has always been that way) but sort of cuts Littlefoot questioning short (don't worry too much). She may be somewhat indifferent to the subject apparently having never given the matter too much thought herself.
I'm under the impression that LBT is really an extremely changing world (which has been spelled out repeatedly throughout the movies) and that the attitude of the kinds has undergone tremendous changes within the short time span of the movies after it may have undergone very little change for millions of years.
Accustomed to it Littlefoot's mother doesn't actively promote racism but accepts it as a fact of life and (probably out of concern for his safety rather than racism) would rather see Littlefoot with other kids of his own kind.

Kor · **Reply #12 on:** January 25, 2009, 07:14:32 PM

Also it does seem that not all areas are ones where others of different kinds don't do anything together. The bullies didn't seem to dislike certain types, they disliked anyone younger and smaller all equally. Rhett, Shorty, Pat didn't seem to feel any different towards someone if they were a longneck or not a longneck. Ducky & Petrie didn't seem to react to the others in any other special way since they were not flyers or swimmers like them. So it may only be certain areas where folks tend to be more speciest then others & some areas and herds are not really at all.

Malte279 · **Reply #13 on:** January 25, 2009, 07:23:41 PM

I think in fact (just my interpretation though) that Hyp's friendship with Nod, and Mutt is not due to the fact that they lived in different place, but that in fact it would have been just as extraordinary as the friendship of Littlefoot and the others just a short time before the first movie.
My interpretation is that those dinosaurs hit by whatever befell the world east of the Great Valley in the original movie sort of moved closer together and that the abandoning of racism by Littlefoot and the others was just one part of something much larger affecting all the dinosaurs of the region who ultimately end up in the Great Valley.
Ali's herd (not from the same region) still maintains some of the racism though it may be wavering for them too. The Spiketails in LBT 8 don't show any strong racist attitude (their behavior in forbidden friendship is obviously not racist in nature), but they are also a Spiketails only herd. The farwalkers in LBT 7 on the other hand are a mixed lot. Perhaps the hardships they faced in "the cold lands" were similar to the plights east of the Great Valley contributing to a stronger community spirit?

Kor · **Reply #14 on:** January 25, 2009, 10:21:31 PM

It could be that other directions from the great valley folks were less speciest or not at all.

Malte279 · **Reply #15 on:** January 26, 2009, 04:29:07 AM

Which, if it is so, may be caused by the environment they are living in. Some regions may be save enough so the dinosaurs there can "afford" being racist as they are not in need of the help of other species. On the other hand regions of sparse food might also have the opposite effect, promoting racism when it comes to competing about what little food there is. In the original movie the recognition that the individual of one kind depended on the help of others to survive brought the different kinds together and that spirit is (to some degree) kept up in the Great Valley even though there is no as pronounced dependency on each other anymore.

Almaron · **Reply #16 on:** September 17, 2009, 04:30:41 AM

I wonder if his mother, had she survived, would have ignored the other characters in the GOF. She seemed to me like the kind who followed the "rules" blindly. While we are shown that Topps considers himself superior, there is no indication that she thinks so. There even seemed to be a mutual understanding between her and Topps. As mentioned before, she saves Cera when she falls with Littlefoot. I imagine that she would have easily adapted, like the rest of the GV residents, and would not have left the other members of the GOF behind. It all depends on whether or not you think she would object to looking after another species of dinosaur, as Topps definitely would have in the past. She might have even rescued the others without a thought.

I wonder though, since the racism between species is lesser if non-existent in the later films, I wonder if it varies from region to region. Thicknose's flashback in 8 suggests that the GV had no such racism in his youth. Unless the GV has always been like this, it makes you wonder if the racism between different dinosaurs evolved out of a sparsity of food in certain areas. Look how quickly Topps and the others are quick to attack eachother in LBT 3. It could have started as insults and grown from there.

(Darn! Again, I forget my theory! Halfway through this page I forget what I was going to say.)

Kor · **Reply #17 on:** September 17, 2009, 02:32:50 PM

I would guess it differs with region and some herds since in the movies there has been herds and individuals who didn't seem to have the speciest attitude. Ducky & Petrie don't seem to have it in the first film. The Spiketail herd seems to not have it. Ali, though afraid of non longnecks, doesnt' seem to have the attitude that the longnecks are better then other non longnecks. Bron and Shorty didn't seem to have that in the 10th movie, Pat also didn't seem to have it.

Noname · **Reply #18 on:** September 17, 2009, 02:34:46 PM

I'm sure that had she lived, she would have been in a position similar to her mother (grandma longneck), and would not have been a racist. Did she accept those rules on the way to the valley? Yes, but they seem to have mostly disposed of them when they get to the valley.

Adder · **Reply #19 on:** September 19, 2010, 04:16:12 PM

Remember how she died, well there was video of her death on youtube, and the title was

"Lol, Littlefoot's mother dies"

That person must hate LBT alot, even the deceased characters, if they call a video that.

EDIT Found the link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwOI_l7spJw&feature=related

Can you actually believe this person would name a video that?