Rebel Without A Cause

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English 11 A.P. 16 December 2009 Family Issues in Rebel Without a Cause The typical modern day teen movie is flooded with stereotypes, cliques, and cliché storylines. Dating back to the 50’s and earlier, teen movies have portrayed the same general idea. Whether they focus on the geek, the prom queen, or the outcast, every character is constantly included, and shown in the same light. Everyone has known or has been someone that one of those stereotypes. Therefore, nearly the entire teen population can relate. The experiences and traumas may even stick with one until the later years of life. David Denby, a staff writer and film critic for the New Yorker, suggests that teen movies reflect the secret wishes of those who make them. Screenwriters use their movies as a way to express their feelings in art form, so naturally they would reflect their childhood experiences. Movies from the earlier days, such as “Rebel Without a Cause”, for example, reflected deeper issues than not being in the “cool group” or getting picked on because of looks or demeanor, though those factors were included. Movies from earlier eras reflect matters such as family issues and self-confliction that most likely occurred during the high school years to someone involved in the making of the movie. In Rebel Without A Cause, the character Plato harbored the most internal conflict. All three of the main characters in “Rebel Without a Cause” experience intense family issues and confusion. Judy seeks attention, acceptance and love from her father, who is clearly fighting an unnatural attraction to her due to her resemblance to her mother. Jim has a false depiction of his father. He thinks he is feminine and needs to stand up and be a real man. However, of all of the main characters, Plato is the most conflicted. His parents had deserted him, and he looked wherever he could

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