The 1955 film, Rebel Without a Cause, follows the life of a teenager who is dissatisfied with his family situation and society at large, and so he chooses to rebel for no particular reason. The drama is full of desire, delinquency, and a hint of romance; it also explores the complex problems the youth of the 50’s harbored. Desire is a common theme depicted by almost every character and is present throughout the movie. The Stark family’s continuous relocating from town to town is their antidote for Jim’s antics, their actions make it blatantly obvious their desire for a better situation. Rather than face their issues head on, the dysfunctional family chooses to sweep their issues under the rug and hope the new environment will prompt positive changes. Plato, the friendless misfit, has a strong desire for a family. He sought out Jim and Judy for replacement parents because his own abandoned him. Later in the movie, Plato quickly reverts to violence when he is …show more content…
“Rebel Without a Cause” brought a new and much needed approach to film, its contents and characters are fresh, perplex, raw and realistic. Jim, Judy, and Plato have all sorts of problems they have to contend with. These teenagers are upper middle class, they do not deal with issues such as money that are frequent among the majority. Their affairs are deeply rooted and have become problematic towards their psyche. Parents have a great impact on their children, they are supposed to lead their offspring by example. The parents in this movie have not executed their roles properly, they do not consider how times have changed and are not as they once were when they were children. They have done a poor job raising their children and as a result Jim, Judy, and Plato are all plagued with emotional trauma. All three are misunderstood by the people they care most about, this has left them in search of stability, acceptance, and
A simple movie about a boy not fitting into society? There is so much more. “Rebel Without A Cause” directed by Nicholas Ray has a far deeper meaning to the plot than what most people understand after first watching it. The key to understanding this meaning is by paying attention to each component of the film. While components such as sound further the movie, the plot would not nearly be as developed without the camera placement, along with the character placement; It gives a deep insight to the audience about a specific character’s inner feelings, usually hinting at who is in control of the situation at hand.
The movie The Breakfast Club is a perfect example of peer relationships in the adolescent society. It shows the viewer some of the main stereotypes of students in high school you have a jock, a nerd, the weirdo, a rebel, and a prep. Over the course of a Saturday detention the different types of peers learn a lot about one another by hearing what each one has done to get into Saturday detention as well as why they chose to do it.
Many find it true that many teenagers in the 1950s were rebellious and it was because of their consumerist traits, how they fit in society, and their strained relationships with the adults. When Jim Stark yells at his parents, “You’re tearing me apart!”(RWOAC), he describes how his parents are the reason why his life is suffering. Great examples from this film of its rebelling would be Jim’s actions to keep his pride even if it comes to
The Anti-Federalists were not in favor of ratifying the new Constitution. Some Anti-Federalists wanted to keep the Articles of Confederation, others wanted to add some things and change some things in the new Constitution before they agreed to ratify it. Some very important Anti-Federalist’s were Patrick Henry, George Mason, and Richard Henry Lee. Anti-Federalists tended to be poorer and in lower classes than the Federalists. These people feared a central government and were afraid that the government proposed by the new Constitution could easily turn into a tyranny. The Federalists argued that the United States needed a strong central government in order to stand a chance against foreign powers, amongst other reasons that were all beneficial
The Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson (with the help of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, as well as many others), was signed on July 1st, 1776 in Philadelphia. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence to appeal to the British Parliament and King and explain why the American Colonies wanted independence from England. Thomas Jefferson and the other delegates from the Second Continental Congress agreed that, “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator certain unalienable rights” (p. 112) which became the base for nearly all of the points made in the document. Logical and emotional statements were used throughout the document to make impactful statements that would convince the audience of the seriousness of the matters they were presenting.
What does it mean to be a rebel? According to the dictionary we can clearly see a rebel as someone who resists any authority, control, or tradition. Chris McCandless is a primary example of a rebel and also a transcendentalist. He came to hold a certain reverence of nature, seeing it as a very precious thing to be protected. Also, as he traveled, he avoided densely populated areas, and relied primarily upon himself to get what he wanted. Chris scorned modern society, and their beliefs on the techniques to a successful life and what true happiness is. In many ways Chris McCandless can relate to other transcendentalist such as Henry David Thoreau, and Ralph Waldo Emerson who once said, “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
Why does the theme teenage rebellion seem to appear so frequently in movies, literature, and music? One may see this theme appear in William Shakespeare’s, “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet” as well as in Something Rotten the musical and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. There are many reasons that this theme emerges in media substantially, such as to teach a moral lesson as well as the actuality that any audience can relate to the theme. Whether it be disagreeing with a parent’s demand or belief, or because of the yearning for independence, striplings have all experienced some sort of yearn for rebellion. When commenting on what one may learn from this theme, many stories of teenage rebellion teach unique, yet important, morals that all focus around
Jim Sark rebels because he wants to be known as a man, unlike his father who he views as a feminine figure, or a chicken. When Jim is the new kid he is constantly trying to prove himself, and he wants to be viewed by his peers as a man. He never has time to show people his true self so he rebels in an attempt to be liked, and in an attempt not to be like his father. Jim’s rebellion is triggered when he is called, “Chicken,” which reminds him of his father and how he doesn't want to be. When called “chicken” he cannot back down from a challenge. This is shown when he gets into a knife fight, and then agrees to the chicky race. Judy rebels when frustrated with her home life. She longs for a male figure to love her and give her attention. Her father rejects her so she decides to hang out with a gang and get a boyfriend to get the male attention she wants. Perhaps she is getting back at her dad as well. Plato rebels because his parents abandoned him. He wants friendship and a fatherly figure to look up to that loves him. He expresses his longings with misplaced anger by doing wrongful acts such as shooting
In one of the scenes, Jim is caught between trying to prove his masculinity or staying home and being the good son that his parents have yearned for. He struggles emotionally and physically, mainly because his parents do not live up to society’s expectations of
For all its counter cultural reflections, the movie does not portray the youthful movement uncritically, rather it provides an ambiguous ending, implying that excesses, even counter cultural ones, can be harmful and destructive. David Hopper also defines this film as anti-counter cultural. The romance and dream of the American highway is turned menacing and deadly¡XThey looked for America but couldn¡¦t find it anywhere.
Back in the 1950’s the idea of masculinity was a loosely-defined term. It was a time in which the country was dealing with men returning from years at war and struggling to assimilate back into society. As a result, many were forced with the challenge of being the breadwinner of the family while maintaining what were considered conventional fatherly characteristics of that time. Rebel Without a Cause challenges this notion through the portrayal of Jim’s father Frank Stark. Frank is not the typical post-world war two breadwinner of a father, rather, Carol Stark provides for the family. Additionally, Frank lacks the ability to stand up to his wife, something Jim longs for. As a result, Frank lacks the ability to control his own son. Jim’s insecurities about his father further influence his impulsive nature. We first see this when the teenagers take a field trip to the planetarium. Jim is approached by Buzz and his friends who start clucking like a chicken. At first Jim doesn’t want any trouble, but after Buzz kicks Plato, a switch goes off in his head and a fight breaks out. Acting on impulse, Jim yells, “All right--you want it, you got it!” (Stern). Jim’s impulsive nature and need to prove himself gets him into even more trouble when he agrees to a chicken-run with Buzz. Jim doesn’t want to race, but does not back down as his pride is questioned. This feeling of peer pressure is one that is all too familiar with any teenager. When Jim asks his father for advice on the situation, he replies, You know I never stop you from anything. In ten years you'll look back on this and wish you were a kid again” (Stern). Unsatisfied with his father’s answer, Jim storms out of the house as his desperate father tries to reason with him. The chicken-race that follows is a great illustration of masculinity, for what is more masculine than loud, powerful American automobiles.
As young adults we crave independence. We get tired of our parents telling us what to do, and always look forward to the day when we no longer have to rely on them. We want our freedom, but we never stop to think what life would be like if we had it. In the 1955 film, Rebel Without a Cause, we see a character named Plato living with that freedom. Not by choice, but by his neglectful parents. He gives us a taste of how life without parental control can be damaging to one’s self being, and the absence of parental love and authority can have us seeking the attention we desire in unethical ways. In this case, it causes insecurities, disturbs his mental state, and makes him delusional.
This theme is demonstrated in the main protagonist, Jim Stark, through symbolism. The problem Jim encounters with his family encourages him to misbehave.
Resistance to change takes place at all ranks of an organization (George & Jones, 1994). It manifests itself as structured politics and power resistance between individuals and groups, differing discernments of the need for change, and so forth (George & Jones, 1994). Resistance to change is also defined as ‘behavior which is intended to defend an individual from the effects of real or imagines change’ (Zander, 1950). Resistance may be considered as overt and covert. Overt resistance is viewed as being out in the open. More willingly than a hidden way, it is a refusal response which is in plain sight, such as noticeable disagreement, quarrelling, deliberating, outright rejection and attack. Covert resistance, on the other hand, is presented
Non judgmental and Compassion was a message in this movie. If more people would have compassion for others we would live in a better world. It is important to be non judgmental because people never know what happens in a person's life to cause them to act out in a certain way. Mrs. Erin Gruwell’s students were separated along racial lines and had few aspirations beyond street survival. Many people warned her that her students were all criminals who couldn’t be taught. With all odds stacked against her, she accepted the teaching position at Wilson High School. Erin Gruwell saw more in the students than a future as criminals and gang members; she saw them as people who have lost their ways in life. Instead of turning her back as society had done, she held out a helping hand. She had compassion and was non judgmental toward the children’s actions and hatred for one another. Being judgmental...