Journey Speech Essay

1676 Words7 Pages
Somebody once said, “It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters, in the end”. A physical journey is defined as a movement where a person or a group of people travels from one place to another. Each prompted by a catalyst, physical journeys entails not only the physical relocation but also the inner realization and enlightenment which results in a better understanding of ones self, other people, life or even the world and is often described as the inner journey that comes with physical journey. Through the plot, setting, symbols, characterizations, direct speech and other techniques, ‘Stand by Me’ directed by Bob Reiner and ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ by J.K. Rowling effectively demonstrates the concept of both physical and inner journey. Stand by Me is a coming-of-age film of four twelve year olds, Gordie Lachance, Chris Chambers, Teddy Duchamp and Vern Tessio who resides in a small town of Castle Rock in the year 1959. The film showcases the life-changing journey they embarked on at the end of an indolent summer to find the dead body of a missing boy who was around their age. The physical journey was triggered by Vern’s announcement “Wanna go see a dead body?” The catalyst that prompted the journey was the pull of fame and a break from the ordinary routine as there was not much a group of 12 year olds could do in the sleepy town. The idea of physical journey is further enforced with the several close-up shots of the train tracks, which are symbolic of a journey or path. The long shots employed by the director emphasis how the tracks stretch on for miles in front of them just like the boys’ lives are also stretched out in years before them. As the four follow the tracks, they seem to be following the path to their future as they, especially Chris and Gordie, search for the purpose of their lives. Although on the
Open Document