an essay on beetlejuice for the english exam
isolationists > country vs city > family
- The Maitlands adore their home. In the beginning of the film, they are about to embark on a long stay-at-home vacation, and the prospect of holing up in their house delights them. After they die, they donโt mind at all that they are required to haunt it for the next one hundred and twenty five yearsโafter all, there is really no place they would rather beโbut theyย areย very protective of it and cannot stand seeing the Deetzes move in and systematically change everything. They might be ghosts, but Barbara and Adam remain fiercely protective of their home. Thus a comic struggle arises. While viewers are used to the trope of an unfriendly ghost, rarely does one imagine that the reason for the unfriendliness might be the ghostsโ distaste for the design scheme. The film takes a generally dim view of realtors and developers in general. Indeed, the Deetzes donโt see the house as a home but as an investment, andย Jane, the realtor, is insensitive and grasping, badgering the Maitlands to sell a house that they clearly love. The Maitlandsโ love for their home illuminates the theme of loving and caring about what really matters, rather than getting preoccupied with opportunism and appearances.
- Part of what makes the Maitlands and the Deetzes such incompatible housemates is not simply the fact that the Maitlands are ghosts and the Deetzes are living, but also that the Maitlands have simple and pure tastes and desires reflective of their life in the country, while the Deetzes are pretentious city dwellers with trendy taste. Delia Deetz is not willing to integrate into country living, and insists on redecorating the charming farmhouse to reflect her urbane tastes. Additionally, where Adam and Barbara were happy with the slow pace of their existence in the country, Charles struggles to relax and cannot look around without seeing a business opportunity, a symptom of his urban background. The film can thus be seen as a kind of allegory for the incompatibilities between city and country, and the struggle between urban complication and rural simplicity.
- The theme of family is a surprisingly important theme in a movie about demons and the dead. As the movie progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that the deceased Maitlands actually provide a more stable parental unit for Lydia than her own, living, parental figures. The Maitlands are concerned for her welfare, listen to her and seem to take the trouble to get to know her, which is not something that her parents seem particularly keen to do. Preoccupied with her social standing and her own art career, Delia Deetz thinks that Lydiaโs angst is a waste of energy and a way of getting attention, rather than a manifestation of her depression, and a cry for help. The Deetzes are a parody of the fractured family, one in which the parents and children donโt understand one another, and where the appearance of harmony is more important than real love. By the end of the film, the Maitlands and the Deetzes agree to live alongside one another in harmony in the house, providing Lydia with two sets of parents. With a strong familial base in place at home, Lydiaโs stability has improved and she has become a happy, well-adjusted kid, showcasing the importance of a strong family base as an important theme.
Discuss how the resolution of a text you have studied encourages audiences to respond in a specific way
The resolution of Beetlejuice encourages audience to respond in acceptance towards developing family-like relationship with people who are characteristically and physically different.
The dichotomy of the Maitlands and the Deetz family is highlighted through Burtonโs employment of โฆ, encouraging the audience to (how audience is encouraged in a specific way)
- Barbara Maitlandโs comment towards Jane, a real estate agent, to โleave [them] alone [at home]โ demonstrates the Maitlandโs unwelcoming attitude towards outsiders like Jane.
- The Maitland are isolationists, quiet townsfolk who are delighted by the prospect of holing up in their house, spending time with only their loved ones, ignorant interested in social affairs.
- This juxtaposes with the Deetzes family. When the Deetzes settle into the house, the first things they do was to host a โdinner partyโ โfor seven people.โ
- The isolationist nature of the Maitlandโs family serves to compliment the life of Lydia Deetz. Lydia relates to the Maitlands and their abnormal natures, stating that โI, myself, am the strange and unusualโ, to which the Maitlands told her she โlook[s] normalโ.
- This juxtaposes with the actions of Delia Deetz, who encourages Lydia and tells her that she was โmiserable in New York Cityโ and โout hereโ.
- Whilst the Maitlands tries to encourage Lydia she is normal, the Deetzes couldnโt care less, demonstrated by the difference in dialouge. The Maitlandsโ love for their home illuminates their care towards what really matters, rather than getting preoccupied with opportunism and appearances.
The incompatibility between country and city styles is evident in how the two families are characterised when living in the rural, countryside setting.
- The Maitland express their style through decorating the house with wallpapers and Adamโs model of the entire town. Showcases their style by adding on to the house they are residing in, and only there for the sake of comforting themselves.
- This contrasts with the Deetz family. Delia expresses that if โyou cover the wallpaper โฆ this place might be liveable.โ The connotation of liveable only if the wallpaper is covered highlights the dissatisfaction towards anything that compliments her trendy urbane tastes.
- Delia Deetz expresses her style through her sculptures to garner attention towards it, illustrated when she states โMy agent, Bernard, is bringing a woman who writes for Art in Americaโ, showing her desire to be acclaimed in the art world.
- Whilst the Maitlandโs crafts and decorations are reserved for themselves, the Deetz likes to boast (?)
- The Maitlands enjoyed the slow pace of their existence in the country, evidenced when they agreed that โTwo weeks at homeโ is the โthe perfect vacationโ
- However, Charles Deetz struggles to relax and cannot look around without seeing a business opportunity, a symptom of his urban background. The film can thus be seen as a kind of allegory for the incompatibilities between city and country, and praises rural simplicity to allow for the ability to settle down.
Beetlejuiceโs resolution serves to justify that rural simplicity provides a more comforting environment for children such as Lydia.
- In the resolution of the film, the Maitlands ask Lydia of her grades in โmathsโ and โscienceโ.
- Showing concern for her welfare, listening to her and taking the trouble to get to know her, juxtaposes the Deetz family.
- Delia Deetz stating that โletโs play family just for tonightโ explains their relationships, where the they parody a fractured family, because of a lack of understanding between parents and children, appearance of harmony becomes more important than real love.
- Delia Deetz lashing out towards Lydia, saying โDonโt you dare talk to others about me. Iโm an artist! The only thing that scares me is being embarrassed in front of my friends.โ underscores her blind focus on her own social standing and art career, putting it above Lydiaโs angst, thinking of a waste of energy and a way of getting attention, rather than a manifestation of her depression, and a cry for help.
- By the end of the film, the Maitlands and the Deetzes agree to live alongside one another in harmony in the house, providing Lydia with two sets of parents.
- With a strong familial base in place at home, Lydiaโs stability has improved and she has become a happy, well-adjusted kid, showcasing the importance of a strong family base as an important theme. link
conclusion rip come up with it on the day :>