The human world depends upon interaction and communication through various activities and aspects that regulate the life in the society. In addition, the process of human communication and interaction depends upon a set of symbols that represent ideas and meanings and constitute visual and expressive arts such as theatre, ballet, cinema and motion pictures. An ideological symbol plays an important role in this human interaction. It played a critical role in stereotyping the Arab character in plastic art, cinema and motion pictures. Different types of mass media are important channels that contribute in constituting the stereotype in the minds of people. Due to their wide spread in our contemporary life, these media have gained great importance in the field of forming a stereotype. These stereotypes have emerged using both the immediate indicative and the specific artistic significance of the symbol. This emergence has played a role in the historical development of the stereotype. This is dealt with by the researcher throughout the four chapter of the study.

Chapter one: 

The role of the ideological symbol in stereotyping the Arab character in plastic art

Chapter one presented a study of the symbol in plastic art and its ideological role. This was carried out through analysing the works of the most prominent artists with different artistic orientations. These works include the painting of Horus Brothers (1784) by Jack Lewis David (1748-1825) who is one of the most prominent figures of the neo-classical school, the painting of Executing the revolutionaries (1808) by the Spanish artist Franshisco Joya who is one of the most prominent artists of the realistic school, and the famous painting of Jornika (1937) by Pablo Picasso (1937-1881). Then, this chapter of the study presented an explanation of the role of the symbol in stereotyping the Arab character. This symbol was made use of by foreign students of the east in making a special ideology. The chapter also included a description and analysis of samples of the works of the most prominent of those foreign students that stereotyped the Arab character. At the end of the chapter, a study of the Arab character in caricature pictures was presented through symbol stereotyping.

Chapter two:

The symbol in cinema and its ideological role in stereotyping the Arab character in western movies. There is no doubt that cinema is the most widespread and influential art. This is because of its attractive nature at both the technical and aesthetic levels. Cinema reflects reality more than any other art. This is simply because it reflects nature as it is. Cinema is the means used in Europe to achieve its ideology, aims and ambitions towards Arabs. It has started, since its earliest stages and since silent movies, in deteriorating and stereotyping the Arab character. The researcher studied the role of the symbol in making these stereotypes putting into consideration its historical development in western cinema movies since its historical beginning and in historical movies that represented Arab characters such as Sheikh produced in 1919 till the latest contemporary film Taken in 2008. This was bound to the time limits of the research. 

Chapter three:

The role of the ideological symbol in stereotyping the Arab character in western motion films

Motion pictures are capable of modifying social and moral values and changing the lifestyles people get used to. When used in their right conception, i.e. as a medium between plastic art and cinema, motion pictures become one of the most influential and effective arts in forming the human mind and the human culture in general. Many European artists and film makers understood this type of art and realised its critical and sensitive role. Therefore, they used it as a language and means of communication that is based on common understanding, and as a tool that is most effective in forming the thinking and affection of the other. Thus, it has become an industry that is capable of achieving cultural development and social change. Besides, it has become an ideological weapon that is capable of achieving dominance. The symbol played a prominent role in drawing this mental image. It was made use of in elements and items of the motion film to construct these stereotypes. I studied and analysed these elements and items in the most important and prominent historical films that represented the Arab character such as The adventures of prince Ahmed by Lot Ringer (1895-1976) produced in 1962, Aladdin by Walt Disney (1901-1966) produced in 1988 and directed by Bill Perkins (1924-2003). Porky big Ali baba bound, produced in 1940 and directed by Carl W. Stallino (1892-1972) and Popeye meets Ali baba’s forty thieves produced by Associted Artistist Production, INC and directed by Dave Fleisher (1894-1974). The researcher also studied the technique used in executing films and its symbolic role.

Chapter four:

The researcher worked through this experiment and through this chapter to change the reality of the misleading line of thought that we are involved in in our countries and through spotting areas of plotting and hatred. These areas are used to rob the mind of the Arab child. This chapter was organized in two areas:

First area: Treating the issues that target the Arab child

The dangers of these issues were revealed as well as their effects on forming the thinking and the affection of the child and their future, which is the future of the whole nation. This was presented through the scenario of the carton story that was presented through the film Going out in which the researcher used symbolic functioning in the film so that the experiment does not lose its attraction, entertainment and capabilities of its spread. 

Second area: Treating the issues from which the Arab child suffer 

This part dealt with the suffering of the Arab child in their society. This suffering is due to many reasons including moral deterioration, lack of good example in addition to the spread of corruption of human dealings and collective behaviour among most sectors of the Arab society except a few. Through this experiment, the researcher sought to present the type of the Arab character which reminds of the original Arab character in the eras of the flourishing of the Islamic Arab state, which is characterized by good manners and which is taken from the Arab heritage that if full of instructive stories.