Paranoid Park Essay

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Paranoid Park Essay Selfishness and ignorance are two words used by a large majority of the world to symbolize a certain group of people. This group of people is often called the Americans. This stereotype was formed on the basis of the actions of the American government and the social culture of America. America breeds its youth in an environment that promotes individualism and an unconcerned attitude to anything outside of their personal lives. Gus Van Sant incorporates the theme of how the American social environment promotes individualism and isolation in its youth in his film Paranoid Park. These traits result in a sense of paranoia and distrust. Gus Van Sant manages to create an unbelievably realistic and typical teenage environment in Paranoid Park. He is able to capture many of the social expectations that are put on teenagers in modern American society, creating a main character that the audience can easily relate to on a personal level. Alex, the main character of the film, is constantly in conflict with himself as society exerts pressure on how he should live his life. Alex is a normal skater teenager whose parents are getting divorced, creating a rift between the two most prominent figures in his life. Divorces are not uncommon in America, despite the fact that they have disastrous effects on the mental health of the child whose parents are separating. The concept and bond of family is not as revered in American culture as it is in most foreign cultures, as seen by the fifty percent divorce rate in America. Thus, these children are affected in extreme ways. For example, Gus Van Sant uses Alex's little brother as how violently children react to such splits in their early lives. Whenever Alex's brother thinks about the divorce, he throws up his food showing that he is mentally and physically damaged by the separation of his parents. Often times the
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