The Rebellion
The novel The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, and the film Strictly Ballroom by Baz Luhrmann are two examples of storytelling in which the main protagonist struggles in expressing their own spice of individuality in their society. The boy in The Ocean at the End of the Lane is an odd character as he is placed into almost two different planes of existance and is forced to find his personal strengths and weaknesses, while Scott Hastings in Strictly Ballroom is a naturally gifted dancer who is forced to forgo his unique dance steps and to conform to dancing the established steps. Although these storylines are expressed through two different platforms, the two characters have rebelled against what is “normal” in order …show more content…
Ginnie Hempstock mentions that Lettie went to Australia, which the main protagonist notes is “on the other side of the word, across the ocean” (168). The “ocean” is another name for the entity that fills up the pond behind the Hempstock’s house that provides infinite knowledge and a different view on the world. The ocean even removed the main protagonists sense of hunger (145). However, staying in the ocean long enough will “dissolve you” and a “little of you will be everywhere all spread out” with “never enough of you all together in one place (145). Being in the ocean symbolizes being an outsider to society and living in isolation. Rebelling against society unlocks a different view and gives even more knowledge on an existential level. However, living in isolation can also cause one to lose their minds, effectively never having “enough of you all together in one place”. Evidence of the main protagonist losing his sense of hunger suggests that the ocean/isolation relieves the user of any stimulants that can cause stress; therefore detaching the user from the intrinsic need of seeking for approval from …show more content…
In The Ocean at the End of the Lane, the main protagonist was unfortunately unsuccessful in rebelling against society and was brainwashed into joining society again. However, the usage of rebellion successfully drew out the flaws of society norms. In Strictly Ballroom, Scott successfully rebelled against the dancing committee with the help of those who believed in him. This rebellion was a little bit different though, this rebellion was an uprising that is supposed to change the dancing norms and bring out new steps. The common theme of rebellion in the novel The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, and the film Strictly Ballroom by Baz Luhrmann is one of many themes that bridge the two stories together. For example, one can look at the role of women between the two stories; or the usage of spectacular/supernatural between the two stories. These are two stories told between two different platforms, yet share many similarities and tell similar
The novel The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, and the film Strictly Ballroom by Baz Luhrmann are two examples of storytelling in which the main protagonist struggles in expressing their own spice of individuality in their society. The boy in The Ocean at the End of the Lane is an odd character as he is placed into almost two different planes of existance and is forced to find his personal strengths and weaknesses, while Scott Hastings in Strictly Ballroom is a naturally gifted dancer who is forced to forgo his unique dance steps and to conform to dancing the established steps. Although these storylines are expressed through two different platforms, the two characters have rebelled against what is “normal” in order …show more content…
Ginnie Hempstock mentions that Lettie went to Australia, which the main protagonist notes is “on the other side of the word, across the ocean” (168). The “ocean” is another name for the entity that fills up the pond behind the Hempstock’s house that provides infinite knowledge and a different view on the world. The ocean even removed the main protagonists sense of hunger (145). However, staying in the ocean long enough will “dissolve you” and a “little of you will be everywhere all spread out” with “never enough of you all together in one place (145). Being in the ocean symbolizes being an outsider to society and living in isolation. Rebelling against society unlocks a different view and gives even more knowledge on an existential level. However, living in isolation can also cause one to lose their minds, effectively never having “enough of you all together in one place”. Evidence of the main protagonist losing his sense of hunger suggests that the ocean/isolation relieves the user of any stimulants that can cause stress; therefore detaching the user from the intrinsic need of seeking for approval from …show more content…
In The Ocean at the End of the Lane, the main protagonist was unfortunately unsuccessful in rebelling against society and was brainwashed into joining society again. However, the usage of rebellion successfully drew out the flaws of society norms. In Strictly Ballroom, Scott successfully rebelled against the dancing committee with the help of those who believed in him. This rebellion was a little bit different though, this rebellion was an uprising that is supposed to change the dancing norms and bring out new steps. The common theme of rebellion in the novel The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, and the film Strictly Ballroom by Baz Luhrmann is one of many themes that bridge the two stories together. For example, one can look at the role of women between the two stories; or the usage of spectacular/supernatural between the two stories. These are two stories told between two different platforms, yet share many similarities and tell similar