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Symbolism in tim burtons movies
Symbolism in tim burtons movies
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In the Movie ,Big Fish, Tim Burton's sharp utilisation of symbolism is implied for Edward Bloom's character to have a more profound identity as it is obvious it changes Edward's character from a fabulist into an erratic teller of life lessons. A number of various symbols alter Edwards tall tales to give deeper meanings to the story such as a journey from adolescence to adulthood, freedom, temptation and desire. In one of the many tall tales that lies within the movie Big Fish, a journey out of Edward Bloom’s hometown symbolises a journey from adolescence to adulthood. Through this symbol, it is suggested that the transition from adolescence to adulthood can be precarious. However, the more troublesome the road, the more rewarding it would …show more content…
become.The first time the journey is presented before the audience is when Edward stumbles upon two paths, one which is believed to be haunted and the other a far safer route out of town subsequently he decides, as he knows he won't be returning to Ashton, that there may be no better time than now to discover what lay down the haunted path. These two paths symbolise two life choices furthermore one path is said to be haunted which symbolises a harder path yet with potentially greater outcomes. Edward Bloom chooses the harder path exemplifying motivation for his ambitions during his transition into adulthood. The next key plot point revolving around the journey is when Edward comes to a point when he realises a normal man would ought to just simply swallow his pride and concede to his mistake. In this scene Edward is bitten by arachnids, insects and swooped by crows however once out from all this he falls upon the enchanting town, Spectre. This symbolises the extreme difficulties one must face to accomplish the best results and rewards in addition Spectre symbolises a reflection of Edwards naive perspective of adulthood. It is key to state that along Edward Bloom’s journey he has come across Spectre before he is ready to settle down making him consequently early, hence his abrupt decision to leave and continue along on his road. Along the dangerous path, Edward finds himself lost when a tree seizes him threatening to end his journey when Edward realises this is not how he dies the tree relinquishes him. This interaction symbolises that Edward is in danger of self-uncertainty upon his decisions in which path he has taken towards adulthood. The symbol engages in an essential role towards the storyline transforming a whimsical story into life lessons concerning the transition from adolescence to adulthood. In the enticing town of Spectre, an instantly engrossing feature is the shoes dangling from a wire nevertheless these absurd props are not just yet another kook in this already kooky town but they are symbolic of liberation in a dangerously alluring society. The first time the viewer sees the shoes on the wire is when he first comes into the heavenly-like town of Spectre just after being on his journey furthermore the people of the town tell him he's early. The principal shot of these shoes turn into a critical image in the motion picture, the planning of the primary shot coincides with Edward’s journey from adolescence to adulthood and now he's arrived at his adolescent a little too early. The second time you see the shoes is the point at which the town's individuals are clarifying what a superb town they live in and jenny steals Edward’s shoes then takes them and tosses them on the wire.This interaction symbolises the townspeople persuading him that he needs to stay in addition the stealing of the shoes symbolises his freedom to leave being detracted from him. The final time you see the shoes is when Edward realises that he is not ready to settle down yet and leaves spectre when telling the town he is asked how he's going to leave without his shoes. This symbolises him realising that the alluring town has got him caught and his freedom has been taken away from him. It is evident that shoes are a crucial symbol in big fish reshaping a prop into a more profound significance of freedom and the act of escaping an enticing scene. Fish in the movie Big Fish play a huge role in the underlying symbols throughout the film.
In Spectre, a fish takes the form of a naked lady in the river which subsequently forms the symbolic resonance of desire and temptation. The first occasion when the audience sees the bare woman is when Edward spots her in the river as a snake comes after her Edward makes a plunge attempting to spare her despite the fact that when he reaches the snake he discovers it's a stick and the woman vanishes. The first piece of evidence for this suggests the first sign of desire when he tries to save the naked lady symbolising her as Edward’s true desires subsequently they are believed to be a wife. The next key example in the plot is when Jenny clarifies the naked women is a fish that nobody ever catches and that it appears in a different to everyone. This symbolises that in the town of Spectre nobody truly finds the things they most desire, which exemplifies a push for Edward to leave Spectre and discover a spouse. Edward Bloom is trapped in torrential rain causing a mammoth flood. It is around the same time that Edward is contemplating starting an affair with Jenny. Subsequently, the naked lady comes to the window and puts her hand upon it, Edward thusly reflects her activities and places his hand against hers. This synergy is symbolic of Edwards temptation to dismantle purity and devotion with his wife. The tantalising naked lady/fish plays a major part in the storyline changing a straightforward story into one with a more distinguished significance of temptation,desire and
purity. Tim Burton has successfully incorporated a range of literary devices and significant symbols such as a journey from adolescence to adulthood, freedom, temptation and desire throughout the text. Without these symbolic references, this movie's storyline would not have any deeper meanings. It is clear from Tim Burton's clever use of symbolism that he meant for Edward Bloom's character to have a deeper personality as it is evident it transforms Edwards character from a liar into an eccentric teller of life lessons. Everyone knows the utilisation of representations and running symbolism in Tim Burton's motion pictures make his films some of the best out there in today's era.
Tim Burton used a lot of symbolism throughout the story to show theme and as a result, we can know a lot more about Edward’s personality and about what he wants most. One thing that exhibits Ed’s childish side was the bushes; for example, the dinosaurs and the dolphins he created. The bush shaped hand that was in the dark mansion’s yard encapsulates Ed’s want for hands. Through these examples we can see the theme, sometimes your wants in life can shape what you do in your life because Ed’s wants showed through his actions.
“The Boat”, narrated by a Mid-western university professor, Alistar MacLeod, is a short story concerning a family and their different perspectives on freedom vs. tradition. The mother pushes the son to embrace more of a traditional lifestyle by taking over the fathers fishing business, while on the other hand the father pushes the son to live more autonomously in an unconstrained manner. “The Boat” focuses on the father and how his personality influences the son’s choice on how to live and how to make decisions that will ultimately affect his life. In Alistair MacLeod’s, “The Boat”, MacLeod suggest that although dreams and desires give people purpose, the nobility of accepting a life of discontentment out weighs the selfishness of following ones own true desires. In the story, the father is obligated to provide for his family as well as to continue the fishing tradition that was inherited from his own father. The mother emphasizes the boat and it’s significance when she consistently asked the father “ How did things go in the boat today” since tradition was paramount to the mother. H...
Northrop Frye is the author of The Educated Imagination. The book talks about literature and methods that improve and enthralls the reader from common fallacies, to how an author can manipulate what is put in the text. These lesson can be put to use outside in the real world such as advertising. These can also be connected to other media pieces such as other books and movies. The movie Big Fish directed by Tim Burton is one of those media pieces that can be connected to Northrop Frye work. The movie is about a son who trying to learn more about his dying father by listening to stories and myths about his life. The purpose of this reflection is to show that in the educated imagination the chapter
Even though it is most commonly known as of the first modern horror films that has made its way on the top ten highest grossing films of all time, Steven Spielberg’s classic 1975 film, Jaws, illustrates the unquenchable human desire for purpose and wholeness which advocates that adopting the belief of “anatta” or “no-self” is the way to be liberated from this “fragmented state of unelightenment” (Sluyter 97-98). In the bigger picture, the main antagonist of the film, the shark itself, reflects us as individuals according to Sluyter. To be more specific, the shark is meant to symbolize our “fragmented point of view” we have of our lives and our constant search to remedy our emptiness by “trying to concretize ourselves” with impermanent items
The story describes the protagonist who is coming of age as torn between the two worlds which he loves equally, represented by his mother and his father. He is now mature and is reflecting on his life and the difficulty of his childhood as a fisherman. Despite becoming a university professor and achieving his father’s dream, he feels lonely and regretful since, “No one waits at the base of the stairs and no boat rides restlessly in the waters of the pier” (MacLeod 261). Like his father, the narrator thinks about what his life could have been like if he had chosen another path. Now, with the wisdom and experience that comes from aging and the passing of time, he is trying to make sense of his own life and accept that he could not please everyone. The turmoil in his mind makes the narrator say, “I wished that the two things I loved so dearly did not exclude each other in a manner that was so blunt and too clear” (MacLeod 273). Once a decision is made, it is sometimes better to leave the past and focus on the present and future. The memories of the narrator’s family, the boat and the rural community in which he spent the beginning of his life made the narrator the person who he is today, but it is just a part of him, and should not consume his present.
Using the production elements of symbolism; especially hands themselves, and the use of allusion to elements from other genres; particularly those from fairytale and gothic romance/horror films, Tim Burton has directed the film in such a manner to illustrate, emphasise and ridicule the materialism and lack of imagination of society. The film however, is prominently a satire which has certain elements from fairytale, comedy and horror genres. Through the choices made by the director, the audience is invited to become aware of the inhumanity present in the way society functions, especially in its prejudiced treatment towards people who do not conform. The use of allusion in Edward Scissorhands is one of the most important choices in production that has been made by director Tim Burton. In order to fully appreciate and understand the plot, the movie is dependant on the audience being able to recognise certain references and elements emulated from other films.
Elizabeth Bishop's use of imagery and diction in "The Fish" is meant to support the themes of observation and the deceptive nature of surface appearance. Throughout the course of the poem these themes lead the narrator to the important realization that aging (as represented by the fish) is not a negative process, and allows for a reverie for all life. Imagery and diction are the cornerstone methods implemented by Bishop in the symbolic nature of this poem.
Authors use literary elements throughout short stories to give an overall effect on the message they give in the story. In his short story, “Doe Season” by Michael Kaplan, illustrates a theme(s) of the hardships of not wanting to face the reality of death, losing of innocence and the initiation of growing up. Kaplans theme is contributed by symbolism, characterization, setting and foreshadowing.
In Daniel Wallace’s novel, Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions and Tim Burton’s film, Big Fish, the relationship between the dying protagonist, Edward Bloom and his estranged son, William Bloom, is centrally to the story in both the novel and film. Like many fathers in today's society, Edward Bloom wishes to leave his son with something to remember him by after he is dead. It is for this reason the many adventures of Edward Bloom are deeply interwoven into the core of all the various stories Edward tells to mystify his son with as a child. Despite the many issues father and son have in their tense relationship as adults, Daniel Wallace and Tim Burton’s adaptation of Wallace’s novel focalizes on the strained relationship between Edward Bloom and William Bloom. In both Wallace’s novel and Burton’s film, they effectively portray how the relationship between Edward Bloom and William Bloom is filled with bitter resentment and indifference towards each other. Only with William’s attempt to finally reconcile with his dying father and navigating through his father fantastical fables does those established feelings of apathy and dislike begin to wane. With Burton’s craftily brilliant reconstruction of Wallace’s story does the stories of Edward Bloom and his son blossom onto screen.
“The Swimmer,” a short fiction by John Cheever, presents a theme to the reader about the unavoidable changes of life. The story focuses on the round character by the name of Neddy Merrill who is in extreme denial about the reality of his life. He has lost his youth, wealth, and family yet only at the end of the story does he develop the most by experiencing a glimpse of realization on all that he has indeed lost. In the short story “The Swimmer,” John Cheever uses point of view, setting and symbolism to show the value of true relationships and the moments of life that are taken for granted.
Coming home from the grueling experience of being a soldier in World War I, he felt ecstatic when he saw a trout swimming in the stream. The perils of war took a devastating toll on Nick, as he suffered from a physical wound while in action. The camping trip here is like an oasis, which will let Nick to recover from all the distress. “Nick looked down into the pool from the bridge. It was a hot day. A kingfisher flew up from the stream. It was a long time since Nick had looked into a stream and seen trout. They were very satisfactory...Nick’s heart tightened as the trout moved. He felt all the old feeling.” (178) The healing process begins here with Nick re-acclimating himself with one of his favorite hobbies: fishing. “He started down to the stream, holding his rod...Nick felt awkward and professionally happy with all the equipment hanging from him...His mouth dry, his heart down...Holding the rod far out toward the uprooted tree and sloshing backward in the current, Nick worked the trout, plunging, the rod bending alive, out of the danger of the weeds into the open river. Holding the rod, pumping alive against the current, Nick brought the trout in...” (190,193,195) Nick finally reels in a trout after the big one got away, getting to the feeling of relaxation and washing away the horrors of war. By pitching his tent out in the forest and being able to function by himself so smoothly, Nick shows how he represents the trait of stoicism. He did not complain or stop living, coming back with the trauma of war. Going camping, he is able to relieve himself through using all the nature around him, showcasing his
Having looked at Pfister’s work, I have learned a lot as a writer. He has taught me that character choice is important to the overall message. Pfister has taught me that my choice in words needs to be precise in order to capture the perfect image and illustration for my audience. He gives a great example of selfishness by using a beautiful, yet exceptional blue fish, unlike any other fish in the sea. Rainbow Fish goes from being self-centered to becoming selfless. A valuable lesson is taught by the author for the sole purpose of educating our youth and making them understanding that egocentric behavior can lead to a lost in friendships and acquaintances. The moral of The Rainbow Fish has encouraged me to have purpose and meaning behind my writing.
"The Fish" by Elizabeth Bishop is saturated with vivid imagery and abundant description, which help the reader visualize the action. Bishop's use of imagery, narration, and tone allow the reader to visualize the fish and create a bond with him, a bond in which the reader has a great deal of admiration for the fish's plight. The mental pictures created are, in fact, so brilliant that the reader believes incident actually happened to a real person, thus building respect from the reader to the fish.
In the novel Big Fish by Daniel Wallace, we are told the story of Edward Bloom, a man of many adventures, who is somewhat of a myth. Big Fish is a collection of the tall tales Edward tells his son about his life, and also of the effect his tales had on his son. The novel comes from an American author from Alabama, while the movie comes from Hollywood and is directed by Tim Burton, who is also American. This story is not an ancient sacred text, so the story’s function(s) is to entertain and to make money.
The narrator speaks about the fish in terms of commercial, where every part of the fish can be sale for different purposes, but as the speaker look in the fish eyes, starts to compare the human life through the existence of the fish. What the speaker found beautiful about the fish is that as the speaker looks into the fish eyes and start looking in a different way to the creature, she starts to identify a living creature instead of a creature that will die imminently. The speaker starts seeing the beauty of the fish when she start to compare the fish to a soldier, when she sees through the eyes of the fish the victories over death that this creature has won, and I believe that the speaker compares her own battles and victories to the one of this creature in order to survive. I believe that the “ personality” of the fish is humble, brave and that this fish have been battling for a long time for his life, that he has been involved in some sort of violence many times in order to exist. I also feel that this fish is tired of fighting and that he is venerable to the speaker