At the Abandoned Mansion
The frame, from Rebel without a Cause, where Jim, Judy, and Plato are standing on the stairs in the abandoned mansion, suggests that Plato has a desperate yearning for parental figures in his life. Plato is portrayed as a young teenager that had mental instability. This could most likely be caused by the fact that Plato. Jim is shown to be looking up at Judy and Judy looking back at Jim, but Plato is standing below them and watching them. Plato is expressed to be third wheeling next to Jim and Judy because of where he is positioned.
There had been an absence of parental figures in his life due to certain unknown reasons, yet here Plato is looking up at Jim and Judy pretending to be a couple. Plato’s relationship to Jim is like father to son by the fact that Plato relys and wants to be with Jim constantly. Jim and Judy are conversing and pretending to be buying the house. Plato is looking up at the couple happily because of the absence of parents he had before he came across Jim and Judy. Also, Plato views them as parents or guardian figures because he asks Jim if could enter the house. Plato says, “Let me in.” It could be interpreted as Plato asking to let him into their, Jim’s and Judy’s, life. He wanted to be apart of something he never had before. His yearning for parental figures grew when he was with Jim and Judy because of their relationship. Seen in the frame, Plato lit three candles and after entering the house. The candelabra Plato holds symbolizes the trio of misfits that created an new, unlikely family.
Even though Jim, Judy, and Plato are portrayed as a family consisting of misfits, Plato is third wheeling in the situation. Judy and Jim and looking at each other, which blocks out Plato from interfering with the newly created relationship they created together. Plato is yearning to be part of what they have, but the two of them share something else that he cannot take part in. He is close, but at an arm’s length distance away. Plato’s role within their make believe family is the child. Jim and Judy pretend to act as their parents. They believe that their parents despise children. Plato, in the misfit family, is suggested as the child of the trio. This makes Plato immediately a third wheel because of how Jim and Judy portray their parents, including their parents’ believed dislike of children. Judy has her back to the camera and she is only looking at Jim in the frame. It gives a bit of distance between her and Plato because they haven’t bonded as strongly as Jim and Plato have. This also might explain the idea that Plato is third wheeling next to JIm and Judy.
Pretty good topic sentence, but could have a little more interpretation and symbolism analysis in it rather than simply describing what is going on in this scene.
ReplyDeleteInteresting interpretation theta Plato views Jim and Judy as parents and wants to be a part of their life. Insightful thought that the candelabra represents the three of them that create this group of misfits and outcast of society who have created somewhat of a family. Also interesting that you say that since Jim and Judy are looking at each other and almost excluding Plato, that Plato will not really be able to partake fully in their “family”, which is something I didn’t think of when I saw this image.