Rhombus Rota

In the city of Rosas introduced in Disney’s Wish, a dark and fascinating rule exists for all citizens. As discussed in the movie and in the song ‘Welcome To Rosas’, King Magnificio has a law that when individuals turn 18, he will confiscate their deepest wish to be able to keep them ‘safe’ from harm. Unfortunately, this results in them becoming a dull, lifeless version of themselves as they do not possess a strong enough spirit or hope. On an unrelated note, this message around holding onto your dreams is very powerful and is one of the many reasons I believe Wish is better than people think. We have actually met another Disney character who has given up his wish, becoming gloomy and dull: Eeyore.

Eeyore’s Gloom as a Result of his Lost Wish:

What Might Eeyore’s Wish Be?

I have three ideas for what Eeyore’s wish may have been. These include:

Wish 1: To Be Accepted By His Peers:

Eeyore’s wish was to be fully accepted by all of his peers. By losing this wish, Eeyore now struggles to be accepted and understand his peers. This has led to countless times that Eeyore has struggled with understanding when his peers accept and love him. These include:

• In Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968), when Eeyore loses his tail in the bluster, all of his friends go to find it. Eeyore is touched by their concerns but struggles to fully understand and accept their friendship.
  
• In Playdate with Winnie the Pooh (2023), it is Eeyore’s birthday. Pooh goes out of his way to get him a present of a balloon, as Eeyore feels that everyone has forgotten about him. When they do finally celebrate, Eeyore is seen smiling softly but is still confused about his friendships and acceptance of peers.

• In The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1988), multiple episodes explore the depression and unacceptance of Eeyore’s feelings. One specific example is S1 E2b ‘Donkey for a Day’. Piglet and company attempt to cheer Eeyore up and allow him to accept their friendship. Overall the episode shows that Eeyore is confused about acceptance: due to him losing his wish. 

Wish 2: To Be Content with Life:

Eeyore’s wish was to be happy and content with his life. By losing his wish, Eeyore now struggles to understand his happiness and finding joy in the smaller things in life. There are quite a few times when Eeyore struggles to find the happiness in life due to his missing wish. These include:

• In the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), Eeyore’s house is considered his ‘gloomy place’. This already shows that his life is empty and he has little happiness. Similarly, later in the movie, Eeyore shows that he does not care that his friends helped him find his tail: showing the lack of happiness.

• In My Friends Tigger and Pooh (2007), Pooh, Tigger and Darby attempt to use their Super Sleuth powers by helping Eeyore. For some reason, Eeyore is even sadder than usual found on a hill. The gang attempt to cheer Eeyore up but he refuses this. Turns out, all he wanted to do was watch the sunset with his friends: showing that he struggles to find the smaller things in life.

• In The Book of Pooh (2001), the gang attempt to celebrate Eeyore’s tailiversary (the day he received his tail). Due to Eeyore giving away his wish, he is unable to allow the party to go ahead: with everything going wrong for him. 
  

Wish 3: To Be Christopher Robin’s Favourite:

This may be the only ‘out-of-the-box’ idea for Eeyore’s wish. Eeyore’s wish was to be Christopher Robin’s favourite stuffed toy. By losing his wish, he feels that there is no point in trying to be fun, upbeat and happy: similar to his peers. There are quite a few times that Eeyore has shown that he no longer cares for Christopher Robin due to his wish being taken. These include:

• In Winnie the Pooh (2011), Eeyore reacts with a lack of enthusiasm as per usual. When Christopher Robin notices him, he attempts to talk to Eeyore. Due to his wish being taken, Eeyore reacts in a dry, ungrateful manner to Christoper Robin showing how he does not care anymore.

• In the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), Eeyore is shown being his usual depressed self. When Christopher Robin talks with him, Eeyore often gives a cold reply, showing the lack of care he has for him now.

• In Piglet’s Big Movie (2003), the group makes a decision to find Piglet and the lost scrapbook. Eeyore is reluctant to join in and gives Christopher Robin the cold shoulder at the party towards the end of the movie.
  

Why Has Eeyore’s Wish Not Been Granted?

As seen in Wish, Magnificio does not grant wishes for multiple reasons. One of these is because the wish could be too strong, such as Asha’s grandfather’s wish. Sometimes wishes that are deeply emotional would be susceptible to problems. Another reason that Eeyore’s wish may have not been granted was because he gave up. As seen in Wish, the people of Rosas are struggling with the fact that their wish may never be granted. Potentially Eeyore gave up hope which led to him leading Rosas to go to the 100 Acre Woods.

The Negative Effect of Eeyore’s Missing Wish:

Eeyore’s melancholy is not natural but a result of his lost hope, adding an extra layer of tragedy to this poor donkey’s life. If one day he was able to reclaim his wish and rediscover hope, perhaps he could regain his vitality, happiness and true self. If he continues without his wisdom, Eeyore will continue to lose hope leading to a life of cynicism and gloom which shields his true disappointment. Sadly, everyone else thinks that Eeyore is bleak and sad, but truly it is a consequence of Magnificio stripping away his wish. Overall, hopefully one day Eeyore will become his true self again.

Max