So, this may be a bit ambitious of me, but this is going to be the first of a topic that I'll be returning to in the future. This topic is based on a few influences in my life. One of the biggest things that college English courses teach you is to critically analyze works that you read. In writing, you have to really pay attention to the details and mechanics of the art of writing if you want to write well. Finally, I don't know why, but I've really been enjoying critical analysis videos on YouTube, often tearing apart movies and shows that I love--or hate--and making me look at things from a new perspective. All of that has culminated together to make me critically view story and story structure. And I have to say, I really like that I've become such a monster. So, this topic is about my personal, critical, knee-jerk reactions to stories across all media that I feel strongly enough to share.
That all said, lets delve into the first Critical Hit! (And yes, it's about a cartoon)
First of all, if you haven't watched The Secret of Nimh, stop what your doing. Stop reading this blog right now, and go watch that movie! I only recently watched the movie in its entirety last year--though I had seen tidbits here and there on occasion--and I throughly enjoyed it! It's an incredibly impactful story, full of all the things that make for a great drama. The movie has a very clear character arc, premise, subplots, emotion, conflict, the whole shebang. The reason I decided to make this my first Critical Hit! is because of how impressed I was by this cartoon from the eighties, and how much I adored the main character.
Now, if you ignored me and didn't watch the movie yet, here's the gist: the story revolves around Mrs. Brisby, a widowed mouse whose family is in danger as their home rests in a hayfield that is about to be harvested. Right from the beginning, the audience is introduced to a situation of conflict, as Mrs. Brisby’s son is sick and is desperate need of medicine, and when she’s told she must move her family, she can’t because her son’s too sick. Mrs. Brisby has a serious catch twenty-two, she can’t move her son, but she can’t have her family stay either. Right from the start, Mrs. Brisby faces an immense amount of conflict for her character, and the situation only continues to escalate.
This movie is impossible for me to talk about without praising the main character—seriously, my heart just melts for Mrs. Brisby. The audience instantly understands the depth of Mrs. Brisby's struggle and can sympathize with her situation. In every scene that she appears in, Mrs. Brisby is shown as a cautious, timid, and caring character, so much so that it’s impossible not to fall in love with her. I tried to express this to a friend of mine, so I challenged him to text me once he got to the point where he wanted to just give her a hug—he texted me during the first act. It’s Mrs. Brisby’s very nature as a timid person (er, mouse) that makes her quite possibly one of the bravest characters that I have ever seen. So often, she trembles with fear, but she constantly pushes forward despite the horrors that she faces because she loves her children.
Every time I think about Mrs. Brisby I cry a little inside, not because of what she faces—it’s a happy ending after all—but of what she is as a character. So much of who Mrs. Brisby is stems from relationship with her late husband, Jonathan. Mrs. Brisby’s husband establishes most of the relationships that become integral to the story, and his absence is felt by everyone, but none more than in Mrs. Brisby. Very early, you see Mrs. Brisby yearn for her husband, and it becomes clear that she was very reliant, maybe even dependent, on him. Now he’s gone, and Mrs. Brisby faces a dark world, alone and unsure. This is what propels Mrs. Brisby because she knows that without Jonathan, she has to be the one to act. Jonathan was her crutch, and without him she’s weak, but it’s her very weakness that makes her strong! If she was brave like her husband, or like oh-so many female roles today, then it wouldn’t make for such an incredible conflict.
I am not belittling strong female roles—I like to think I write a few of them myself—but I weep when I realize that in today’s society and Hollywoods’ push for strong, independent, women, we will never get a character like Mrs. Brisby again, and that makes me sad. It breaks my heart that we have completely written off a whole character archetype—one that exists in the world (you probably know a few Mrs. Brisbys yourself)—and thus, have waived fair well to so many stories that will never be created. A character that was dependent on her husband and misses him dearly now that he’s gone; a woman that is clearly terrified of everything she faces, especially the unknown; a mother so intent on saving her children, she would face monsters without any hope or plan to defeat them. I could go on and on about the amazing traits about this movie but they revolve around, and pale in comparison to, its heroine. A quite, barefoot, stay at home mother that loved her husband, a timid soul with a loving heart. Thank you Mrs. Brisby, we may never see your like.
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As an update in the Author's life, I've been attending massage school here in Las Vegas which has been completely devouring my schedule. But, like an burning itch in the soul, writing has been calling my name and I'm determined to climb back on that wagon. Free Radical is still in rehab from my lessons in the craft of writing, but so far it's been looking much better than in its original draft--I'm really looking forward to improving it. As much as I have interests or distractions in different directions, I really wanted to get this blog done, partly because I'm constantly telling people the value of Mrs. Brigsby and how good of a story it is--so hopefully, this will save me some time in my discussions. If nothing else, this movie goes a long way to show that it is characters that define a story, not the setting or the medium.
Anyway, did you like my first Critical Hit!? Do you have any movies, stories, or books that you would like to see me analyze in the future? Do you have any precious tales that you've loved for years, and desperately want me to tear out their heart? Well, leave your suggestion in the comments! If I see something that strikes my fancy I might just make it a post!
Image Source: http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/the-secret-of-nimh/images/26107985/title/secret-nimh-wallpaper