My connections examined the theme of Identity. I chose to use texts that have protagonists who decide to be someone they are not. My texts were The Talented Mr Ripley directed by Anthony Minghella, Mulan directed by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook, Catch me if you can directed by Steven Spielberg, and Gattaca directed by Andrew Niccol. I chose three subtopics The struggle with identity, the desire to be someone else, and the negative effects this desire has caused. I chose these topics to make good strong connections to each of the texts I have chosen.
In all the texts the protagonist struggles with their identity. In The Talented Mr Ripley Tom has trouble being his own person. We see this when he says he can forge signatures, tell lies and …show more content…
Who are you to tell me anything?” This idea links very well with Catch Me If You Can because the main protagonist Frank is taught forgery very young and first struggles with his identity at a new school he does not want to be picked on because he is from a boarding school and is smarter and different so he takes the role of the substitute teacher. Throughout the film Frank tries to get money so his father can have a lavish life again and win back his mother but in doing this he becomes a con artist and then struggles to go back to the way he was. This links to Mulan because the protagonist Mulan lives in traditional times and dishonors her family by being different. Mulan is an outspoken woman and does not hold what the community calls grace and class so her family says she is bringing dishonor on their family. Mulan takes these things to heart and feels as though she needs to change and be someone different to make her family happy. We realise these feelings when she sings the lines “If i were truly to be myself i would break my family's heart” and “somehow i can not hide who i am though i’ve tried”. In Gattaca the protagonist Vincent is born in the hands of God which means he was not genetically made to be perfect.
In all the texts the protagonist struggles with their identity. In The Talented Mr Ripley Tom has trouble being his own person. We see this when he says he can forge signatures, tell lies and …show more content…
Who are you to tell me anything?” This idea links very well with Catch Me If You Can because the main protagonist Frank is taught forgery very young and first struggles with his identity at a new school he does not want to be picked on because he is from a boarding school and is smarter and different so he takes the role of the substitute teacher. Throughout the film Frank tries to get money so his father can have a lavish life again and win back his mother but in doing this he becomes a con artist and then struggles to go back to the way he was. This links to Mulan because the protagonist Mulan lives in traditional times and dishonors her family by being different. Mulan is an outspoken woman and does not hold what the community calls grace and class so her family says she is bringing dishonor on their family. Mulan takes these things to heart and feels as though she needs to change and be someone different to make her family happy. We realise these feelings when she sings the lines “If i were truly to be myself i would break my family's heart” and “somehow i can not hide who i am though i’ve tried”. In Gattaca the protagonist Vincent is born in the hands of God which means he was not genetically made to be perfect.