Throughout Beasts of the Southern Wild, Zeitlin explores the notion that a person’s worldview is tied to where they came from. For Hushpuppy, the main protagonist in the film, her worldview revolves around the idea that every individual has an important role to play in the universe. This is exemplified when Hushpuppy claims “The whole universe depends on everything fitting together just right. If one piece busts, even the smallest piece, the entire universe will get busted.” From this analogy, it can be deduced that Zeitlin’s perception of humanity has been reflected in Hushpuppy’s character. The sense of responsibility that Hushpuppy feels towards the universe is likely to have developed as a result of the experiences that she endured whilst living in the poverty-stricken Louisiana bayou, known as the ‘Bathtub’. Consequently, this demonstrates the importance of context when examining the significance of an individual’s worldview, as it is plausible that Hushpuppy’s perception of the world would have differed tremendously if she had been living in a more civilised area. Hushpuppy’s home, the Bathtub, was formed when the far-off city built a levee. The construction of this levee barred the community from what could be identified as civilisation. Without the correct context, the Bathtubbians ' frequent disobedience of the rules and institutions of the distant, industrialised town might seem anarchic. However, when taking into account the ruthless culture of the townspeople, the Bathtubbians’ actions seem quite rational. The townspeople’s ruthless way of life became apparent when the city failed to provide assistance to Hushpuppy’s community, following a catastrophic storm which decimated the population. Hence, it is clear that Zeitlin has used his film to prove that the larger part of humanity is motivated by self-interest—an inclination to repress a threat rather than, as Hushpuppy was taught, to care for the “smaller and sweeter” among them. Additionally, the repeated use of a handheld camera throughout the film was able to express the instability of the world. …show more content…
This can be noted in the opening scene, whereby a handheld camera was used whilst a violent storm was brewing. The handheld camera also resembled Hushpuppy’s perception that order can be restored to the universe through one’s behaviour—just like stability can be restored to the film by changing the behaviour of the cameraman. This was also reinforced when Hushpuppy explained “you gotta fix what you can” because “if you can fix the broken piece, it can all go right back.” Therefore, it can be seen that within Beasts of the Southern Wild, Zeitlin has used Hushpuppy’s character to explore the key aspects of his perception of our common humanity—a humanity that is broken, yet can still be salvaged through one’s actions. The belief that humanity can be salvaged can also be seen within McCarthy’s The Road. Crucial to the novel is the possibility of salvation through the young, innocent child. Throughout the novel, the father perceives his son as perhaps being the only thing saintly left in the world. This is demonstrated when the father claims “He knew that the child was his warrant. He said: If he is not the word of …show more content…
Whilst Beasts of the Southern Wild and The Road examine humanity in a post-apocalyptic context, The Sense of an Ending deals with humanity in circumstances a little closer to home. Yet, all compositions have been able to explore the perception of humanity that became evident in the specific situation, thus showing the significance of context when examining perceptions of humanity. It would not be fair to compare these differing perceptions of our common humanity, without acknowledging the role that the prevailing conditions play in determining how humanity reacts, which in consequence will influence how humanity is