Child and Adolescent Cultural-Social Research

Child and Adolescent Cultural-Social Research

Examining the Capabilities of the Animated Film Bache Zerang, Based on the Theory of Identification and Narrative Engagement

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Associate Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Children's Literature, Shahid Beheshti University
10.22083/cssca.2026.546867.1087
Abstract
Children’s and young adults’ animation in the contemporary era is no longer merely a medium of entertainment; rather, it has evolved into an influential arena for shaping children’s emotions, cognition, and social practices—an arena in which narrative constitutes its very core. Drawing upon the theory of Identification and Narrative Engagement, the present study examines the narrative capacities of the feature-length animated film Bache Zerang, and analyzes the factors that contribute to its impact on child and adolescent audiences. The research adopts a qualitative, descriptive–analytical approach, with data collected through narrative observation and theoretically guided analysis of storytelling elements. The findings indicate that Bache Zerang, through its use of an age-congruent heroic protagonist, the symbolic design of animal characters, an adventure-driven plot structured around suspense, a culturally familiar milieu, and humorous dialogues, provides a fertile ground for emotional identification and active narrative engagement. Such engagement attenuates children’s cognitive resistance to overt moral messaging and facilitates the internalization of values such as responsibility, environmental stewardship, and friendship within an enjoyable and non-coercive experiential framework. In this sense, the film’s effectiveness is rooted not in the explicitness of its messages, but in the quality of its narrative construction and the depth of the audience’s immersion in the story world.
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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 21 February 2026