Story Symbolism: 1984 and Hamlet in Freaky Friday

 In honor of the release of Freakier Friday, I wanted to discuss and analyze the film Freaky Friday. Now, many of its topics like perspective taking in psychology, the journey both mother and daughter had to take to become selfless, and the other themes found within that could be discussed in heavy details.

However, when I rewatched the film this past Thursday, in preparation for watching its sequel on today. I remembered something very important when it came to Anna's English class. Any book or film mentioned within the story, usually isn't picked at random for the sake of needing something real there, but rather because it has symbolic meaning to the film's or book's story.

A quick fun example: In Pursuit of Happyness, Will Smith (the MC of the film), whose son plays the character's son, tells a joke about a drowning man asking god for help. Three boats come by, but the man turns them away. After dying and reaching heaven, the man asks god why he didn't save him. God reprimands the man because he had sent three boats to save him, and the man refused. The joke, while humorous and cute from a child telling his father, it actually is symbolic to the film's message - opportunities are always there, we just have to seize them when they come, or even help when offered.

So, in much the same way, both 1984 and Hamlet were brought into the film for a reason. So, we will discuss this in detail today.

Let's start with 1984 by George Orwell, which Anna actually nail's its theme and central conflict on the head. At this current moment in Anna's life, she is a teenager seeking freedom from both her teacher's and mother's control over her life. She is at the mercy at Mr. Bates's grading and him not being clear if he is really caring to help or not. Tess, doesn't make things easier either, by removing Anna's door, symbolic of her privacy, and trying to understand Anna, not for the sake of really seeing from Anna's perspective, but to help Anna see how her views are wrong and correct them. The difference here is that Tess genuinely cares for Anna, and is meaning well through her intentions. The same I'm sure could not be said for the government in the novel 1984.

The second literary novel brought to light in Freaky Friday is Hamlet by William Shakespeare. This play's plot is reflected a little deeper into the film like madness, betrayal, and other elements. Some of Anna's behavior, while validated by how Tess ignores and fails to listen, but also by the loss of her father three years prior to the film's beginning. This Tess brings up at the House of Chang, which Anna deflects by shifting the subject off her father. Hamlet also had to deal with the loss of his father, who visits him. While Anna's father never visits them, his ghostly presence is felt throughout the story.

After Pepe's mom's fortune cookies switches their souls into the other the following day, the madness has begun. This becomes aptly appropriate as both mother and daughter accept that they can't tell anyone for fear of what could happen if they did - yes, others will believe they have gone mad.

The betrayal aspect of Hamlet seems out of place in Freaky Friday, but don't forget that Tess in Anna's body recognizes Mr. Bates from her years in high school. A younger Mr. Bates had a crush on Tess. When he had asked her out to the prom she turned him down. While we can't guess the nature of how she turned him down at the time, it is clear Mr. Bates had held some bitterness of her turning him down and so he took out his vendetta on Anna, instead, failing her no reason. There is also Ryan, Tess's fiancee in the film, felt this when Anna in Tess's body rode home on the back of a motorbike with Jake, Anna's crush. Ryan, may have felt a twinge of betrayal there.

Finally, we come to the final analysis of Freaky Friday with Hamlet. Anna, deep down, didn't like Ryan because he is not her father. While three year may feel like adequate time for some, like Tess, but not for others like Anna, who was still having a difficult time moving forward from his passing. Both Anna and Hamlet felt uncertain around their mother's remarrying again so quickly. To Anna, accepting Ryan into their family could feel like a betrayal to her father's memory and legacy, while also feeling betrayed that her mother could just move on from her father's passing so quickly and remarry without a second thought to her and Harry. Anna reveals as much at the end with her speech when Tess asked Anna to call off the wedding, fearing they won't switch back that night and realizing her children aren't quite ready to move forward with someone who could play a father role in their lives.

Anna doesn't call off the wedding because she learns that Ryan isn't here to threaten what is already there, but to honor it and help it remain strong as it is. This, in addition to Tess helping Anna with the audition at the House of Blues, is enough selfless love to put each soul back where they belong. Thankfully, Freaky Friday proves to have a much happier ending than Hamlet, but then again, that's Disney.

These are my thoughts and insight to something that I felt hadn't really been addressed for this film. I would love to hear yours on the matter. Remember, please keep it civil.

Character Analysis: Regina Mills (Season 2)

I know, I know, this old stuff. The way I see it, classics like ABC's Once Upon a Time never get old. This is a timeless show for many of the reasons Harry Potter is considered a classic today. However, I'm not here to talk about what makes this show a classic, but rather talk about one of my favorite characters of the show: Regina Mills (aka The Evil Queen).

One of the reasons I love her character is because of the transformation she goes through from season 1 to season 7 (not a big fan of the final season, but it really adds to her arc).Today, I am not going to focus on the entire arc, but the arc she goes through in season 2, because this is the season where she really teeter-totters between hero and villain.

Season 1, Regina was hell-bent on kicking Emma out of Storybrooke so she won't take Henry away from her and won't break the curse. At the same time, she wants to keep destroying Snow (Mary-Margaret) and David's relationship. In the end, she fails, despite getting very close to succeeding. Thank you, Henry! As devastating as her loss was at the season 1 finale, this pushes Regina into the bottom of a very deep hole, kind of her own belly of the whale trope. Though, I feel she goes through two of these.

Often times, we see heroes easily climb out of the belly of the beast situation like Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewie in A New Hope. True, they had to fight a bunch of Stormtroopers to escape the Death Star, but compared to Regin's climb out, their escape looks like child's play in comparison. Now, I'm not saying our galactic heroes' struggles weren't valid and worth their merit.

However, we need to keep in mind that Regina had been the villain for a very long time, always relying on unhealthy and unsafe means of dealing with her struggles. In season 2, we see her struggle with her dark and light side heavily, especially in the first few episodes. First couple, she flickers from the wallpaper trick on David to threatening everyone in Storybrooke, if Henry doesn't go with her. She even pretends to not know who Jefferson is in front of Emma, hoping this could be some tool she could use against Emma later down the road.

Henry, finally reminds her that love has to be earned and real love is allowing the people you care for to be happy and be themselves. Regina is reminded of how Cora had kept her like a prisoner in the king's castle and not letting Regina be herself. Regina finally tries to do better for Henry by letting him stay with David. That doesn't mean her struggles are over. She goes to Archie to help her not use magic and does snap at Emma after Emma and Snow return home. Regina quickly apologizes and tries to do better.

Sadly, the other residents don't make it easy. Change needs help and support. Henry believes in her and so does Emma. As for the rest, they are quick to blame her when evidence points to Regina killing Archie. Emma and Henry only believe this when this see the evidence through Pongo's memory. (I know Henry didn't, but I'm sure Emma confirmed this with him.)

In a later episode, Mary Margaret states at the hospital that she doesn't want to imagine what could happen if Cora finds Regina first, after learning of Regina's innocence and Cora has found a way to Storybrooke. Mary-Margaret is right. Cora pushes Regina back down the slippery slope she had been trying to climb. Regina, at her most vulnerable, and feels utterly alone, is left with no choice but to Cora, believing her mother is truly there to help her.

Regina returns to villainy, alongside her mother, but Snow knows putting doubt into Regina's head could help not just the heroes, but Regina herself to start waking up. Cora cares for Regina, but not in the way Regina might want it. The fall worsens after Snow kills Cora, and both Snow and Regina are back at each other's throats, well more Regina's back at it.

Now completely alone, Regina resorts to her evil, old ways, feeling it is the only option left for her. She puts her own needs and interests above everyone else, but then again I can't blame her. David and Snow discuss about returning back to the Enchanted Forest, and plan to make Regina's life miserable. Her support system isn't strong. Henry won't approve her moves and Emma, while understanding, doesn't either. These two have remained supportive, but their faith in Regina can only hold for so long especially how protective and insecure she reveals herself in becoming.

In result of pushing everyone away, as Emma assured her could happen, she is left alone and once more in the belly of the whale. She is captured and helpless at the hands of Craig and Tamara, and Hook has no interest in helping her. In the end, the heroes with guns ablaze save Regina. Afterall, she is family and a Storybrooke resident who doesn't deserve to die at the hands of outsiders who wish to destroy them all. As the famous saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Being saved several times, and especially when she no longer had a way to climb out, Emma, Snow, David, and Neal (who took a bullet and landed in the Enchanted Forest) came to her aid. Even, the Blue Fairy healed Regina. Though, Regina still remains bitter, she is grateful and slowly is able to make her climb out and become a hero.

This is why I have made this a character analysis rather than a simple, straightforward hero or villain one. She had oscillated for most of season 2, but with all the growing pains, slips, and getting back up, helped her finally start on the true path of redemption.

While these are my thoughts and take on Regina's season 2 arch, I would love hear yours. Please share them in the comments below.

Harry Potter: The Boy Who Became a Classic

 The day before yesterday was Harry Potter's birthday as well as JK Rowling's, who in my opinion is not a transphobic, but has an opinion that isn't popular with the masses, and that's fine. I support her rights and freedom to express her thoughts and opinions, whether I truly agree with her on that is irrelevant and will not stand in the way of respecting the woman for who she is. I also support the LGBTQ community.

Okay, so now that is out of the way, I want to honor both the author and her famous character. While Harry Potter has so much to give in its themes and morals that help its readers to become better people each day, the one thing I want to focus on most is what makes Harry Potter a classic. I covered this in an academic paper, but I will not go into too deeply here and just touch the surface with this. Now, we can truly go deeper in the comments section if you'd like.

I am not saying that I won't talk about the morals and themes. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Usually what makes a story a classic is their timeless themes and morals. Key word "timeless", meaning these messages are ones that humanity has never gotten never tired of hearing and must continue to hear them. I know saying this sounds odd. True, none of us want to hear the same lecture over and over again, whether it is from our parents, teachers, or even the local priest or guru. Yet, the way non-didactic stories do this is where we learn them in an entertaining and an emotional way.

Didactic means when a story's primary purpose is to teach. Harry Potter, Star Wars, and many other great stories' primary purpose is to entertain; the lesson is a delicious bonus that makes the story all the more memorable and loved. Trust me didactic stories can't do this very well, at least none that I'm aware of.

Harry Potter deals with timeless universal themes like death, love, discrimination, friendship, teaching, and much more. It has taught countless readers that death is inevitable, but the only way to truly conquer it is through love, and it isn't about love bringing the person we lost back, but rather honoring the people we loved in life through how we live. "It is our choices, Harry, that show us who we truly are, far more than our abilities" (Rowling, 1998, 333). Dumbledore's words ring true in the actions of the other characters in all seven books and in the real-world people.

However, it isn't enough to have these powerful themes written across the pages. It is also essential to have the entertaining stuff like magic wands, dragons, playing Quidditch, sneaking through Hogwarts at night, and having butterbeer and banter with friends. These moments make lessons all the moral powerful and meaningful.

On top of this, they have things that are things we associate with the story and want to have like butterbeer, chocolate frogs, house scarves, and character wands. A perfect breeding ground for merchandizing and creating recipes.

Another big aspect, are characters we can connect with and relate to. Characters have to be laired and complex, not black and white. Snape, Draco, Harry, Ron, and Hermione prove this alongside a number of other characters. It is why we love them, because they're flawed, making them more human and relatable.

Combine all this, you have a story that is worthy to be remembered, reread, rewatched, and have posted on all our mugs, shirts, and walls. Years ago, after the last Harry Potter film was released, people wondered would this series become a classic. It was probably too early to tell, but at the time when I wrote the paper, I knew it would become so. I knew this simply for these many reasons. It has been proven through a Broadway production, theme park, Harry Potter stores slowly opening around the world, Fantastic Beasts films, and now a TV series.  The stories are filled with rich world-building we wish we could live in, colorful characters that we can connect with, and themes that help us navigate the real world. This is why, today, it has been proven that has becomes a classic. And it always will be one. Always.