ADOLESCENT GIRLS’ STRUGGLES IN FANTASY WORLDS: CORALINE AND SPIRITED AWAY ON SELF, FAMILY AND GROWING UP
INTRODUCTION
The films Coraline (2009) and Spirited Away (original Japanese title: Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, “Sen and Chihiro’s Spiriting Away”, 2001) comes from producers with different cultural backgrounds. Despite being intended for younger audiences, both films, which revolves around the fantasy genre, are uniquely presented in such a way that is shrouded in mystery and uncanniness that my first viewings as a young teen carved very deep impressions that left me feeling odd and thinking. Comparisons to similar films have been quite a popular idea. Philip “noted that [Coraline] “’occupies a territory somewhere between Lewis Carroll’s …show more content…
It is true that both posters show our main characters in the center, with key characters that contribute to their development included in the background. These things perhaps have something to do with aesthetics, but looking closely, it can be understood that they represent the ideal characteristics of children in both Western and Eastern settings.
Carteret states that “every culture has its ideal smart, well-functioning child…[and that] in America, that ideal is a highly verbal, independent, emotionally controlled, and self-reliant child” (2013, par. 4). These characteristics can be found in Coraline. Look ather in Picture 1 crossing her arms, a gesture that, in this case, shows her confident personality, a strong and proud one, even. Ebert in his film review commented that Coraline is “unpleasant, complains, has an attitude and makes friends reluctantly” (2009, par. 2). It is interesting to know that Caroline’s courage and assertiveness is what allows her to overcome her fears and troubles in the end of the story. This reflects on how Westerners are not afraid to speak their mind compared to their Eastern counterpart, and that what matters is one’s personality in facing the troubles that the world …show more content…
The first scenes of Chihiro in the backseat of a car sets her character as a spoiled ten-year-old who is upset about moving to a new place. When her parents stops in front of the mysterious tunnel after taking a wrong turn and decide to explore it, she is shown protesting and scared of the place, whining for her mother to come back. The fact that she finally follows her parents and clings to her mother as they walk in the tunnel possibly reflects the strong dependency a child has in an Eastern setting. After her parents turn into pigs and she is trapped in the other world, she breaks down crying and is only reassured by Haku, the young boy she previously met. This shows that Chihiro finds courage with the help from other
INTRODUCTION
The films Coraline (2009) and Spirited Away (original Japanese title: Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, “Sen and Chihiro’s Spiriting Away”, 2001) comes from producers with different cultural backgrounds. Despite being intended for younger audiences, both films, which revolves around the fantasy genre, are uniquely presented in such a way that is shrouded in mystery and uncanniness that my first viewings as a young teen carved very deep impressions that left me feeling odd and thinking. Comparisons to similar films have been quite a popular idea. Philip “noted that [Coraline] “’occupies a territory somewhere between Lewis Carroll’s …show more content…
It is true that both posters show our main characters in the center, with key characters that contribute to their development included in the background. These things perhaps have something to do with aesthetics, but looking closely, it can be understood that they represent the ideal characteristics of children in both Western and Eastern settings.
Carteret states that “every culture has its ideal smart, well-functioning child…[and that] in America, that ideal is a highly verbal, independent, emotionally controlled, and self-reliant child” (2013, par. 4). These characteristics can be found in Coraline. Look ather in Picture 1 crossing her arms, a gesture that, in this case, shows her confident personality, a strong and proud one, even. Ebert in his film review commented that Coraline is “unpleasant, complains, has an attitude and makes friends reluctantly” (2009, par. 2). It is interesting to know that Caroline’s courage and assertiveness is what allows her to overcome her fears and troubles in the end of the story. This reflects on how Westerners are not afraid to speak their mind compared to their Eastern counterpart, and that what matters is one’s personality in facing the troubles that the world …show more content…
The first scenes of Chihiro in the backseat of a car sets her character as a spoiled ten-year-old who is upset about moving to a new place. When her parents stops in front of the mysterious tunnel after taking a wrong turn and decide to explore it, she is shown protesting and scared of the place, whining for her mother to come back. The fact that she finally follows her parents and clings to her mother as they walk in the tunnel possibly reflects the strong dependency a child has in an Eastern setting. After her parents turn into pigs and she is trapped in the other world, she breaks down crying and is only reassured by Haku, the young boy she previously met. This shows that Chihiro finds courage with the help from other