PAPER "A Rebel"
A Delinquent Rebel
One thing is clear throughout Nicolas Ray's 1955 film Rebel Without a Cause is that it's centered around teenage delinquency. The film would have you believe that adolescents are irrationally and inherently rebellious, however there is a deeper side to the troubled teens. The viewpoint is to show Jim, Judy, and Plato are motivated by their own twisted upbringings. Society stands in the way of their rebellion and from this we understand the social outcast aspect as well as the political standing of this time. The characters aren't demonized in the eyes of the viewer but rather shown to be sympathetic and from this relationship we better understand the human need for acceptance.
Being different or new just as Jim was can be an easy target for getting outcasted. Many people in our society can understand the feeling of being alone and being pushed away especially if they went through school. Often we see the "popular group" and wanted to be similar to them or at least wanted a friend. When you are targeted it can make you hate others and rebel in ways you might not have done before. How an individual will react from outcast varies but often a child delinquent can be a result of it. Jim had a difficult time making friends to the point where he stopped trying to make them. He states, "I'm not looking for friends" It seems that even before his new high school he was alone. Plato looked up to Jim and saw him as father figure who understands the struggle of being alienated. Judy saw the company of the Wheel gang as comfortable place outside of home. It is part of life to be excluded by others and is a way of growing up and understanding yourself as well as the world around you. Jim, Plato, and Judy all have difficulties knowing who they are because they don't understand society and the exclusion they face. America at this time saw politically the right wing way of dealing with delinquents. It wasn't so much looking at the roots of the problem
One thing is clear throughout Nicolas Ray's 1955 film Rebel Without a Cause is that it's centered around teenage delinquency. The film would have you believe that adolescents are irrationally and inherently rebellious, however there is a deeper side to the troubled teens. The viewpoint is to show Jim, Judy, and Plato are motivated by their own twisted upbringings. Society stands in the way of their rebellion and from this we understand the social outcast aspect as well as the political standing of this time. The characters aren't demonized in the eyes of the viewer but rather shown to be sympathetic and from this relationship we better understand the human need for acceptance.
Being different or new just as Jim was can be an easy target for getting outcasted. Many people in our society can understand the feeling of being alone and being pushed away especially if they went through school. Often we see the "popular group" and wanted to be similar to them or at least wanted a friend. When you are targeted it can make you hate others and rebel in ways you might not have done before. How an individual will react from outcast varies but often a child delinquent can be a result of it. Jim had a difficult time making friends to the point where he stopped trying to make them. He states, "I'm not looking for friends" It seems that even before his new high school he was alone. Plato looked up to Jim and saw him as father figure who understands the struggle of being alienated. Judy saw the company of the Wheel gang as comfortable place outside of home. It is part of life to be excluded by others and is a way of growing up and understanding yourself as well as the world around you. Jim, Plato, and Judy all have difficulties knowing who they are because they don't understand society and the exclusion they face. America at this time saw politically the right wing way of dealing with delinquents. It wasn't so much looking at the roots of the problem