Final Essay: Spirited Away: A Color Reality

James Caceres

ENG 102

12/11/13

                                                           

                                                   Spirited Away:  A Colorful Reality

           

Does Spirited Away target and portray important symbolism and themes that are like our real world?  Spirited Away is an animation written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, it is a popular Japanese animation which captivates viewers through its intricate uses of imagination and symbolism.  Many of the characters in Spirited Away contain a form of symbolism which overall meaning correlates with reality.  Some of Spirited Away’s most illustrated symbols consist of the portrayal of good vs. evil and greed.   This essay seeks to actively describe these varied uses of symbolism within the film.

Greed is a major focal point in Spirited Away.  In the bathhouse all the workers including the witch Yubaba, the owner/manager of the bathhouse, illustrate this greed.  Yubaba, who is most often seen wearing various precious jewelry, is constantly is eager for more and more gold.  Yubaba’s greed is also greatly shown when she is first visited by Chihiro where Yubaba’s office contains more floor space and treasured jewelry then she would actually ever need.  This is especially depicted in multiple scenes where Yubaba is examining numerous prized gems.  Yubaba additionally allows this greed to overcome her emotion and compassion for people as she clearly places her need for gold over her very own workers and even at times her family.  A great example of this is shown when Haku tells Yubaba that something precious to her is missing without her knowing.  Yababa at this moment takes a look at her gold first before noticing it was her baby missing the whole time, illustrating how eager for gold she truly is. 

The workers of the bathhouse are additionally extremely greedy.  Most of the workers are exceedingly eager for gold to the extent that they literally bow down and praise the character No-Face, who is able to create gold out of thin air.  The workers in multiple scenes scatter ferociously attempting to pick up gold when gold is dropped on the floor by river spirit and No-face.  These acts of vicious eagerness for gold by the workers and Yubaba expose the true nature of greed which takes place in the bathhouse.   

Another major symbol that is portrayed throughout Spirited Away is the battle between good and even within many characters.  No-Face makes a great example to this due his constant cognitive ability to match his surroundings.  No-Face is very kind towards Chihiro who was very kind to No-Face when she invited him into the bathhouse, and even aided her in gaining bath tokens which helped purify the water spirit.  Yet when No-Face is surrounded by the greed of those from the bathhouse, he quickly imitates this greed.  No-Face soon consumes one of the workers acquiring that workers greedy additional traits and voice.  However since No-Face is able to create gold out of thin air he quickly gains the attention of the workers who want his gold.  While having their attention No-Face becomes much overcome by their greed consuming more food than ever necessary.  Though when the appearance of kind hearted Chihiro comes to see No-Face, he is very kind to her and offers her a stack of gold.  Chihiro denial of this gold upsets the greed within No-Face, resulting in an internal rage of No-Face’s greed.  This causes him to literally spit out the greed within him where he soon becomes a gentle soul seeking kind attention.  

The importance of these symbols and themes is how relatable it is to the real world.  Very often daily in people’s lives they are subjected to greed and their personal battle between good and evil.  It would not be uncommon in this day of age to see people barbarically fight and argue over money let alone gold. Additionally it is not uncommon to see a person who follows the good or bad within his/her surroundings.  The value in animation of Spirited Away is its ability to allow viewers to see from a different perspective outside their own world, yet the correlations to their own no matter how exotic the difference in appearance. 

Spirited Away greatly portrays themes and symbols that are easily relatable and identifiable to the real world.  These symbols consist of good vs. evil and greed throughout the animation.  Hayao Miyazaki uses the characters Yababa, No-Face, and the bathhouse workers to illustrate these important themes and symbols.  This precise of greed and good vs. evil makes the animation Spirited Away a great piece worth watching.

            

Research Assignment Blog

James Caceres

11/26/13

ENG 102

Realistic Transformation

Does literature play any roles in our lives? Is it important?  In literature, though some works may seem distant to what our actual lives may be, there is most often a correlation to our own lives.  In literature there is a common general use of archetypes which represents recurring patterns within people and objects.  An example would be the first thought in a person’s mind when thinking of a police officer or nurse and the similarity if someone else was to think of the same idea.  Though people may not fall into the nurse or police officer archetype, there are archetypes that many people do fall into. Most which happen to fall into the 12 common archetypes.  In literature most if not all characters follow the same common archetypes.  In Coraline by Neil Gaiman, the main character Coraline goes over a growing progression through three common archetypes.  These archetypes follow as the orphan, seeker, and the warrior.  Coraline’s transformation through various archetypes depict how the reader or people in general, go through various transformations of archetypes within their own lives both strength and weaknesses.

Coraline within the first chapters of the book follows a great pattern towards the orphan archetype. Coraline is constantly attempting to find a sense of belonging with her consistently busy parents.  Though her efforts are futile, her tough minded orphan attribute allowed her to find and explore other possibilities.  Someone following the same orphan archetype are most often able relate to the acts and emotions faced by Coraline.  Such acts such as being ignored as a kid, or the feeling of not belong while wanting to belong.  An example would be in chapter 2 where Coraline tries to entertain herself by seeing her father,

“Coraline went to see her father.  He had his back to the door as he typed. “Go away,” he said cheerfully as she walked in. “I’m bored,” she said.  “Learn how to tap-dance,” he suggested, without turning around.  Caroline shook her head.  “Why don’t you play with me?” she asked.  “Busy,” he said. “Working,” he added.  He still hadn’t turned around to look at her.  “Why don’t you go and bother Miss Spink and Miss Forcible?”” (21, coraline),

This part of the story shows a great example, of the type of loneliness Coraline had felt while also lacking a sense of belonging.  This is why the orphan archetype suits her greatly at this point.  Nevertheless Coraline’s life as an orphan leads her to her next archetype transformation which she uses to cope with her feelings from the orphan archetype.  This archetype is the seeker.

            Though Coraline is a natural seeker, as demonstrated by her constant want for exploration; Coraline’s seeker archetype is more emphasized due to her orphan attribute, meaning her lack of attention from her parents had led her to become a better seeker which ultimately leads to her journey.  Attributes of a seeker consist of a constant need to explore the world, to gain a sense of fulfillment.  Additionally a weakness of a seeker abide by the often possibility of aimlessly wandering while journeying.  Coraline greatly accommodates these seeker traits as she always attempts to find something to do.  As when Coraline is told to stay away from the well since it’s dangerous, “Coraline set off to explore for it, so that she knew where it was, to keep away from it properly.” (5-6, Coraline) where she proceeds to drop pebbles to test for it depth.  To where she discovers it’s extremely deep.  Additionally when Coraline is bored, her seeker trait kicks in when she goes off to count the number of all the doors and windows in her house.  These examples of the seeker trait greatly correlate to those whom may have one point have lived a life as a seeker.  This seeker trait may have most likely occurred during childhood when one often needed to find something to entertain the inner kid in us.   This allows the reader to better feel the exact emotions which Coraline herself is feeling.  This in turns aids the reader in gaining a greater overall understanding of the story.  Additionally it shows to those of the seeker archetype that they are not alone in their thrill for journeys and quests.  However, similar as to Coraline’s transformation between orphan and seeker, where her orphan archetype has led her to her seeker archetype, Coralines seeker archetype leads her ultimately to her warrior transformation.

            Coraline transformation to a warrior occurs slowly.  Coraline continues the role of a seeker up to and beyond when where she finds the door to the other world.  Previously being a brick wall behind the door, she eventually stumbles on it cracked open and leading elsewhere.  Coraline seeker traits at this point hit a peak as she travels into the other world.  Here she finds a home similar to Coraline’s home, but not exactly her home.  She additionally finds her other mother and father whom contain button eyes, and unlike her actual mother and father go out of their way to tend to all of Coraline’s needs.  Coraline continues to explore this realm, and finds a great joy within it since she is most familiar with being ignored and enjoys the attention.  After a few visits to this “other world”, Coraline starts taking notice to the worlds flaws, and realizes that it’s actually out to get her;  triggering her warrior transformation.  According to “What Story Are You Living”,

“The Warrior archetype often has a code of honor involving a high level of discipline, principle, and, as in this story, heroism.  The warrior enjoys competing and tends to embark on crusades.”(96, What Story Are You Living).

Coraline comes to fulfill these attributes when challenging the other mother in a game of exploring.  Coraline stakes her life with the additional possibility of having buttons sewn onto her eyes by failing this challenge.  Since it is a game of exploring which is one of Coraline’s archetypes “the seeker”, it aids her through her challenge to defeat the mother.  Coraline’s archetype from orphan, seeker, to warrior has helped her battle in saving her parents and the children's souls.   Similar to all people and readers, the archetypes that we live in our lives help us overcome the challenges many face.

            One may ask why does this matter to the reader?  It matters because like Coraline, we as a people do come from common archetypes which take place in all literature.  Additionally by knowing and understanding our archetypes and other ones as well, it is possible to develop a greater understanding of the world and people around us.  People may not open a door and enter a fictional world with challenges, but people do open doors to face real world challenges.  What aids people in these challenges are knowing their strengths and weaknesses within their archetype.  Nevertheless literature helps depict the possibility of transformation.  Where one day we may be an orphan, and a year later be seekers, to soon become a warrior in our own worlds.  Literature assists in obtaining this knowledge, and by this shows that we ourselves are each living a unique story.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman and many other works of literature assist in the understanding of archetypes and the world around us. Coraline aids as a great example on how literature allows readers to enter a fictional world and come out with an understanding of the non-fictional world.  Through archetypes as one of literature’s arsenals it allows readers to live a story of their own by incorporating themselves and common archetypes to the story.  For these reasons alone give a vast reason for why literature is important.  For literature contains many correlations to our lives then we may think. 

 

Works Cited

Gaiman, Neil, and Dave McKean. Coraline. New York: HarperCollins, 2002. Print.

Pearson, Carol, and Hugh  Marr. What Story Are You Living. 2003. Reprint. Gainesville:

 Center for Applications of Psychological Type, Inc, 2009. Print.

"The 12 Common Archetypes." The 12 Common Archetypes. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.

<http://www.soulcraft.co/essays/the_12_common_archetypes.html>.