Please post your thoughts about theme here:
For this post you should remember, and do, the following:
-Theme cannot be one word--it should be a phrase (however this phrase should not be an aphorism or a cliche)
-You should reference specific characters, motifs, and symbols and discuss how they bring the theme of the work out.
-Make sure that your writing adheres to the rules of good writing: you do not need to say "I Think" nor should you include sentences/ideas that can be related to any topic. You must make the center of this entire response about Big Fish.
-Make sure you do the little things write: spell check, put titles in italics, use proper names when you can, etc. Along those same lines, maybe it would be wise to write your responses in Microsoft Word and then cut and past them to the blog.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
14 comments:
Disclaimer: Blogger doesn't recognize underlining/italicizing, so words that should be, aren't.
One of the themes in Big Fish is kindness helps people to thrive. This is made clear, because things in life turn out well for Ed Bloom, and he tries to help people when he can. He helped people such as Karl get a job, Northern Winslow to rob a bank, Ping and Jing to escape Korea and start careers in the United States, and, most importantly, he helps rebuild Spectre. When Ed helped people, he asked nothing in return. When Ed wanted to rebuild Spectre, he went to everyone who he had helped get rich, and asked them for help. Rebuilding Spectre helped Ed to thrive, especially his helping Jenny. When he helped Jenny, he opened the door into a life he could have. Jenny loved him, and if he had chosen, he could have walked into her life and never looked back. But he chose to go back to the life he loved, and was able to thrive.
A theme in Big Fish is people flee from commitment because of their absence of knowledge and experience. Edward Bloom arrives in Spectra and everyone expects him to live the remainder of his life there. Edward is scared of being trapped in one place because has always had the opportunity to leave because he wears shoes. Shoes are a motif for freedom and the ability to go wherever one pleases. When they take his shoes, Edward panics and leaves Spectra. Cars are a symbol and act like shoes because they allow people to flee. The second time he is in Spectra, Edward purchases the entire town but is still afraid of the concept of never leaving. This time he leaves in his car, instead of on foot. Edwards son Will is another character that extenuates this theme. Will is a news reporter which forces his to disregard what is not true. Will has only experienced the truth and has trouble understanding his father’s stories. Will is unable to comprehend the stories, which causes him to withdraw from his father.
When stories are continued and retold, nothing and no one can truly ever die.
In “Big Fish” this is a theme because in the end, although Ed Bloom has died, his stories and life is carried on by Will Bloom. This theme is proven at the end of the movie but is led up to during the entire movie. There are many arguments on why Ed kept telling these extremely bizarre, entertaining, somewhat factual, and somewhat false stories to Will. Will believed that his father was just again trying to make something about him. The watchers are left with whatever they want to believe. Personally, at first, I believed that Ed was trying to teach life lessons and individual themes in each of his stories. That previous statement is somewhat true but there was also another theme in Ed’s storytelling but not directly in his stories. Ed knew towards the end that cancer was going to kill him and he did not have much longer to live. So as his final indirect lesson to his son, he taught him the value of stories and storytelling, and because Will and Josephine told those stories to their children, Ed never truly died, with his stories, he lived on.
One of the themes in Big Fish is that understanding the other side of a situation is sometimes more valuable than believing in it. This theme was portrayed clearly in Big Fish because Will doesn’t think it is right for his father to be telling him his stories. The stories are a motif for this theme because it is almost impossible to separate fact from fiction in a well told story. Fact verses fiction in Edward’s stories is the difference between Will understanding and believing them. Throughout the movie however, Will begins to realize that to understand his father, he needs to accept the stories. When Will is with his father and they try to talk about the ‘ice berg theory’, Edward tells Will that the stories are part of him—they make up who he is, even if they aren’t completely truthful. The ‘ice berg theory’ is a symbol for understanding the 90% of the ice berg that is underwater, even if you doesn’t believe it is there.
Sometimes it is better to believe a lie than to know the truth. This theme shows up throughout the movie Big Fish. At the hospital, right before Edward dies, Doctor Bennett tells Will the real story about how he was born. Although the story was more factual than his fathers, it was very straightforward and boring. Will doesn’t admit that he liked the Doctor’s story more than his fathers, but from that moment on, the viewer was able to feel a stronger connection between Will and Edward.
Will finally realized that his father had told him the stories so that Will could remember him—they didn’t have a strong relationship, but as Jenny said to Will in Specter “You are real to your father”. If Edward had told Will the truth about how he was born over and over, Will probably wouldn’t remember as vividly as he remembers the ‘story’, and it wouldn’t have meant as much to him.
Morale's are the most important part in developing relationships with people. How you handle change is a judgment of character and morality. Since fish are the most prominent symbol in the movie, them symbolizing transformation is no coincidence. Transformation leads to the theme of both accepting and rejecting change. While accepting change, Edward Bloom was allowing other people to approach him and be friendly. On the other hand, Will Bloom was rejecting the small changes Edward would make to his stories. In perspective to Will, there relationship wasn't as close as it should have been. Little does he know, his rejection of change is the direct effect of their gradually declining relationship. Another example of accepting change is clarified by the color red. The color red is a motif in "Big Fish" that shows the success of Ed Bloom throughout the story. This success is caused by his ability to adjust to surprises that he may not be ready for, but is willing to take on. Life's doors will open if you’re willing to walk through the hallway. That approach is what has led to the rise and fall of relationships in the "Big Fish".
~Conor McFarland
Fear of the unknown is the ultimate death.
Fear of the unknown is the ultimate death. Because Edward as a young child saw he how he eventually dies he does not have to live in fear for his life. For many, the thought of death is paralyzing and does not allow us to live to our full potential. This is the reason Edward Bloom, blooms. He lives freely and experiences so much, and that is why he has so many stories. When he is facing death, like at the circus when he is being attacked by the werewolf, he does not succumb to the end because he knows it is not his time. He takes like by the hand and runs with it and that’s what Will Bloom is lacking. Will is subconsciously jealous of his father’s untouchable freedom. Will drives this theme forward in an attempt to secure and better their relationship because Will realizes to late the gem that is father is and now lives with the fear of the unknown about what he will do now his father is away.
“Courage and individuality are the best bait.”
This is the theme that takes place at the heart of Big Fish. The movie puts heavy emphasis on the courage, character, and charming individualism of Ed Bloom. These character traits are shown to viewers by the bright color motif of red surrounding Ed. His budding character is also shown by his extravagant storytelling.
With such a colorful personality, Ed is able to make an incredibly successful living, his character and charm obtaining him wealth, friends, and family. Success by having a blooming personality is the main theme of the movie. A symbol for this is the story Ed tells about a gigantic catfish, which can only be caught by using a wedding ring as bait. Ed finishes this story by saying, “to catch a big fish, you need something as special as a wedding ring.” In the case of the real world, success is the fish, and it is a big fish. Therefore, special bait is needed. Ed Bloom’s glowing personality is his bait, and it catches him a great deal of success.
A perfect example of Ed’s special bait is the reaction the townsfolk of Spectre to Ed when he comes to town. At the town dance, a lady tells Ed, “you’re quite a catch”, meaning he has caught the eyes of the town girls, particularly the girl Jenny. In this case, Ed’s personality and charm, his “special bait”, have caught him success, just as the special wedding ring bait caught the monstrous catfish.
wll srry u guys but i dnt thnk thn any of u got its meaning, i too but its nt about faith because as we all know here that how can this fantasy be real i probably thnk that fathr was relating every single moment to a very good memory to his son so that he can njoy it and rest of them i dont know and one more question to all of u guys here how can wich be old in starting of movie and young after that dont you guys see that its some kind of relationship that narrater was trying to tell well anyways i am still very confused i dnt knw i like this movie or not coz i ddnt get its meaning so any1 here can u pls put a light on it.........................................
"-Make sure you do the little things write:" -----gee, thanks for the irony.
I think that it is to enjoy life and do the best you can with everything you. do
tomato
Wait a second this isn't tennis, this is ANAL SEX!
Post a Comment